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Volume 40 Issue One January 2021
Last Trumpet Ministries · PO Box 806 · Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8
A Transformation In Progress
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
II Thessalonians 2:1-4
It was nearly forty years ago when my father, Pastor David J. Meyer, wrote the very first issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter. The world that existed at the time was drastically different from the world we occupy today. Ronald Reagan was president of the United States. The median family income in America was about 22,000 dollars per year, (1) the minimum wage was 3 dollars and thirty-five cents per hour, (2) and the official national debt was about to hit one trillion dollars for the very first time. (3) At this point, few Americans had a computer at home, Microsoft had not yet released its first version of Windows, and the Internet was a rudimentary technology in its infancy. There were no smartphones, smart televisions, or even DVDs. The world seemed simpler in the Eighties, an almost quaint place in comparison to today. Yet, even at the time, my father foresaw danger on the horizon and used this newsletter as a platform to warn others about the troubles coming upon the earth. Nevertheless, I believe that even he would have been amazed by the happenings of the year we have just endured. Throughout my ten years as editor of the Last Trumpet, I had never seen a year as dramatic as 2020. Few people escaped the year unscathed. Research conducted by OnePoll In a recent study of 2,000 Americans, found that eight out of ten respondents said the United States is suffering from an “existential crisis.” Sixty-eight percent of respondents said the troublesome year left them “feeling defeated.” (4) For those unfamiliar with the term, existential crisis refers to the questioning of life’s meaning and value.
When we consider the circumstances of America’s battered populace, it is no wonder that so many people are questioning whether their lives matter. However, as God’s children, we know we matter because our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ cared enough for us to go to the cross of Calvary and pay the penalty for our sins. Romans 6:23 declares, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The Apostle Paul also recognized that life without the hope of an eternity with God is a miserable experience. I Corinthians 15:19 tells us, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” As always, I urge every reader of this newsletter to put your faith, hope, and trust in God. He can help us even if no one else can.
The Brink Of Economic Collapse
As the masses suffer the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, tent cities are popping up across the United States. Thousands of people have lost their homes and suddenly, they have nowhere to go. In downtown Phoenix, Arizona, two large parking lots have been converted to encampments where some of the area’s 7,500 homeless people now live under squalid conditions. Each family has been given a space measuring twelve-square feet, but aside from portable toilets and washing stations, few amenities have been provided to the occupants. (5) The tent city in Phoenix is just one of many in the United States. Others can be found in New York City; Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; and numerous other large cities. (6) How did this bleak reality come to be?
When states began to impose lockdowns in March 2020, most states also imposed a moratorium on evictions to ensure that people would not be thrown out of their homes. Nevertheless, researchers at the Princeton University Eviction Lab have reported that 162,000 Americans in twenty-seven cities have been evicted since the pandemic began. In September of 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, declared a nationwide eviction ban for those impacted by the pandemic. Without the ban as many as 40 million Americans could be facing eviction and possible homelessness. (7) The ban on evictions, however, is just a stopgap measure, and it certainly cannot continue forever. When the measure does end, we could see a flood of evictions unlike anything ever before endured in our country’s history. As of this writing, an estimated 70 billion dollars in back rent and utility charges are owed to property owners and utility companies. (8) The CDC’s eviction ban was scheduled to expire on December 31, 2020. However, a newly passed stimulus bill, which was signed by President Donald Trump, extends the moratorium until January 31, 2021. (9) Ominously, a headline from The Street warns in an article published on December 13, 2020, “Expect the most evictions in history as ban expires.” (10)
To make matters worse, an estimated 50 million Americans, including 17 million children, are facing hunger at this present time. As a consequence, the number of people seeking assistance from food banks has increased significantly. “We’ve had food distributions where we’ve literally had hundreds of vehicles lined up to get food,” said Bryan Singleton, who is the director of five food banks in the state of Georgia. Meanwhile, in New York City, an organization known as Food Banks for New York distributed 77 million meals to New Yorkers in 2020. This number totals a 70 percent increase over food distribution in 2019. (11) People are clearly desperate. At a recent food and toy giveaway in Chicago, Illinois, cars lined up for 15 blocks. (12) In total, nearly eight million Americans have fallen into poverty over the course of the last five months. “We’ve seen a continual rise in poverty every month since June,” lamented Professor James X. Sullivan of the University of Notre Dame. He further went on to say, “There are two ways to counteract this upward trend in poverty: One is a dramatic improvement in the labor market. The other is more support from the federal government. Given the state of the virus, I wouldn’t bet on significant improvement in the labor market in the short run.” (13)
Businesses have also suffered great calamity in 2020. Numerous iconic brands have been forced to file for bankruptcy, including retailers such as J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus, and J. Crew. Incredibly, an estimated 100,000 restaurants closed their doors during the year that just ended. (14) The economic woes of the pandemic have caused a domino effect. When businesses shut down, unemployment rises. When unemployment rises, people cannot pay their rent, mortgages and utilities. When people cannot pay for their housing, they are put out of their homes, and local governments then lose money that would otherwise be collected through property taxes. On the whole, all of these issues weaken the United States of America.
