2020 Economic Predictions: This Series of Unfortunate Events Guarantees the Epocalypse

 2020 Economic Predictions: This Series of Unfortunate Events Guarantees the Epocalypse

By David Haggith June 28, 2020 , 10:00 am

The troubles listed here in my 2020 economic predictions are so severe and
so likely to get even worse that it’s more difficult to imagine they won’t get worse than to believe they will. Just a few of these misfortunes would be enough to plunge us into an abyss of social and financial catastrophes.

Here are my economic predictions for the remainder of 2020

This list of economic predictions is not hard to come up with. It is, however, the fact that it is so easy to predict these things this year that makes this year’s list so important.

I think most readers will agree with the likelihood of most
predictions on this list. The point of the list, then, is to show by the
aggregate of calamities that will wash over us how close to certain is a
deep economic depression. (Most are problems central banks have zero
capacity to resolve.)

This depression is something many people may not perceive until they
widen their field of vision to see the full ocean of likely troubles
that are nearly certain to pound the entire world in wave after wave for
months or even years to come.

(Though I focus on the US, the same economics predictions are likely
to apply all over the world with their own variations of local color.)

Many people are living right now in the delusional hope of a V-shaped recovery from the recent Coronacrisis lockdown. The list below shows why that is the most unlikely possibility imaginable.

During this time of economic crisis, most of the predictions listed
below are current events that are almost certain to continue as the
major trends of 2020 and are likely to even worsen, plunging us into the
chaos of a deep economic collapse, worse than 2008:

– The social unrest of BLM will become even more widespread and intense.

• – Additional social unrest over forced social distancing will reappear around the nation as distancing measures return.
• – Social unrest over corporate bailouts is
  likely to begin as the Federal Reserve and government stack up mega
  bailouts for the rich (or as bailouts already given become known) via
  the insanely rich BlackRock, which has been given a monopoly on
  administering handouts for which only the wealthiest qualify.
• – Tearing down of monuments and other acts of violence will certainly create backlash against BLM from those who value the monuments or just want the history of both sides preserved.
• – So, social unrest will beget more social unrest.
• – All the turmoil of a likely-to-be contested election with
  all the accusations of Russian tampering and other hacking (like what
  just happened to Trump’s Tulsa rally) will cause even more social
  unrest.
• – All those social conflicts will negatively impact some local businesses already hurting badly from the COVID-19 lockdown because
  they will be unable to reopen due to the protests at a time when we
  cannot afford anything that causes further damage to business.
• – Social distancing being ignored entirely by BLM protestors, will increase the spread of COVID-19 as
  will reopening, ending the stock market’s fantasy of a V-shaped
  recovery. (Even if the Coronacrisis is a trumped-up hoax as some say,
  the same scenario will give the hoax all kinds of new (and news) stories
  to grow on.)
• – Travel and hospitality will certainly remain in deep depression as COVID-19 stages resurgences.
• – Lack of travel assures a continued rise in bankruptcies in the oil and gas industry.
• – Shutdowns of major summer events will depress local
  business and government revenue as will shutdowns of sports events and
  concerts.
• – Local governments will be forced to downsize staffing
  quickly and cut back projects of all kinds due to hugely diminished tax
  revenue caused by all the troubles listed here, causing a new wave of
  job losses, not just in government but in companies that contract for
  government projects.
• – Diminished policing will result in a huge crime wave across America. Some
  of that will result from police department defunding; some will be
  required in other ways by liberal governments seeking to placate
  protestors; and a lot will happen because police officers resign and no
  new people want to become police in the present atmosphere. This will be
  as damaging to Black communities as to White and will have a
  suppressive effect on economic activity.

