Today we are nearing the end cycle of 6000 years of time. Most astronomers and mathematicians support these findings. "Bishop Ussher's system of chronology as given in the King James Version of the Bible is the nearest of any in its accuracy in Timing events. Now time in the Bible is measured by lunar and solar years, so there will be terminal dates for the 6000 lunar and 6000 solar years" ("Documentary Studies" by Rand, Volume II, pages 57 and 73). "The terminal of 6000 lunar years from Adam is 1821 A. D., and the terminal date for 6000 solar years is 2001 A.D."

This 180 years transitory period gave man power undreamed of in the passed ages. Before 1800 there was no major practical changes in mans environment or surroundings. For over 5000 years man labored by the sweat of his brow to provide for his needs. Travel on land was by walking, using horses, camel or mules. And travel by sea was by boat, using oars or sailing by the trade winds. These conditions prevailed until the beginning of the 19th century.

During this early period, man began to invent ways of harnessing the forces of nature: 1807, was the first navigational steamboat on the Hudson river. 1814, the first circular wood saw was made in the U.S.A. 1822, multi color printing was invented. 1832, the first conception of electric telegraph and first magneto-- electric machines were invented. 1881, the building of the Panama Canal, that our government just gave away, was started by the French, with Americans finishing it.

These were just a start to what we see today in the Twentieth Century. We have air flight powered by jet engines. Trains that can race down their tracks at over 100 M.P.H. Race cars and airplanes breaking the speed of sound. Computer, taking away manual labor jobs from men. We see pictures on T.V. sent through the air, printing sent through the telephone by fax machines. Cameras having instant replay. We have witnessed man sent to the moon and back. Satellites that can locate pools of oil under the earths surface. Human parts being sold and transplanted into other human bodies! We are truly living ---what Daniel was given in a vision of many running to and fro, with knowledge increasing. The end of this year 2000 will complete 6000 astronomical solar years of man's existence on earth.

I want to preface what I am about to speculate on next, by saying that I know only God the Father knows for sure when He is going to send His only begotten Son, our Savior Jesus Christ back to the earth as witnessed in Acts 1:7; Matt 24:36--42; Mark 13:32--33. "And He (Christ ) said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power" (Act 1:7). Only God the Father knows the hour and appointed time of Christ's return.

In the last book of God's inspired Word there is a message left for us that are still alive. "Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth" (Rev. 3:10). This hour of temptation is not the hour of tribulation. Temptation is # 3986 and tribulation # 2346. It is two different words. This hour of temptation is referring to a time of being tempted through riches, preceding Christ second coming. Notice what John says, "Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! For in one hour is she made desolate" (Rev. 18:10-19).

An hour is identified by many Bible scholars and astronomers as meaning: 15 days or 15 years. The riches of this world has taken God's peoples mind off the true values. Money has become the idol with people today in God's Churches. Take note, the attitude of some have on tithing and giving of offering during this one hour that is equivalent to 15 years. It is seen some have not been kept from this hour of temptation that God promised to those who had the Philidelphian attitude. Those who are being tempted to steal from God and have forgotten that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim 3:16-17). In the foundation that the New Testament is built on, the question is asked: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it" (Mal 3:8-10). If your finding this hour of temptation to rob God, maybe that means you are not a Philadelphian!!!

In the story, Hezekiah's illness and his recovery, he shows us how Biblical time is based on degrees. "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amok came to him, and said unto him, thus saith the Lord, set your house in order; for you shalt die, and not live. Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech you, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass, after Isaiah was gone out into the Middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, thus saith the Lord, the God of David your father, I have heard the prayer, I have seen the tears: behold, I will heal you: on the third day you shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto your days fifteen years; and I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; And I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, what shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day? And Isaiah said, this sign shalt you have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that He hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? And Hezekiah answered, it is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward Ten degrees. And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz" (2 Kings 20:1-11).

Let's speculate a moment on the last 15 years of this 6000 year period by looking at the book of Revelation that unfolds end time events. "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; And He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: For the time is at hand" (Rev. 1:1-3).