To combat the dour economic conditions caused by the pandemic, the American government has enacted stimulus measures to prop up the economy. The CARES Act, which passed in March 2020, was a behemoth bill that cost over two trillion dollars. (15) As the months dragged on, the funds earmarked for various relief programs ran out, and the government again found themselves facing a need to provide more funding for stimulus. Negotiations between the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives and the Republican-controlled Senate continued for months while the American people languished. Finally, legislation providing 900 billion dollars for stimulus programs was passed in December 2020 and signed by President Trump on December 27, 2020. As one of the provisions of the stimulus package, most Americans will receive a direct payment of 600 dollars. (16) However, considering the extensive debt of many Americans who owe thousands of dollars for back rent and utility bills, 600 dollars is not going to go very far. As such, it is likely that we will see more stimulus plans enacted in the future. In fact, Joe Biden, the man we are told won the 2020 Presidential Election and is scheduled to take office on January 20, 2021, is already planning for further stimulus. Speaking in December 2020, Biden told his audience, “Our darkest days in the battle against Covid are ahead of us, not behind us. Congress did its job this week and I can – and I must – ask them to do it again next year,” Biden said as he called for more stimulus legislation. Biden is expecting enough money to provide unemployment insurance, pay for protective equipment for health workers, and furnish enough money to pay for enough Covid vaccines to vaccinate 300 million Americans. (17)
Amazingly enough, there are hints that Joe Biden might be considering a system of recurring direct payments to the American people. According to a report published by Business Insider on December 24, 2020, the Biden Administration has been holding discussions with Andrew Yang’s nonprofit organization known as Humanity Forward. The group advocates for the establishment of a nationwide Universal Basic Income. (18) Andrew Yang, who ran for President of the United States as a Democrat in the 2020 primaries, was most famous for his plan to pay every adult American one thousand dollars per month. As a concept, Universal Basic Income is already garnering considerable interest. In fact, a program known as Mayors of a Guaranteed Income was started by Mayor Michael Tubbs of Stockton, California. The initiative provides families in various cities 500 dollars each month. (19) In total, mayors of 29 cities have signed on to provide their citizens with direct cash payments. 18 million dollars has been provided by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey to fund the program. (20)
Providing stimulus checks during an economic emergency is one thing, but doling out money to all people on a permanent basis would not be sustainable. The United States has already spent trillions of dollars this year on stimulus programs, and the official national debt will soon hit an astonishing 28 trillion dollars. (21) While this enormous spending is taking place, the value of the United States dollar is dropping against numerous other currencies, including the Canadian dollar, the Australian dollar, and the euro. (22) Oddly enough, the Danish financial institution known as Saxo Bank has made what they call an “outlandish prediction” of what could happen in the future if Universal Basic Income programs are made permanent. “The risk that societies are entirely torn apart results in the realization that the Covid-19 measures weren’t a mere panic response, but the start of a permanent new universal basic income (UBI) reality,” said macro strategist Kay Van-Petersen. He further went on to say, “UBI leads to a seismic rebalancing of the forces and structures within society, and how they apply geographically.” (23)
I strongly suspect that if supposed free money is offered in the future, such funds will not be without strings attached. In fact, former United States Representative John Delaney, who is a Democrat from the state of Maryland, recently suggested that the American people could be enticed to receive a Covid vaccination by tying it to a 1500 dollar stimulus payment. “We have to create, in my judgment, an incentive for people to really accelerate their thinking about taking the vaccine,” Delaney said. (24) Additionally, I would not be surprised to see a new universal basic income system tied to a digital currency, which could further hasten our country’s movement towards a cashless society. I also cannot help but think of something my father said many years ago as he was preaching. He suggested that when the “man of sin” spoken of in II Thessalonians, chapter 2, whom many refer to as “the Antichrist,” comes forth, he could entice people to follow him by decreeing that all of their debts will be forgiven if they do so. Thus, the free money would cost the masses their devotion and their souls. We know many people are desperately seeking a way out of this current mess, but we should be very careful about the solutions we accept.