• – Business uncertainty due to the continuing trade wars and to additional COVID-19 border lockdowns, as well as inability of businesses to get parts across borders even for products produced and sold within the nation, will act like gravity on the hope of economic lift. (What a time to be doubling down on trade wars, but here we go already!)
• – We all know the federal debt will keep growing at an exponential rate because of reduced taxes that were supposed to be paid for by a rise to 4%
  or better GDP growth. That’s now a distant dream when the best we will
  see is -10% GDP growth. Compounding the retreat in GDP and the resulting
  drop in tax revenues, we have increased government spending due to
  COVID-19 stimulus efforts. All of that will require the Federal
  Reserve to monetize the debt to the moon and back. At some point that
  will call into question the current US credit rating.
• – So many bonds sliding toward junk because the weak business economy will force all kinds of already risky credit to become riskier and become downgraded.
• – Forced offloading of that debt by institutions that are not allowed to carry junk bonds, will cause huge bond market problems and defaults by
  those who can no longer refinance by issuing new bonds. That will force
  the Fed to continue to soak up ever larger amounts of junkier debt,
  moving further down the junk spectrum, even as it also has to fund the
  federal government’s exploding debt plus the new exploding debts of
  local governments via new “special vehicles.”
• – The stock market, being utterly dependent on the Fed continuing to print money while also utterly dependent on COVID-19 keeping its head down, will go down hard again, likely this summer and probably again in the fourth quarter. I predict it will ultimately fall lower than its nadir in March.
• That will cause more wealth evaporation, leading to more natural economic tightening across the financial and business spectrum.
• – The second wave of COVID-19 will be worse than the first when
  the fall flu season hits or maybe even this summer, given that the
  hottest rise in cases is happening in our hottest states. That makes it
  obvious that climate temperature does nothing to slow the spread.
• – Some major banks and other financial institutions in Europe, such as Deutsche Bank, and in other nations will crash. US institutions will get pulled down by their associations.
• – Many businesses will never reopen even though the economy has been reopened legally. Many others that do re-open
  will close for good before long because partial reopening is not enough
  to sustain them and, in some cases, may even cause them to lose more
  money than if they stayed closed. (Already, as I predicted prior to the
  opening would happen all across America, I see restaurants in my own
  area that did not reopen, and I’ve talked to people in restaurants that
  did reopen who say they are not even able to fill their reduced 50%
  capacity under social distancing rules because they can’t get enough
  customers to return. Restaurants are slim-margin business, so many will
  fail.) And that is even if the Coronacrisis doesn’t have a resurgence.
• – More shopping malls that were already marginal will close forever after reopening because of the number of businesses that do not return or that fail during the partial reopening.
• – That, in turn, will have a knock-on effect for other surrounding businesses that now experience less traffic.
• – Due to the continuing sweep of all the problems listed above, we are in for a deep, longterm jobs depression.
• – That means housing and commercial real-estate will crash again as longterm unemployment and business losses result in mortgage defaults.
• – The resulting deep slowdown in construction will mean even more job losses.
• – That means some US banks will crash (or
  have to be bailed out by the Fed) (though maybe not until 2021) due to
  all the loan problems caused by all of the above, resulting in even more
  job losses.
• – Add to all of these near certainties, the growing possibilities of more international wars that
  we already see rising in risk — North Korea v. South Korea, North Korea
  v. the US, Israel v. Iran, Israel v. the Palestinians over annexation
  of parts of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia v. Yemen, China v. Taiwan, China
  v. Nepal, China v. the US, India v. Pakistan. Many of these conflicts
  seem to have intensified over the past year, and that’s just a short
  list of currently rising or continuing international conflicts.
• – Civil wars within various nations are more likely
  because of the rising economic troubles and social strife listed here
  as well as continued growing strife due to immigration pressures that
  developed under globalization.
• – I won’t predict the US dollar will collapse, BUT … this is the FIRST year in which I’ve ever said that is a reasonable possibility. Until
  now, it lay dimly in the future. Nations are angry over how the dollar
  has been repeatedly weaponized by the US via sanctions. So, I am certain
  the indomitable dollar will finally start to experience struggles of
  its own due to all the problems listed here, which will result in the
  Federal Reserve being less able to manage the financial chaos nationally
  and internationally, and due to competition from new central bank
  digital currencies this year, maybe, but especially next.
• – Add to all of that the normal economic crises from major exogenous events, such as earthquakes, volcanism, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, pestilence, wildfires, and, oh, an asteroid or two. The
  difference this year is that those big catastrophes will be hitting
  badly crippled economies and stressed societies wherever they hit in
  this world. (We cannot know what will hit or whether the
  number of such events will be lighter or heavier than other years
  because these are black-swan events — things we know CAN happen but have
  no knowledge of the specific likelihood of any particular event in a
  particular area in any given year. What we do know is that nations
  struggling under an economic crisis and an emergency health crisis will
  be less able to manage those events when they hit. Organizations like
  FEMA will be stretched way beyond their capacities.)

That’s a long list of finger-in-the-wind economic predictions. I’m not saying all of them will be dominant trends this year, and I can’t say when or in what order each one will happen; but I am certain 80% or more of my 2020 economic predictions will play out as stated above, and that is more than enough to assure the deep economic depression I’ve named “The Epocalyse.”

I invite you to offer your own social or economic predictions for 2020 (whether as additions or subtractions to
the list above) that you see as highly likely to develop (good or bad)
in the comments below so that we benefit from each others’ observations
and insights.

Reprinted with author’s permission from The Great Recession Blog

2020 Economic Predictions: This Series of Unfortunate Events Guarantees the Epocalypse: Additional social unrest over forced social distancing will reappear around the nation as distancing measures return.

Dragonflies, by Design: Only an Intelligence can Account for these Remarkable Insects - by Andy McIntosh

Dragonflies and damselflies are some of the most impressive fliers in the insect world and, with four wings individually controlled, fly rather like helicopters.
Dragonflies are agile, fast fliers, and can reach speeds of 10 to 15 metres per second or 40 to 55kmh. Damselflies, though also very agile, have a different mode of flying and will more often move from one hovering motion to another, somewhat like humming birds.

Dragonflies and damselflies have a life span of more than a year. There are three stages of the life cycle: They begin their lives as eggs which hatch in water and these then quickly become nymphs. Most of the life cycle of a dragonfly is lived in the nymph stage and one rarely sees these. Finally, they become the adult dragonfly or damselfly.