We are told that during this 15 years period of temptation, those who say they are rich and in need of nothing are the ones that have the temptation that the true Philadelphians do not have. "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you wert cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth. Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel you to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, And that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent" (Rev. 3:15-19). When speculating, the Laodicean era looks like it could end sometime during, or just after the Year 2001.

This year 2000, many Christians (Quote- unquote) are expecting Jesus Christ to return. While others are loading guns to riot against their Government! And many are worried over computer melt-down causing Nuclear bomb and missiles to be accidently unleashed on various nations. Many feel threatened during this time period over germ filled viols that could be let loose in populated areas, killing thousands. While all these worry-some trials are going on, a small hand full of called out ones are putting on the whole armor of God so they can stand against the fears of Satan's world.

We read and find many examples of God protecting His people and their unconverted families. Noah and his family, Abraham and Lots families! Moses and the Israelites. Daniel in the lions den. Shadrack-Meshach- and Abed-nego in the fiery furnace! And Elijah!! Loading our minds up with satanic fear will not save us. Only God has the power to save us and our families from extermination, destruction and annihilation. We live in Satan's world! It is designed and built to self destruct and crash. How??? By men who worship the vanity of wealth! The economies of this world are built on a system Satan supports. One of greed; selfishness; self aggrandizement; and lust. When a wealthy nation is no longer needed for other nations survival, they will turn against it and destroy it!!!

Since the fall of Adam, man and this world have become a tool in the hands of Satan. Paul warns us, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:11). Like the fruits of the flesh given in Gal 5:19-21. We also read in 2 Cor. 4:4, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not." Satan has blinded those, that don't have faith and believe in God. He has convinced the world he does not exist and--that he is not real! So the people have become blinded. We are shown more proof of this in the book of Ephesians. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12)

Satan controls high places. He give man their secular power, authority and rulership. In Ezekiel 28 we read of Tyre, a rich nation. This is a prophecy against the prince of Tyre who was over a rich major economy. He was filled with pride, arrogance and vanity. Just as Babylon had been and just as the U.S.A. is today! "The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre (chief or leader), Thus saith the Lord God; because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of god, in the midst of the seas; (probably a reference to the natural beauty and strategic position of Tyre, whom at that time was a major controller of the worlds goods). Yet you are a man, and not god, though you set your heart as the heart of god." Tyre had two deep sea ports, it was a major trading route, large ships went in and out of the sea ports. It was known as a major centralized trading route and business center. Behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from you: (this is said in irony, Daniel had distinguished himself in the Babylonian court as a man of Wisdom and as a revealer of secrets, Daniel was Godly wise). With your wisdom and with your understanding you have gotten you riches, and have gotten gold and silver into your treasures. The king of Tyre was motivated by Satan, he was worldly wise using Satan's way, to get rich. He knew how to use society to make money and to bring in gold, silver giving him power and authority. All this comes from Satan. Satan influence, causes people to build a society and an economy that will self destruct! By your great wisdom and by your traffic have you increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches. The king of Tyre knew how to maneuver people, money and the economy. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; because you have set your heart as the heart of God; Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon you, the Greedy of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and they shall defile your brightness" (Eze. 28:1-7). That happened!! The kingdom of Tyre was destroyed by Alexander the Great, not Babylon!!

Babylon could not destroy Tyre because they would destroy their own economy. Systems rise to power and systems fall. Satan likes to play musical chairs with nations. Verse 8-- tells us they are brought down to the pit: They shall bring you down to the pit, and you shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt you yet say before him that slayeth you, I am God? But you shalt be a man,( shalt be is italicize it should read You art no man,) and no god, in the hand of him that slays you. You shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: (foreigners) for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, son of man, take up(set up) a lamentation( mourning) upon The king of Tyrus, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord God; you Seal up the sum, (meaning pattern) full of wisdom, and perfect in Beauty. Vs. 13--14 describes a comparison between Tyre and the exalted position Satan had next to Christ in heaven. Verse 15, You was perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the multitude of your merchandise they have filled the midst of you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I will cast you as profane out of the mountain of god: and I will destroy you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty, you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I will cast you to the ground, I will lay you before kings, that they may behold you. You have defiled the sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of you, it shall devour you, and I will bring you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold you" (Eze. 28:8-12,15-18).