The Vaccines Have Arrived
When news broke in November 2020 that the pharmaceutical company known as Pfizer had a vaccine for Covid-19 that is said to be 90 percent effective, the news was met with great jubilation. Shortly thereafter, Moderna announced that they, too, had an effective vaccine, and for many people, this represented the first glimmer of hope in a bitter and protracted fight against the novel coronavirus. In December 2020, both vaccines received approval for emergency use in the United States, and the campaign to vaccinate as many people as possible is now underway.
Although we are told that both vaccines are safe and effective, it is interesting to note that Pfizer and Moderna have total immunity from prosecution if something goes awry with their vaccines. In other words, if you take the shots and then develop serious complications, you cannot file a lawsuit against the drugmakers. Needless to say, a lot of Americans are leery about taking the vaccine. For one thing, no vaccine in history has ever been developed as quickly as Pfizer’s and Moderna’s coronavirus shots. It took them just eight months to develop their new medicine and receive emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. Up to that point, a vaccine for mumps, which became available to the public in 1967, was the quickest a vaccine had ever been produced and that one took four years. (25)
With the vaccine rollout now underway, numerous reports have surfaced of people suffering adverse reactions after receiving the shot. In December 2020, it was reported that the FDA was investigating multiple instances of allergic reactions to the vaccines. “We are working hand in hand with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and we’ve actually been working closely with our United Kingdom colleagues, who of course, reported the allergic reaction. I think we’ll be looking at all the data we can from each of these reactions to sort out exactly what happened and we’ll also be looking to try to understand which component of the vaccine might be helping to produce them,” said Peter Marks of the FDA. (26) After additional reports of allergic reactions began to surface, the FDA revised its guidelines for the Pfizer vaccine. They now say that if you have a history of allergic reactions to the vaccine ingredients, you should not take the shot. (27) In another interesting twist, WPLG, which is an affiliate of ABC in Miami, Florida, has published a report claiming that researchers are studying the effects of the Covid vaccines on male fertility. The brief report informs its readers that it is being done to reassure men that it is safe to take the Covid shots. Yet the piece ends by saying, “To protect fertility, some men may want to consider freezing their sperm prior to vaccination.” (28)
Recent polling indicates that four in ten Americans say they do not want to take the Covid vaccine. As such, the Department of Health and Human Services is planning to spend 250 million dollars on a “national education campaign” to convince more people to get it. (29) Meanwhile, Joe Biden hopes to see one hundred million Americans vaccinated against Covid within his first one hundred days in the White House. (30) To his credit, Biden did say that he does not believe the vaccinations should be mandatory. “I don’t think it should be mandatory. I wouldn’t demand it to be mandatory. Just like I don’t think masks have to be made mandatory nationwide. I’ll do everything in my power as President of the United States to encourage people to do the right thing and when they do it, demonstrate that it matters,” Biden informed. (31)
Although the vaccines might not officially be made mandatory by the government, those who refuse to get them could face difficulties in their day-to-day lives. Almost immediately after the vaccines were approved for emergency usage, employers around the country began enquiring if they can legally require their employees to get vaccinated. “Until maybe about a month ago, we hadn’t had many clients asking about it. We're starting to see a lot more momentum,” said Brett Coburn, from the law firm Alston & Bird. (32) In response to the growing interest on the topic, the government agency known as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a statement indicating that employers are legally allowed to require their workers to receive a coronavirus shot. Only those with a disability or a sincerely held religious belief against vaccinations would be exempt from the requirement according to federal law. (33) Regarding the possibility of employers forcing vaccinations, Arthur Caplan, a professor of bioethics at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, was quoted as saying, “It’s much more likely that a private organization or company will require you to be vaccinated to get certain access to places. People worry about the president, governor, or county executive telling them what to do. I don’t think that’s going to happen.” (34)