Once the eggs hatch, the larva becomes a nymph in water. Its wings are present but not grown and they are within the casing of what looks like a crusty hump hanging onto its back. This part of the life cycle can take up to four years to complete under the water. The nymphs live in ponds or marshy areas of a stream or the calmer backwaters of rivers and they are voracious feeders using a unique lower lip that they project to hook their prey. They may eat creatures as big as tadpoles or small fish and they have been observed to eat smaller dragonfly nymphs.  They can even become cannibals and eat nymphs of their own species!

When the nymph reaches adult size, it comes out of the water, never to return, and sheds its last moult. Remarkably, the nymph which was breathing underwater using gills, now changes to breathing in air through spiracles as all land insects do. This is more than simply a hole in the thorax of the dragonfly or damselfly; it has a special valve so that air is sucked into the trachea behind the opening. To make sure that this valve only begins to operate once the dragonfly or damselfly nymph has left the water, a set of thin white threads is woven through these tubes and trachea in the new thorax, so that only when they are finally coming out of their old casing, are these threads pulled out of the spiracles.

The new dragonfly inhales initially with its mouth, but full respiration is achieved once the spiracles are operational. At the same time, blood is pumped through the veins of its powerful wings that then become stiffened aerodynamic surfaces. The whole process is remarkable, since not only is it effectively a new creature from the old, but it is particularly astonishing since the breathing which used gills in water is now changed skillfully to breathing in air.

The fast flight of dragonflies with a top speed of 15 metres per second (35 mph) is achieved primarily because of the individual muscle arrangement  for controlling the four wings. As a consequence, there is a power stroke in both directions that makes for very strong flight.

The flight muscles of dragonflies can adjust the wing beat frequency, the amplitude (that is the extent of wing beat), the phase difference between forewings and hindwings, and also angle of attack of each of the four wings independently. This means that dragonflies can out-manoeuvre most other insects and are the king of hunters in the insect world. They will catch smaller insects at speed on the wing, but sometimes smaller dragonflies themselves become the meal for larger species of dragonflies. However, dragonflies themselves are not without predators. There are birds such as kites, hobbies, wagtails and swifts that, with keen eyesight and agile flight, can actually catch this top insect sky hunter in mid flight!

Typically dragonfly wings beat in the range of 30 to 50 cycles per second. But at the end of each wing and on its leading edge there are dark spots called pterostigma, which are heavier than the rest of the wing. During flight, as they reach maximum forward flight speed, light wings (without pterostigma) would start to flutter uncontrollably –this is due to the natural vibration frequency of the wing being excited by aerodynamic forces, and these forces depend on the speed of the dragonfly.

This is called the “resonant frequency”, which depends on the mass distribution of the wing. With pterostigma, the wings stay balanced because the mass distribution of the wing is greater at the tip, and the threshold speed – where the natural frequency for uncontrolled vibration occurs – is raised outside the range of dragonflies. So the pterostigma are precisely placed stabilisers!

Each wing has the capacity to twist upwards (supination) and downwards (pronation). This is also a very important feature for gaining extra lift for each wing beat. It is similar to the humming bird wing motion, and enables the dragonfly or damselfly to manipulate the vortices (spinning air) shed from each wing. When the pair of forward wings are out of phase with the rear pair, the hind wings pick up some of the vortices shed from the forewings, so that on the downstroke of the hind wing, it senses the updraft from these vortices. This greatly reduces the induced drag (that is drag due to lift) of the individual wing, and therefore the wings together are more efficient than acting separately.

There is a significant issue that these three features (muscles, pterostigma and wing interaction) raise. It is actually the detailed knowledge of aerodynamic engineering which uncovers the intricate design features in nature’s flyers.

Precision engineering requires design, and no engineer looking at odonata wings could come to another conclusion. Wings do not make themselves. The design of muscles to operate the wings, the design of pterostigma all in exactly the right place, the design of the four wings with a different shape for the fore wings to the hindwings – all these illustrate the principle of irreducible complexity. By this is meant only when the whole system is operating together is the design apparent. A wing without the right muscle arrangement is useless and a dragonfly without pterostigma is  also useless. Intricate design speaks of the Lord of Creation who loves detail.

I Thought I Saw It Coming :: By Jack Kinsella

by RRadmin7 Category:General Articles

 

It is incredible, yet true. We are witnessing the unfolding of events long prophesied to take place during the last generation before the return of Christ.  We knew that it was coming – we were almost eager to see this day because it means the Rapture is that much closer.

But as the day approaches, it becomes less an abstract notion and more a crushingly painful reality.  It has made that transition from theoretical possibility to actual fact.

We always knew, in theory that, one day Christians would be marginalized to the point of insignificance.

We always knew that one day, some new religion having two horns like a lamb but speaking as a dragon would overspread Planet Earth.   For decades we’ve made a guessing game out of what it would look like and who would be its leader.

As we see the hard-and-fast answers crowding out our best guesses, the game isn’t as much fun as it used to be.  In fact, it isn’t any fun at all, any more.
This IS what we’ve been expecting.  It is what the Bible forecast for the last days.  Jesus said the Tribulation Period would be a time so terrible that if He didn’t return to put a stop to it, there would be no flesh saved out of it.

