Volume XXXVIII      Issue XI      November 2019
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org

A Time Of Severe Trouble

"And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

"And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will conduct a close examination of today's current events, which show, beyond any shadow of a doubt that this world has taken an ugly turn. I began my tenure as author of this newsletter in July 2010. Since that time, I have studied the news constantly and have read thousands of stories from sources all over the world. Yet, I cannot recall any time period over the last nine years quite like the world as we know it today. As I prepared to write the November 2019 issue of the Last Trumpet, I was taken aback by the social distemper now engulfing the planet. There are so many protests happening today that it is difficult to keep track of them all. These include protests in Hong Kong, Spain, Lebanon, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Iraq. Additionally, climate change protests have taken place in various locations around the world while the United States grapples with contentious impeachment proceedings and political upheaval. The world in its present stage is under an intense amount of pressure, and it is almost as if we can see the footprints of Satan as he wanders to and fro, wreaking havoc. According to Scripture this is something our adversary the devil is apt to do. Even dating back to the ancient days of Job, Satan was known to wander the earth. Job 1:7 tells us, "And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." As Christians, we know that the pressures of this world will continue to increase as the day of our Lord's return draws nigh, and so we continue to watch and pray, as we observe startling and astonishing events of this age occur at a quickening pace.

South America has a long history of volatility, and the events of recent weeks show that this is a trend that is unlikely to end any time soon. Chile, in particular, has seen more than its fair share of chaos in recent days. Sometimes it does not take much to set off widespread rage. In the case of Chile, massive protests erupted after it was announced there would be an increase in cost for mass transit tickets. The price hike was modest, going from 800 Chilean pesos to 830 pesos, (1) or in terms of American dollars, an increase of less than five cents per ticket. Anger at the rise in transportation cost led to numerous attacks on subway stations in Chile's capital city, Santiago, which eventually forced the closure of the entire subway system. "The entire network is closed due to riots and destruction to prevent the minimal security conditions for passengers and workers," wrote a metro operator. (2) On October 18, 2019, Chilean President Sabastian Pinera declared a state of emergency in Santiago. (3) By October 22, 2019, more than 2,600 people had been arrested and at least fifteen people had been killed during the protests. (4) The riots, which included widespread looting and arson, prompted the Chilean President to say, "We are at war against a powerful enemy, willing to use violence with no limits." (5)

Sometimes, the social distemper that has become so common today is induced by outside forces. For example, protests and riots gripped the small Caribbean country of Haiti last year when the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, pressured the Haitian government to raise fuel prices. The globalist juggernaut that is the IMF has struck again in recent days by compelling the South American country of Ecuador to drop a popular fuel subsidy that has been in force for four decades as a condition to receive a 4.2 billion dollar loan. (6) After the announcement from Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno in early October 2019 that the subsidy program would be abolished, chaos ensued. Anger boiled over, and following widespread protests in the capital city of Quito, President Moreno declared a state of emergency on October 3, 2019. "To ensure citizens' security and avoid chaos, I have ordered a national state of emergency," the beleaguered leader proclaimed. He further went on to insist, "I have the courage to make the right decision for the nation." (7) The decision, however, would be short-lived. By October 13, 2019, it was announced that the plan to revoke the fuel subsidies had been reversed. (8)

Meanwhile, the people of Bolivia are furious over what they deem to be suspicious election results. After it was announced that Bolivian President Evo Morales had secured enough votes to win reelection over his opponent, Carlos Mesa, on October 20, 2019, protestors took to the street and angrily set ablaze the regional headquarters of the electoral court in the city of Sucre. (9) By October 23, 2019, President Morales announced he would declare a "state of emergency" as the turmoil continued. The Bolivian people are understandably concerned. "I fear there could be a war. They're going to have to oust him by force," said one woman. Another Bolivian citizen was quoted as saying, "All throughout the country, a spark has been lit for democracy." Noting that there could be bloodshed, he further went on to say, "The consequences are very serious." (10)

According to Bloomberg News, the tension in South America will likely grow worse in the coming days. In an article published on October 21, 2019, the headline declares, "Political Risk is Alive in Latin America as Protests Spread." The report quotes Daniel Kerner, the managing director for Latin America at the Eurasia Group, as saying, "In almost all of South America, we have unpopular governments with fiscal problems facing angry voters tired of corruption, bad public services, and the lack of economic dynamism." (11) Clearly, trouble is ahead, but it is not just in South America.