In last month's issue of the Last Trumpet, I reported that the Australian airline known as Qantas is planning to require passengers on their international flights to provide proof of vaccination against Covid. It was also revealed that other airlines are considering the same requirement. Now it’s come to light that European countries could also implement Covid vaccine requirements. Nadhim Zahawi, who is overseeing the deployment of Covid shots in the United Kingdom, recently said that those who spurn the inoculation could be barred from entry at restaurants, bars, cinemas, and sports venues. (35) In France, those who refuse to get the shot could be banned from public transportation according to a report published by AFP on December 22, 2020. (36) Additionally, the government in Spain is planning to compile a registry of its citizens who refuse to be vaccinated. This registry will be shared with other European countries and could possibly be used to restrict travel. (37)
Those who do take the vaccine will likely want to be able to prove that they have done so. Although recipients are given a small paper card to place in their wallets, these cards are handwritten and easily lost or forged. As such, the question remains about how proof of vaccination will be presented to the entities who require it. As such, there has been a lot of talk about immunity passports and digital certificates, some of which are already under development. (38) One possibility, however, that has not received much consideration in the news, was revealed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In December 2019, the famous institute announced that they had developed a special “quantum dot dye.” This dye can be injected along with a vaccine and thus used to store a person’s medical records in a special mark under the skin! The dye is invisible to the naked eye; however, it can be accessed with a specially-equipped smartphone. “In areas where paper vaccination cards are often lost or do not exist at all, and electronic databases are unheard of, this technology could enable the rapid and anonymous detection of patient vaccination history to ensure every child is vaccinated,” enthused Kevin McHugh, formerly of MIT and now a professor of bioengineering at Rice University. (39)
I realize that the above story almost sounds unbelievable, and given the proliferation of fake news on the Internet, I can completely understand why some might be skeptical that this technology exists. However, the information cited above comes directly from the MIT website, so I can assure you that it is true. Could this system, which leaves a mark under the skin, be used as a method to verify that one has received the Covid vaccine? Time will tell.
A Chip For Your Brain
In 2018 the eccentric entrepreneur known as Elon Musk issued an ominous warning to the world. As scientists and technology companies develop new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies at a rapid pace, Musk is worried that robots will take over the world in the future and enslave humanity. “At least when there’s an evil dictator, that human is going to die. But for AI, there would be no death. It would live forever. And then you’d have an immortal dictator from which we can never escape,” Musk warned. (40) Given the potential dangers, a rational human might surmise that humanity should never develop AI in the first place. However, Musk, who recently became the world’s third richest man, (41) has his own solution in mind. One of his companies, which is known as Neuralink is in the process of developing a “brain computer interface” that will allow a person to become part human and part machine. In so doing, Musk claims humanity will be able to compete with robots. (42)
The creepy technology is being presented as a way to correct brain injuries and paralysis in the human body. Additionally, it is claimed that Neuralink’s chip will have the capability to balance a human’s hormone levels and thus modify a person’s mood or feelings. (43) Musk also claims that the chip will allow humans to hear previously undetectable sounds (44) and will provide the ability to stream music directly to the human brain. (45)
I realize that all of this sounds like impossible science fiction. However, Neuralink has already implanted their chips in the brains of animals. In August 2020, Musk showed off a pig named Gertrude and demonstrated how the Neuralink chip allowed them to observe her neural activity. (46) We know that in recent years, a growing number of individuals have received RFID microchips in their hands. Now we see that a chip is being developed for the human brain. Each of these technologies, I believe, are bringing the world closer to the mark of the beast spoken of in Revelation 13.
In closing, we are certainly living through a global transformation in progress. With this transformation comes a slew of problems, and those problems are causing great anxiety in the world. Yet, we can turn to our Saviour, and He has promised to help us. Hebrews 4:14-16 declares, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” In like manner, we read in Hebrews 13:6, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. We know that times are hard right now, and we sincerely appreciate every dollar that has been donated. We look forward to continuing our ministry in 2021 with God’s help and according to His will. If you have any prayer requests, we always invite you to send them our way. Each request is given individual attention. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Samuel David Meyer
This newsletter is made possible by the kind donations of our supporters. If you would like to help us, you may send your contribution to our postal address or donate online at http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/donate.