So it is entirely reasonable to expect that the period leading up to it would be, ah, unpleasant, to say the least. Jesus prophesied that the time will come when those who kill you will think they do God service.

He reminded us that the world MUST hate us because it hates Him  – but that doesn’t make it any easier when it happens.

There are two competing sets of values here and it is out of that conflict that all the angst arises.  If we are where I believe that we are on Bible prophecy’s timeline, then America’s (and the West’s) days are numbered.

If we are where I believe we are, then the decline we are experiencing is both inevitable and unstoppable.   This is only part of the Big Picture – there are other, bigger and scarier parts yet to come.

Why are they scarier today than they were, say, ten years ago?   It isn’t as if Bible prophecy changed in the last ten years.   What we are experiencing is the realization of our expectations.
Did anybody really think that witnessing the unfolding of last days’ prophecy would be fun?
If you did, now you know.

You also know why you were but one of only a tiny handful of ‘prophecy nuts’ in your church.  I say ‘were’ because as we move forward on the Bible timeline, prophecy doesn’t seem so nuts anymore.
In the grand scheme of things, very few Christians in these last days have been called as watchmen.  Even fewer have responded to the calling.  It’s not for everybody — for some it is too much.  That is why we are necessary – to give the warning.

God has set each of us in the place He wants us to be for this time and place in human history.  That doesn’t mean it is a pleasant place – we had our pleasant time. But God in His wisdom, and for reasons known only to Him, has called us – you and me and others like us – as witnesses.

He promises a special crown for us at the Bema Seat.  There are only FIVE crowns and this is one of them.  So what made you think that earning it would be easy?  It is supposed to be hard
.
Out of all the living Christians on this planet, God called YOU to bear witness for all those too afraid to look.

Yes, it is frustrating.  Yes, it is infuriating.  Yes, it is frightening.  And YES – it is unfair. Why can’t YOU be one of those Christians just strolling through life, tra-la-la-la-la, in blissful ignorance?
I dunno. Because you can’t.  God called you and you answered the phone.  Sorry.  This is a bell that you can’t unring.   Read through your assignment again — note in particular the parts in italics.

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom;  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” (2nd Timothy 4:1-5)

Somebody has to watch in all things, do the work of an evangelist and make full proof of the ministry to which God called them. That’s the charge.  You accepted it — or you wouldn’t be reading these words now.

Now the evil days are upon us and somehow, we are surprised to find we don’t like it.   I am not saying that sarcastically – I am as surprised as anybody at how surprised I am, if you can follow my drift.

I thought I was made of sterner stuff than that.

So, what are we to do as Christians?  Our job.  Be witnesses.  Watch and observe and give the warning.  You know, the Bible says that Noah preached for one hundred and twenty years and never made a single convert.

But when the rains came down, Noah still got to ride out the storm in the ark.
It is easy to become discouraged, frustrated and even angry.  It’s natural.  But it is part of a plan that the God of the Universe has not only let you in on, He has included you as a necessary part.

“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25)

He can keep you from falling.  He will present you faultless before the Throne with exceeding joy.  He knows what He is doing, and He has let you in on some of the details.
Here’s what we know —  and we know it for sure.  There is lots to be scared of.  But nothing to be worried about. Because He is able.  And He loves you more than you know.

Maranatha!

http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=7203

The Ascendancy of Evil - by Jack Kelly

Omega Letter Community

11 de maio ·

"For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way" (2 Thess. 2:7).

The number of emails I receive from people who are discouraged, frustrated, even despondent, is steadily increasing. They point to current conditions in the world and wonder how much worse things can get.

You no longer have to be an astute observer to notice how rapidly our world is changing. It wasn’t that long ago when the standard measure was a comparison between what was acceptable to people in their time with what was acceptable in their grandparents’ time. Now we only have to compare what’s currently acceptable with what was acceptable just a few years ago to see measurable change. Not only are things changing, but the rate of change is accelerating.
A person with discernment can’t help but see a supernatural component in all this. It’s true that the heart of man is incurably wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) but these days society seems to be under a compulsion to see just how wicked they can become.

All around us we see God’s laws being conspicuously broken, His word being stifled, and His people, both Jewish and Christian, being persecuted. It’s like it doesn’t matter how twisted something is, as long as it’s a slap in God’s face, it’s bound to catch on.

This obviously couldn’t be happening without man's active participation, but I'm becoming convinced there's more to it than a natural progression of things. I think there's growing evidence of a malevolent power accelerating this and to me that means the time during which the restrainer holds back the secret power of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:7) is rapidly drawing to a close.

That Day Should Not Surprise You
If you keep up with Christian or even conservative news instead of just relying on the main stream media, none of what I’m describing is new to you. You’ve already seen the increase in frequency and intensity of the things Jesus called “birth pangs” in Matt. 24:4-8. And you’re aware of the same kind of destructive changes taking place in society.

As one example among many, our country was founded primarily on principles of religious freedom, but today, of all the religions practiced in America, only Christians are seeing their freedom of expression restricted. Laws have already been passed that limit our right to adhere to Biblical principles and more are coming.