Protests In The Middle East

Looking to the Middle East, we see this region of the world again facing great instability. The country of Lebanon is suffering from widespread protests where hundreds of thousands of people have marched, while demanding nothing less than the toppling of their current government. To be sure, life is not good in Lebanon right now. The country has a deficit of 86 billion dollars, and their economy is on the verge of collapse. To make matters worse, more than one-quarter of the Lebanese people live in poverty. (12)

Sensing his ouster could be near, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al Hariri sought to place the blame for his country's plight on other politicians. "There are those who have placed obstacles in front of me… and in the face of all the efforts that I have proposed for reform," Hariri lamented. (13) The embattled leader has promised reforms for the people of Lebanon, but given the rage now manifesting in the streets, his promised changes may be too little too late. The protests in Lebanon have been violent at times with fires burning in the streets and security forces firing tear gas to control the crowds. (14) Oddly enough, these protests all started after the Lebanese government tried to implement a 20 cent daily tax on voice calls made through the popular Internet chat service known as WhatsApp. The tax has been canceled, but the masses have not been placated. (15)

Protests in Iraq have been especially fierce in October 2019. A report published on October 3, 2019, informs that thousands of protestors were clashing with the Iraqi police forces, and in one single day, thirty-one protestors had been killed. (16) The violence continued, and by October 7, 2019, a total of 149 protestors had been killed with most of them dying from gunshot wounds to the chest or head. (17) The protests are still raging even as I write this newsletter. A report published on October 26, 2019, states that sixty-three people have been killed by Iraqi security forces this weekend. Regarding the protests and violence, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command issued a statement saying, "While the country is witnessing demonstrations to demand rights guaranteed by the Iraqi constitution, some have exploited these demonstrations by killing citizens and injuring others, burned and looted public and private property without any conscience." (18)

Protests In Hong Kong

The months-long protests in the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong continue to persist as of this writing. What started as peaceful marches in March 2019 against an oppressive Chinese government, police brutality, and a now-shelved extradition bill have become increasingly violent. In early October 2019, the New York Times reported that more than 2,000 Hong Kongers had been arrested since the protests began, and at least 3,000 rounds of tear gas had been fired at demonstrators. (19)

On October 20, 2019, violence reared its ugly head again as protestors tossed firebombs and smashed storefront windows. (20) Many demonstrators wore masks over their faces even as the Hong Kong government enacted a ban against such coverings. Strangely, a popular disguise for the protestors is a Winnie the Pooh mask, which is seen as a personal affront to Chinese President Xi Jinping. It has been noted that the Chinese leader bears a resemblance to the cartoon character, an opinion that has raised the ire of President Xi and led to the Chinese government censoring Winnie the Pooh content on the Internet. (21)

Reports indicate that anti-government protestors have been the victims of numerous brutal attacks perpetrated by unknown assailants. (22) Should the protests continue, it is very possible that the Chinese government will take action soon. On September 30, 2019, it was reported that China had doubled troop levels in Hong Kong with an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 military personnel now occupying the city. (23) President Xi issued an ominous warning in mid-October stating, "Anyone attempting to split China in any part of the country will end in crushed bodies and shattered bones." He further went on to say, "And any external force backing such attempts at dividing China will be deemed by the Chinese people as pipe-dreaming." (24)

Climate Change Madness

As we see protests happening around the world in diverse places for a plethora of reasons, today's young people around the world are also staging large demonstrations to protest inaction against climate change by national governments. To be sure, these young people are tormented by a belief that the planet is being systematically destroyed. A recent poll conducted by Rasmussen found that 29 percent of American voters who took part in the study believe that it is "at least somewhat likely that the earth will become uninhabitable and humanity will be wiped out" over the course of the next fifteen years. This is a large percentage of respondents, but for young people who took part in the study, the percentage is much greater. "There is a dramatic difference by age on this question. Half (51 percent) of voters under thirty-five believe that it is at least somewhat likely humanity will be wiped out in the next decade or so. Only 12 percent of senior citizens agree, and only 4 percent of senior citizens believe it is very likely," the report said. (25)