Satan's business was his sin---escalated by his vanity. He wanted power, riches, and God's throne. We read of another version of Satan's rebellion. In Isaiah chapter 14, we will see that it is Satan who weaken the nations! The United States of America is just like Tyre was! We are the wealthiest nation in the world We consume over half of all manufactured goods that is produced in the world or maybe more today, since that statistic was posted. Since 1945 until now, there was no nation who dared to attack the United States of America. Why??? Because they would destroy their own economy !!! 75-80% of their material economy was from us! Not so today!! Now we consume more than we sell. We are now nearing the line when our economy will fall. Satan system is designed to weaken and to destroy by lies, cheating and stealing just to get power. "How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities there of" ( Isa 14:12,17). Compare Matthew 24:22. That sounds like man could obliterate himself off the face of the earth. "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."

Today America has become steeped in the Babylonian system!! And our end is very near. In Ezekiel 7 we will read of Israel fate. "Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, also, you son of man, thus, say the Lord God unto the Land of Israel; an end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land (north, south, east, and west). Now is the end come upon you, and I will send mine anger upon you, and will judge you according to your ways, and will recompense upon you all your abominations. And mine eye shall not spare you, neither will I have pity: But I will recompense your ways upon you, and your abominations shall be in the midst of you: and you shall know that I am the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God; an evil, an only evil, (or a final evil one) behold, is come. An end is come, the end is come: it watches for you; behold, it is come. (Meaning calamity upon calamity is come) the morning (or the one wearing the crown) is come unto you, O you that dwellest in the land: the time is come, the day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again of the mountains. Now will I shortly pour out My fury upon you, and accomplish Mine anger upon you: and I will judge you according to your ways, and will recompense you for all your abominations. And Mine eyes shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense you according to your ways and your abominations that are in the midst of you; and you shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth. Behold the day, behold, it is come: the morning is gone forth; the rod (or pride) hath blossomed, pride hath budded. They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle: (that pictures a demoralized spirit ) for My wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him. They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity" (Eze 7:1-10,14-15,19).

Buying and selling of gold and silver well not save the United States. The inflated stock market will not save the United States. This Babylonian system is about to collapse. Babylon simply means confusion. Watching the stock market in New York (confusion) running, waving arms, screaming and yelling, throwing paper notes on the floor. All this is a witness to their confusion! The year 1999, 13 billion dollars were given out in bonus to the Wall Street employees.

The nations of this world do not need America and Britain! They have their own economies! Alexander the Great's economy did not need Tyre. The world does not need the U.S.A. any longer!!! Americans are not liked and are hated by most nations today. You can witness that when you travel to other countries! God's Word tells us who will destroy us and how they will control the world to accomplish Satan's mission. "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exercised all the power of the first beast before him, and caused the earth and them which dwell there in to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he caused all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (Rev. 13:11-12,15-16).

Everyone will be affected by this legislation except the faithful remnant who refuse to comply with Rev. 13:11-12. God promises them protection. You can see Satan operates thru the influence of the economy and business, money and the bond and stock market. Satan is the author of this system. It is not structured to last!! Satan is out to destroy the earth and man. Prophecy of Revelation reveals the collapse of this money system. "And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buys their merchandise any more: the merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, And of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all the wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that your soul lusted after are departed from you, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from you, and you shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off" (Rev. 18:11-17).

We are to pray for God's system and God's Kingdom to be established. A system that is built on a solid foundation of provable laws that bring peace. With an economy that will have no end! May God help us to stay awake and not slumber and go to sleep as did the ten virgins! They fell asleep because Christ did not return when they thought He should, their oil of truth, wisdom, following instructions, and having a mature understanding was in extreme short supply!