These laws began with prohibiting school prayer, then municipalities were made to stop erecting Christmas displays. These laws have gotten progressively more restrictive until now individual Christians risk being prosecuted simply for living according to their beliefs.

The Bible tells us we can expect these trends to continue. Speaking of the time before the Rapture, Jesus had this to say to the Church:
“I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name” (Rev. 3:8).

At the end of the Age the commendation Jesus will have for the Church (although we have little strength), we will have kept His word and not denied His name. The Greek word translated “strength” also means “power or ability.” As the end of our time here approaches we will no longer have much influence in the world, but we will have kept His word and not denied His name. For that He promised us two blessings.

“I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars-I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you” (Rev. 3:9).
A large component of Christianity believes that when Israel rejected the Messiah they gave up any right to the future promises God had made to them, and those promises were transferred to the Church. This belief is called supersessionism or replacement theology, and is the reason why many Christians believe the Church is now spiritual Israel, heirs to Israel’s destiny. Supersessionists believe the very existence of Israel in our time is in defiance of God’s Word.

But Jesus said these people are liars and He would make them bow down at our feet and admit that He loves us.
“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth” (Rev. 3:10).

The Lord also promised that because we’ve kept His command to endure patiently, He will keep us from the hour of trial that’s coming upon the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
The hour of trial refers to the end times judgments of Daniel’s 70th Week, the only time since the Great Flood when the Lord will subject the whole world to a judgment. And right now is the only time since He said that when all the signs we’ve been given to alert us to this coming judgment are in some stage of fulfillment.
The Greek word translated “from” in Rev. 3:10 means “out of the time, place, or cause” of the end times judgments. We won’t be here when they happen and we won’t be here where they happen, because we’re not the reason they’ll be happening.

This Too Shall Pass?
Many people see the times in which we live as a temporary situation. They think if we just humble ourselves and pray, the Lord will preserve us through them and then everything will go back to being okay again.

But the Bible speaks of a time when that won’t be the case. At the end of the age the world will be subject to a series of judgments unlike any other and if the Lord didn’t return at the appointed time not a single human would survive it (Matt. 24:22). All indications are that we aren’t approaching one of the temporary periods of hard times that we’re used to, but literally the end of the world as we know it.

One of the signs that this is true is that the world will suddenly become more rebellious toward God and the love of people toward one another will turn cold. Paul said:
“There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:1-5)

This alone tells us that evil is on the ascendancy and we’re not just going through a temporary rough patch but are headed straight for the time of judgment.
And that means two things; 1) Born-again Christians are going to become less and less comfortable here, and 2) the time of our departure is drawing near.
Jesus said His Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36) and that means we who are part of His kingdom are not of this world either. Paul said our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:20). When Jesus comes for us, He won’t be coming to be with us here where we are, He will be coming to take us to be with Him in His Father’s house where He is (John 14:2-3).

I believe one purpose of this ascendancy of evil is to divest us of all our misguided notions that this world is our home. It never has been our home, and it never will be. If it has been a pleasant place for us, that's just a measure of God’s grace. And if it’s steadily becoming less so, that's an indication that our stay here is just about over.

In the meantime our prayer should not be that God will make this world more comfortable for us, but that He would hasten to take us to our real home, where we will enjoy every conceivable comfort forever.

One of the Lord’s great promises to us is that when we see all these signs of the end times judgments begin to happen we should stand up and lift up our heads because our redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:28). That means every advance of evil in the world brings the day of our departure that much closer.
I’m not saying that we should celebrate the ascendancy of evil in the world. But I am saying that it shouldn’t come as a surprise to us that all this is happening (1 Thess. 5:4). It’s something the Bible has warned us about and its arrival is one more sign that our time here is drawing to a close, and we’ll be going home soon. Therefore encourage one another with these words (1 Thess. 4:18). You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

RaptureReady.com
by Jack Kelley

Soros: Now is a ‘Revolutionary Moment’ where the ‘Inconceivable’ is ‘Necessary’

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz June 23, 2020 , 2:10 pm

“This sentence is decreed by the Watchers; This verdict is commanded by the Holy Ones So that all creatures may know That the Most High is sovereign over the realm of man, And He gives it to whom He wishes And He may set over it even the lowest of men.’” Daniel 4:14 (The Israel Bible™)

George Soros, Founder and Chairman of the Open Society Foundation gives a speech during Economic Forum in Brussels, Belgium on June 1, 2017 (courtesy: Shutterstock) 

In an interview on May 11 with Project Syndicate titled “The Crisis of a Lifetime”, billionaire George Soros spoke openly about current events. Soros opened the interview by noting that the COVID-19 pandemic represented an obstacle, albeit surmountable, for his larger plans to change the world.

“This is the crisis of my lifetime,” Soros said. “Even before the pandemic hit, I realized that we were in a revolutionary moment where what would be impossible or even inconceivable in normal times had become not only possible but probably absolutely necessary.”

It should be noted that Soros lived through the Holocaust in Hungary, surviving as a courier for the Jewish council that identified and kept track of the Jews for the Nazi occupiers. He later assumed a fake name, and his father paid a Christian government official to take the boy in as his “godson.”