When we see studies such as the one referenced above, it is no wonder that so many people, and especially young people, are now in full-blown panic mode. This became evident on October 7, 2019, when thousands of protestors, most of which belong to a group calling itself the "Extinction Rebellion," took to the streets around the world to demonstrate against a lack of progress in their climate change fight. These protestors have quite the flair for the dramatic. In New York City, they spattered themselves and the iconic Wall Street Bull with fake blood and then laid on the ground as if they were dead. (26) In London, England, thousands of police officers were dispatched to control a raucous crowd of activists who had convened at Trafalgar Square and other areas. (27) Using a similar tactic as their New York counterparts, the British protestors sprayed fake blood at the Treasury in Westminster. (28) They also blocked various streets, including the area surrounding the Bank of England. The disruptive behavior eventually led officials in London to ban the protestors, but this did not happen until nine days had passed. "Any assembly linked to the Extinction Rebellion 'Autumn Uprising'… must now cease their protest(s) within London," said the Metropolitan Police. Predictably, the demonstrators were furious at the announcement, but assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Laurence Taylor defended the ban stating, "After nine days of disruption we felt it entirely proportionate and reasonable to impose this condition because of the cumulative impact of these protests." (29) The London Police made over 1,400 arrests throughout the course of the demonstrations. (30) Extinction Rebellion protests also took place in Germany, France, Australia, and elsewhere around the world. (31)

Without a doubt, there are throngs of people around the world with great concern over the future of this planet. Interestingly, the current uproar over climate change sometimes takes on a religious tone. In fact, Pope Francis is one of the most well-known climate change activists in the world. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church made headlines in 2015 when he published an encyclical papal letter known as "Laudato Si." In this letter the Pope called for the establishment of a new "political authority" that would essentially be a one world government. "To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority, as my predecessor Blessed John XXIII indicated some years ago," the Pope wrote at the time. (32) As it turns out, Francis is at it again. In September 2019 he released a video praising the United Nations for hosting the "Climate Action Summit" of 2019. "I would like to thank the United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres, for convening this meeting and for drawing the attention of Heads of State and Government - and of the entire international community and world public opinion - to one of the most serious and worrying phenomena of our time: climate change." As he had done in the past the Pontiff referred to this planet as our "common home." (33) Yet we know that the Scriptures tell us this world is not our home. Hebrews 13:14 tells us, "For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come." In Galatians 4:26, the Apostle Paul wrote, "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." As for this planet? Jesus Christ our Saviour tells us in Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Sadly, this world is looking for a Saviour in all the wrong places. Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old activist from Sweden who famously protested in front of the parliament building in Sweden and last month addressed the United Nations, has been called "the Joan of Arc of climate change, commanding a global army of teenage activists" by New York Magazine. (34) An article published by People Magazine on October 11, 2019, claims that the young lady is "just like any other teen when she's not saving the planet." (35) The messianic undertones now being ascribed to Greta are surely sickening. However, the most stomach-churning example of blasphemy came from the Church of Limhamn in Sweden who wrote on their Twitter account in December 2018, "Announcement! Jesus of Nazareth has now appointed one of his successors, Greta Thunberg." (36) To be absolutely clear, Jesus Christ does not have a successor, and there is no other Saviour.

Censorship In America: A Growing Problem

If it seems like free speech is not quite as free as it used to be, it is not just your imagination. Accusations of censorship on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have been rampant in recent months. However, it is not just a problem with online websites. Public and private institutions are now heavily restricting what people are allowed to say, and in many cases, individuals find themselves in the throes of controversy regarding topics of homosexuality and transgenderism. Case in point, a schoolteacher in the state of Virginia was recently fired because he refused to use the "preferred pronouns" of a transgender student. Though the student was born female, she now claims that she is a man and as such wanted to be addressed with male pronouns. The teacher said this violated his Christian beliefs, but not wanting to stir up controversy, he tried his best to avoid using any pronouns at all when addressing the student. This apparently was unacceptable and the teacher was terminated from his position. (37)