Acknowledgments
01. United States Census Bureau, July 1982, http://census.gov.
02. US Department of Labor, http://dol.gov.
03. Politico, October 22, 2007, By Andrew Glass, http://politico.com.
04. Study Finds, December 17, 2020, By Chris Melore, http://studyfinds.org.
05. Reuters News Service, December 23, 2020, By Michelle Conlin, http://reuters.com.
06. Ibid.
07. Ibid.
08. Ibid.
09. US News & World Report, December 22, 2020, By Chelsea Cirruzzo, http://usnews.com.
10. The Street, December 13, 2020, By Mish, http://thestreet.com.
11. The Guardian, December 24, 2020, By Victoria Bekiempis, http://theguardian.com.
12. CBS Chicago, December 23, 2020, By Marissa Parta, http://chicago.cbslocal.com.
13. The Washington Post, December 16, 2020, By Heather Long, http://washingtonpost.com.
14. Forbes, December 28, 2020, By Robert Bovarnick, http://forbes.com.
15. United States Department of the Treasury, http://home.treasury.gov.
16. Associated Press, December 28, 2020, By Jill Colvin, Lisa Mascaro, and Andrew Taylor, http://apnews.com.
17. Bloomberg News, December 22, 2020, By Jennifer Epstein, http://bloomberg.com.
18. Business Insider, December 24, 2020, By Juliana Kaplan, http://businessinsider.com.
19. Yahoo News, December 12, 2020, By Kristin Myers, http://news.yahoo.com.
20. CNBC, December 8, 2020, By Aria Bendix, http://cnbc.com.
21. Just the News, December 18, 2020, By Nicolas Ballasy, http://justthenews.com.
22. Bloomberg News, December 3, 2020, By Ruth Carson and Hooyeon Kim, http://bloomberg.com.
23. CNBC, December 8, 2020, By Sam Meredith, http://cnb.com.
24. WTHR, December 3, 2020, By TEGNA, http://wthr.com.
25. CNBC, December 17, 2020, By MacKenzie Sigalos, http://cnbc.com.
26. The Hill, December 19, 2020, By Tal Axelrod, http://thehill.com.
27. AFP, December 17, 2020, By AFP, http://timesofisrael.com.
28. WPLG Local News 10, December 20, 2020, By WPLG, http://local10.com.
29. CNBC, December 23, 2020, By MacKenzie Sigalos, http://cnbc.com.
30. The Hill, December 8, 2020, By Jessie Hellmann and Julia Manchester, http://thehill.com.
31. The Hill, December 4, 2020, By Julia Manchester, http://thehill.com.
32. The Washington Post, December 2, 2020, By Jena McGregor, http://washingtonpost.com.
33. CBS News, December 21, 2020, By Megan Cerullo, http://cbsnews.com.
34. USA Today, December 5, 2020, By Grace Hauck, http://usatoday.com.
35. Reuters News Service, November 30, 2020, By Guy Faulconbridge and Gareth Jones, http://reuters.com.
36. AFP, December 22, 2020, By AFP, http://barrons.com.
37. L’Unione Sarda, December 28, 2020, By L’Unione Sarda, https://www.unionesarda.it.
38. Axios, December 23, 2020, By Felix Salmon, http://axios.com.
39. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, December 18, 2019, By Anne Trafton, http://news.mit.edu.
40. CNBC, April 6, 2018, By Ryan Browne, http://cnbc.com.
41. The Guardian, November 17, 2020, By Rupert Neate, http://theguardian.com.
42. CNBC, April 6, 2018, By Ryan Browne, http://cnbc.com.
43. Tech Times, August 4, 2020, By Isaiah Alonzo, http://techtimes.com.
44. The Independent, July 31, 2020, By Anthony Cuthbertson, http://independent.co.uk.
45. Popular Mechanics, July 23, 2020, By Courtney Linder, http://popularmechanics.com.
46. Reuters News Service, August 29, 2020, By Tina Bellon, http://reuters.com.
To learn more about the history of our ministry and our founder, Pastor David J. Meyer, please visit http://pastormeyer.org.
If you would like to submit a prayer request, you may send email to prayer@ltmmail.org or mail it to our postal address.