“And then came COVID-19, which has totally disrupted people’s lives and required very different behavior,” Soros said in the interview. “It is an unprecedented event that probably has never occurred in this combination. And it really endangers the survival of our civilization.”

Soros lamented that the pandemic which has killed over 470,000 worldwide has prevented China and the US from uniting to combat the real existential threat facing humanity: climate change.

“The continuing conflict between the US and China complicates matters because we ought to work together on climate change and on developing a vaccine against COVID-19. But, apparently, we cannot work together because we are already competing over who will develop – and use – the vaccine.”

It should be noted that documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2011 show Soros Fund Management LLC invested heavily into WUXI Pharmatech Caymen, Inc., a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company that operated a research facility in Wuhan. 

In the interview, Soros was highly critical of President Trump.
‘Donald Trump would like to be a dictator,” Soros said. “But he cannot be one because there is a constitution in the United States that people still respect. And it will prevent him from doing certain things. That does not mean that he will not try, because he is literally fighting for his life. I will also say that I have put my faith in Trump to destroy himself, and he has exceeded my wildest expectations.”

As of February 2018, he had a net worth of $8 billion, having donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundations. Domestically, the OSF is a strong supporter of the left-wing and the Democratic Party, especially through its support of Priorities USA Action, the Democratic Party’s largest super PAC. 

The OSF funds a number of anti-Israel organizations that deny the legitimacy of Israel and Jewish sovereignty, and are involved in demonization campaigns. Soros has compared Israel to Nazi Germany.

https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/153582/soros-now-revolutionary-moment-where-inconceivable-necessary/?fbclid=IwAR2B0I4r0xnZOEcOTNiQNB3w3D-Bv6I1WD5-FdLaEBNlThSB7rCQ4cN84AE

Qs and As - Dave Hunt

Dave Hunt

Question:
You have said, “obviously Paul had taught the Thessalonians that the Rapture came first,” that is, before “the Day of Christ.” It is not at all obvious....What is obvious is that the Rapture of verse 1 is included in the “day of the Lord” of verse 2, and that the two items of verse 3 must come first....The evil person, the opponent of God in verse 4, will be destroyed by the “appearance” of the coming of Christ in verse 8. It must be, therefore, that the “lawless one” will appear before the Rapture.

Answer:
 I believe it is obvious that to be told the Day of the Lord had come would not distress those believing in a prewrath, midtrib or post-trib rapture, or amillenialists. Only those believing in a pretrib rapture would be disturbed, because if the Day of the Lord had already come and they were still on earth, either Paul had lied or they had been left behind. Since Paul was concerned that the Thessalonians would be distressed by such a report, it does follow logically that he had taught them a pretrib rapture.

As for verse 8, it refers to the Second Coming, an event distinct from the Rapture. There must be two events because what Christ says about His coming cannot occur in one event or in one time-frame. For example, He says that on the basis of all the signs having been manifest, those waiting will “know that it [His coming] is near, even at the doors” (Mt 24:33). Yet in verse 44 He says that His coming will be an unexpected surprise. Christ is either contradicting Himself, or He is referring to two comings: the Rapture, and the Second Coming.

He plainly tells us (Mt 24:37-38; Lk 17:26- 30) that His coming will be at a time of peace, prosperity, thriving business and pleasure. Yet we know the Second Coming occurs in the midst of Armageddon when famine, pestilence and numerous disasters have already ravaged the earth and the most horrible war in history is underway. Again, He is either contradicting Himself, or is referring to two events.

Both Jude 14 and Zechariah 14:4-5 tell us that when Christ returns to the Mount of Olives He brings “all the saints” from heaven with Him. Thus, prior to the Second Coming He must have taken the saints into heaven. That could only have occurred at the Rapture, a prior and separate event.

As for the Day of the Lord, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 says that the apostasy must come first. It does not say that the Antichrist must be revealed first. It is not straining the text to interpret it as saying that the Day of the Lord will not come without the Antichrist being revealed in that day. This fits with Paul’s statement that someone is preventing the Antichrist from being revealed. The One preventing could only be the Holy Spirit indwelling the believers, and that special presence of God could only be removed by catching away the church in the Rapture.

Bible Prophecy Update – June 21st, 2020

When is the Rapture? Part -10 Pr. Andrew Woods.

 

Prophecy Preview: Amid Global Uncertainty, Record Numbers of Jews Return 'Home'

By Deborah Fineblum/JNS.org June 09, 2020

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In a time of darkness, a time of pandemic, pandemonium and power struggles, a thin ray of light can be seen in the Jewish world.

The results are in: In May, the number of North Americans applying to make aliyah was double what it was last year at this time (814 vs. 424). In fact, last month was the biggest ever in the 19-year history of Nefesh B'Nefesh, the nonprofit that with the help of Israel's government and the Jewish Agency for Israel has already shepherded some 60,000 North American Jews to new homes in Israel.

"We've seen small bumps, but nothing like this," says Marc Rosenberg, Nefesh vice president for Diaspora partnerships. "What we saw this past month is absolutely remarkable. And while they may not be major numbers, they are major increases."