Those who hold to a Biblical view of homosexuality and gender will increasingly find themselves facing punishment. This is especially true if Beto O'Rourke, a Democrat from Texas who is running for President of the United States, gets his way. Speaking at a Townhall meeting hosted by CNN, host Don Lemon asked O'Rourke, "Do you think religious institutions like colleges, churches, and charities should lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage?" O'Rourke responded in the affirmative. "Yes. There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us. And so as president, we're going to make that a priority and we are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans," the candidate said. (38) It should be noted that in these peculiar days, simply quoting Scriptures regarding the topics of marriage, homosexuality, and gender can be regarded as a violation of human rights.

A recent poll of American citizens suggests that there could be more censorship on the horizon. The study, which was conducted by The Campaign for Free Speech, found that 60 percent of respondents believe that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press, should be modified to "reflect cultural norms of today." Furthermore, 54 percent of Millennials who responded to the poll agreed that "hate speech" should be considered a crime punishable by incarceration. (39) What remains unclear is who would be tasked with deciding what qualifies as hate speech. Hate speech is a broad term that can mean many different things to many different people. For some, the simple act of telling the truth is regarded as hate. This attitude was experienced by the Apostle Paul himself who wrote in Galatians 4:16, "Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?"

An Empire Of Iron And Clay

In Daniel, chapter 2, the prophet after which the book was named found himself describing and interpreting a dream for the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. In this interpretation, Daniel described four kingdoms which we know to be the empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Since the fall of Rome, attempts have been made to establish a new global empire, all of which have failed. Daniel also described an empire that would rise up that would be partly strong and partly weak, being made of both iron and clay. I believe the plans now in the works to establish a global one world government is that empire of iron and clay. Furthermore, we know that it is the United Nations that seeks to establish a one world government, while Pope Francis is working to establish a one world religion. Amazingly enough, both the United Nations and the Roman Catholic Church are facing financial difficulties at this time according to recent reports.

Against the backdrop of more sexual abuse scandals than can be easily counted, the Catholic Church has seen an astonishing decline in donations. According to an article in The Telegraph, donations had dropped to 70 million euros in 2016, and for this year could now be as low as 60 million euros. The report cites investigative journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi who scrutinized over 3,000 confidential documents and determined that the Catholic Church could exhaust its funds by the year 2023. (40) Archbishop Nunzio Galantino, who is the president of the real estate office at the Vatican, sought to dispel the rumors of financial hardship stating rather that the church simply needs a "spending review." (41)

Remarkably, the United Nations announced in October 2019 that they are having financial problems, too. On October 8, 2019, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "This month, we will reach the deepest deficit of the decade. We risk exhausting the closed peacekeeping cash reserves, and entering November without enough cash to cover payrolls." An article by Business Insider informs that 64 out of 193 countries had failed to pay their membership dues in full this year with the United States owing more than one billion dollars. (42) Clearly, the Beast system that is trying to rise up is on shaky footing.

Thankfully, the second chapter of Daniel also tells us of another kingdom that would be established. In Daniel 2:44 we read, "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." The Kingdom that shall stand forever is the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In closing, with the massive protests we are seeing in this age, it is obvious that we live in a time of severe trouble. The United States is at great risk as well with so much animosity and hatred boiling over at this present time. The recently conducted Civility Poll, which released its results in October 2019, found that 87 percent of respondents are frustrated with the rudeness in politics today, with 67 percent of respondents saying they believe this country is moving closer to a civil war. "The majority of Americans believe that we are two-thirds of the way to being on the edge of civil war. That to me is a very pessimistic place," lamented Mo Elleithee, who is the executive director of the Institute of Politics and Public Service at Georgetown University. (43) In these tumultuous times, we should heed the advice of the Apostle Paul who wrote in Romans 12:9, "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." He further admonishes in verse 18, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." Finally, he tells us in verse 21, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. If you have any prayers requests, please remember that our team of intercessors is here and ready to pray for you and your needs. We always give each prayer request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Previous Newsletters

• October 2019 - Amplified Anxiety In This Modern Age

• September 2019 - The Astonishing Events Of The Present And Future

• August 2019 - The World Buckling Under Pressure