With New York, California and New Jersey leading the way, this spring's uptick in new immigrants isn't limited to North Americans. Though no hard numbers were available as of press time, Jewish Agency officials say they're seeing a "definite rise in the number of aliyah applications around the world," especially in North America, France (where unrest, economic woes and anti-Semitism are increasingly the norm) and Mexico (now carrying one of the world's highest COVID-19 rates). 

 

Folks seem ready to make the move, even though it means spending their first two weeks as newly minted Israeli citizens in badood (Hebrew for "quarantine").

The jump of interest in the number of individuals and families begs the question: "Why now?"

For Jay and Michal Brown of Los Angeles, this time in history was the push they needed to realize a long-deferred dream. "COVID-19 gave us an opportunity to slow down our lives and find out what's really important to us," says Brown. "My wife is Israeli and was ready to go home, but it's only these last few months that I've been asking myself, what am I holding onto here?

"I realized I've been chasing money like a chicken without a head," he adds. "So I said, 'No, our kids are not going to grow up like this. They're 7 and 10, and need to be raised with Jewish values. It was during COVID-19 that I surrendered to all that. At 53, I realized I had to change, and that doing what's best for my family was going to be best for me, too."

'You no longer have to sacrifice your comforts'

It's something Rosenberg hears from many of the incoming olim. "This period of staying home has given them a rare opportunity for intense reflection on what their life is about, what's important to them at whatever stage they are in life."

And many, especially those who having gotten habituated to working remotely during the global coronavirus pandemic, are now looking to bring their jobs with them to Israel--from the radiologist who's set to analyze images thousands of miles from his office to the human-resources manager planning to run her department from her new home in Israel.

Others submitting applications this spring include students and young professionals, many attracted to both the allure of living in Israel and the low-cost colleges, universities and graduate schools that offer a future unencumbered by massive student debt. Others plan to serve two or three years as lone soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces before attending college or graduate school.

And though idealism still drives them eastward, Rosenberg says many of today's incoming Jews see Israel as a place for both the head and heart.

This appeal of Israel as a quality place to live has turned the idea of aliyah on its head, says Ruth Wisse, a historian, retired Harvard University professor, and author of Jews and Power (2008).

"Historically, the natural course of immigration is always to move from a poorer environment to a richer one; it's human nature that nobody moves for downward mobility," says Wisse, now Distinguished Senior Fellow at the New York-based think-tank the Tikvah Fund. "So, during the early days, aliyah was unnatural; you were moving to a poorer place then. But now it's not that kind of aliyah anymore," she adds. "Today, you no longer have to sacrifice your comforts to live as a proud Jew in the land of Israel."

This represents what Rosenberg calls "a dramatic shift for Diaspora Jews--from seeing Israel as simply a safe haven for Jewish refugees to being a smart choice for building a life and a family. And they see that Israel with its good schools, vibrant Jewish community and flourishing lifestyle has also handled the virus well. So all of a sudden, they're recalibrating what Israel can be for them."

Israel has fared better than much of the world in containing the virus, immediately going into emergency mode, using intelligence, technological, medical and military resources to grapple with the threat of widespread contamination. 

To date, there were more than 17,000 confirmed cases in the country, with a total of 298 resulting deaths and some 15,000 people recovered from the illness. They also put into place measures to assist the Palestinian Authority and the leadership in the Gaza Strip to help them contain potential spread as well.

New immigrants also include empty-nesters, who see Israel as a viable, affordable and Jewish place to spend their retirement, including the appeal of low-cost and comprehensive health care.

Moshe and Shelly Kamionski, also of Los Angeles, are retirees-in-process (she's finished with her optician job; he's a semi-retired lawyer and a rabbi) with three sons already living in Israel and a daughter, a recent "corona bride," planning to follow soon.

"We have 14 grandchildren in Israel," says Moshe, who was born there 70 years ago to a mother who came as a teenaged Polish halutzet ("pioneer") and a father who fought in Israel's War of Independence in 1947-48. "It's nice to see our grandchildren over FaceTime" he says. "But we can't hug them or take them to school. I also feel safer in Israel than in LA now."

'We have to decide where we really belong'

What we're seeing in this increase also is a shift the "someday" mindset to hitting "send" on aliyah applications. So says Rabbi Menachem Penner, the Max and Marion Grill dean of Yeshiva University's Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, or REITS. "Typically, the number of people who actually go through with the process represents a tiny percentage of all those who've been thinking of doing it for years," he says.

 

Another factor moving folks from the latter group into the former one, Penner maintains, is "that our existence in America feels a bit more fragile than it did before. Rising anti-Semitism and certainly COVID have shown us that the world can change in a day. And when we realize we are living in historic times, we have to be open to changing our lives accordingly as part of the tide that's turnin

What's more, coronavirus-related travel restrictions mean that Diaspora Jews can no longer get to Israel without making aliyah. "Many of us always thought we can have one foot in America and the other in Israel," says Penner. "But this has taught us that we can't have two homes--that at the end of the day, we have to decide where we really belong."

And he says, though his work at YU keeps him in New York for now, he's "jealous of people whose purpose is now there, and I very much look forward to when it's my time."

At 23, Sophie (aka Shira) Hudes has already decided where she wants to build her future. Starting with a move this summer to Beersheva where she's enrolled in the medical school at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

"Living in Israel has always been my dream," says the native New Yorker. Though she was initially pursuing a student visa, "the pandemic reminded me of what's important, and it pushed me to take action. I realized then that I've always wanted to make aliyah someday, so why not just do it now?"

Zionism and the love of Israel was something her late father transmitted to her, says Hudes. And with her knowledge of Russian (her mother was born in Georgia) and her rapidly improving Hebrew, as a future doctor, Hudes is hoping to be able to communicate with Israeli patients in any of three languages.

And, now that she's finally made up her mind, she says, "I feel so much more connected to Israel. When I'm there, I feel like I can breathe better, that everything is clearer. Especially with what the world is going through now, Israel feels like an anchor keeping me grounded amid the chaos."

Given the challenges of the past few months, "this new wave of Jews seeking to return to their homeland fills us with hope, energy and optimism," says Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, co-founder and executive director of Nefesh B'Nefesh. "We look forward to welcoming each and every one of the olim to their new home."

Do those in the field, which includes the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Jewish National Fund-Keren Hayesod, the International Fellowship for Christians and Jews, and the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, think the trend will continue?

It's too soon to tell for certain, attests Rosenberg. "Whenever there's a paradigm shift, it's hard to see it while it's going on, but this much I can tell you: The people who preparing to come now, in addition to having their lives enriched by living here, are going to be contributing so much to the future of Israel."

Originally published at JNS.org - reposted with permission.

The Solid Rock

The Rock of Our Faith - Rio de Janeiro 2010

Written and published by Jean-Louis Mondon

Do not be afraid, Abraham. I am your shied and your very great reward. Genesis 15:1.  

           
The Song of Moses
…"How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And the LORD had given them up? 31"Indeed their rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves judge this. 32"For their vine is from the vine of Sodom, And from the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes are grapes of poison, Their clusters, bitter.…Deuteronomy 32:31

(The above picture was taken on a hazy day) 

Three days ago, while sitting at the top of our apartment building roof top, contemplating the magnificent view of the mountains towering over the bay of Rio de Janeiro, my eyes stopped at a rock outcropping that I never noticed before. .

Seen from afar, it looked to me as if the huge rock near the top had been forced out of the mountain, its distinct contours outlining the shape of a shield.

Here is a better view on a clear day of the Pedra do Maroca - Morro dos Cabritos

Interestingly enough, I had never noticed it even after spending some time meditating on the Scriptures on the roof top before, during the 3 weeks since our arrival here.

Besides the adjustment expected from being in new surroundings, the spiritual battle has been intense, especially with Mírian having to train at a new job, while my life here has been quiet and gratifying.

Needless to say praying for protection efforts have been redoubling. The Lord has answered with an increase in his grace over the situation as he is orchestrating the circumstances in our lives. We have seen the hand of God moving in our family and heard his responses in ways that are so encouraging as we witness his faithfulness and his ever present loving kindness and tender loving care in our lives.

The morning this happened we had been praying for the edge of protection to be around Mírian and that her faith would be strong against the schemes of the enemy.

As I was looking more closely at the shield shape, the Lord reminded me of the covenant with Abraham and his words when the Lord appeared to him in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abraham. I am your shied and your very great reward. Genesis 15:1.

I am not one given to seeking signs, but the Lord at times shows me visuals and then  confirms it for me through the Scriptures and other witnesses. We all know the various verses relating to faith in the Old and the New Testament. This however was directly related to fear that Mírian was feeling. To me this was clear, we are to raise our shield of faith against the enemy’s flaming arrows as a part of our spiritual armor.

But in looking at the mountain two things seem to be relevant and underline the relevancy of the situation. The shield formation was taken out of but still very much attached to the mountain, which is to say that our faith depends on being connected to the Rock of our faith, namely our Lord Jesus through the communion with the Holy Spirit. 
Secondly, the faith shield was near the top of the mountain, which to me, means that the victory was close but that more efforts and cooperation on our part was necessary to reach the top of the mountain. 


Another component of that scripture is that the reward of faith comes after having exercised the faith that God requires in our daily walk. Isaiah talks in chapter 40: 9,10, 11 about not being afraid and looking at the coming of the Lord in the last days:
Lift up your voice with a shout, Do not be afraid .See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Hebrews 10:35-38 says basically the same thing adding the need for perseverance in doing the will of God:

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."

And finally on the last page of the Book of Revelation, the Lord Jesus himself reiterates His promise in Revelation 22: 12:

"Behold, I am coming soon, my reward is with me and I will give to everyone according to what he has done."

Since the Word says that a matter shall be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses, three more confirmations with more explicit details came from our family who had been praying fervently about our present situation.

I feel so grateful and greatly encouraged that when our Lord gives us instructions and shows us the way, in response to our prayers, He also empowers us and accompanies us even though sometimes we get discouraged and temporarily experience fear and doubts that we are in the will of God. This is why we need to exercise the faith that He provides when we ask Him and to receive the encouragement that we are on our way to the victory that he has promised us and that He already gained for us at the cross.

 
Jean-Louis.