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January 22, 2025
Dear Brethren,
According to the Roman calendar, we have entered a new year. But what will it bring? Everyone hopes for the best, but many predict things will get worse. Again, how will the year turn out? It looks like President Donald Trump, along with the new GOP-dominated Congress, will be able to deport as many illegal aliens as possible—beginning with criminals and terrorist. On the other hand, removing up to 15 million aliens will be a mammoth undertaking. Without a doubt, Trump is going to face intense resistance by Democrats. It will be a great struggle at best, and may even require the declaration of a national emergency and the temporary suspension of constitutional rights in order to expel as many aliens as possible.
Meanwhile, everyone is hoping for great economic times. And that may happen for a number of years, as President Trump is promising a “Golden Age” for America. Obviously, everyone is hoping for a sizeable reduction in inflation, which has increased 20 percent or more during the four years of the Biden-Harris administration. Trump has also promised to bring huge cuts to the federal budget. With the help of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy—heading up the new Department of Governmental Efficiency—a lot of the profligate deficit spending of the federal government may get reigned in. They hope for cuts of up to 20 percent across the board, which is needed in order to hold back another increase of the national debt—now over 36 trillion dollars. No doubt such mammoth cuts, if actually possible, will mean huge political battles.
Such savings, however, will not directly benefit the average person. And the interest on this debt will consume over a trillion dollars a year—just to keep the government from defaulting!
In spite of the efforts of Congress, the debt of the nation, all the states, all businesses, and all individuals combined is so large that it defies comprehension. But it’s not just the U.S. that is in trouble. China and Europe are also on the brink of bankruptcy with astronomical levels of debt. When the debt of all the nations of the world is combined—including all government debt at every level, all business and corporate debt, and all personal debt—it is evident that a total collapse of the financial system of the world is inevitable. In fact, a complete, almost instantaneous worldwide collapse is necessary in order for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled. Such a collapse will pave the way for the biblical “Mark of the Beast”!
Undoubtedly, the current world banking system will collapse, just as the German Weimar Republic collapsed under the hyper-inflation caused by the actions of bankers. After the collapse, Germany renounced the Versailles War Reparations Treaty that ended WWI. Then the Third Reich under Adolf Hitler was ushered in—with a new German Mark. These actions eliminated Germany’s overwhelming debt, restoring order and putting people work. A new era of prosperity followed.
Similarly, the collapse of the world’s fiat currencies will be preceded by a period of hyper-inflation—dramatic price increases in commodities such as oil, gas, natural gas, coal, and all metals, especially gold and silver. Before a new world financial system can be established and a new world currency issued, there will have to be an agreement to a massive reduction in the debt levels for all nations. Then a new world currency can be issued by a new World Central Bank. People will then be put to work and a new age of prosperity will begin—the last generation that Jesus spoke of.
In all likelihood, this new system will have both digital and paper currency. With a new single world currency, the elite will have the power to rapidly institute a new world government. It will likely be built upon a reformed United Nations. Remember, whoever controls the monetary system also controls the government.
During the 20th century, the world’s elite have tried several times to bring about a world government—e.g., the League of Nations and the United Nations—but those efforts have failed. However, with the world’s financial system centralized under their control, they will have the ability and means to set up their New World Order—a single world government. The new world currency will ultimately be replaced by the “Mark of the Beast.”
The Coming Third Temple: If there is a short time of peace in the Middle East, the Jews will probably begin construction on the Third Temple. We know from the prophecies of Matthew 24, Revelation 11, and II Thessalonians 2 that there will be a new temple built in Jerusalem. No one knows when this will happen, but it may be sooner than later. Also, we do not know how long it will take to build the temple.
We need to remember that Bible prophecy does not indicate a definite time frame for prophetic events. Rather, it gives us an events sequence as a framework. It is only at the very end—the last seven years—that we find a specific time sequence laid out for us (Dan. 9:27). It is divided into two segments of three and one-half years, or forty-two months. Consequently, as we view things today, prophecy does not indicate how long it will be until there is a new world currency and financial system; nor does it tell us how long it will take to set up a new world government, or the number of years it will be in existence before the last seven years begin. Furthermore, it does not indicate how many leaders of the world government there may be before its final leader takes office—the man of sin, the son of perdition. This man will be the final great leader of the world government—the final Beast. He and the False Prophet will be cast alive into the lake of fire when Christ and the resurrected saints take over the world and institute God’s rule of the Kingdom of God (Rev. 19:11-21).
John’s vision in Revelation 13 foretells of the rise and development of this satanic world government, depicted as a beast with seven heads and ten horns: “And I stood on the sand of the sea; and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion [depicting the great Gentile empires of Daniel 7]; and the dragon [Satan the devil] gave him his power, and his throne and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it were slain to death, but his deadly wound was healed; and the whole earth was amazed and followed the beast.
“And they worshiped the dragon, who gave his authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who has the power to make war against him?’ And a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given to him; and authority was given to him to continue for forty-two months [after the deadly wound is healed]. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. And he was given power to make war against the saints, and to overcome them; and he was given authority over every tribe and language and nation [a world government].
“And all who dwell on the earth will worship him [as God manifested in the flesh], whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear” (Rev. 13:1-9).
Again, the Scriptures do not give a definite time sequence—only an events sequence—until the last forty-two months, or three and one-half years, which is the last half of the final seven years foretold in Daniel 9:27.
The Beast has two aspects to it. First, it will be a world system of government. From other prophecies it is clear that there must be a complete revival of Europe, as the center of power. Will that revival be the healing of the deadly wound, which destroyed the Third Reich?
Second, Revelation 13 blends into its final leader who is given total rule over all the world for the last seven years (Dan 9:27). The first three and one-half years will probably be a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity (I Thess. 5:1-3). However, at the end of the first three and one-half years its great leader will suffer a deadly wound—but his wound is healed.
After the Beast’s deadly wound is healed, the False Prophet will pronounce him to be “the manifestation of God on earth.” The whole world will worship the Beast and Satan the devil. After his wound is healed, he continues for forty-two months and rules as “God on earth” with absolute power. He also kills the saints. However, the Bible does not tell us how long this government will be functioning prior to the Beast being worshipped as God—and it could be a number of years.
The apostle Paul was inspired to write about the man who will be the final Beast, who proclaims himself to be God and blasphemes the true God in heaven: “Do not let anyone deceive you by any means because that day will not come unless the apostasy shall come first, and the man of sin shall be revealed—the son of perdition, the one who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is an object of worship; so that he comes into the temple of God and sits down as God, proclaiming that he himself is God.
“Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? And now you understand what is holding him back in order for him to be revealed in his own set time [the last seven years]. For the mystery of lawlessness is already working; only there is one Who is restraining at the present time until it arises out of the midst. And then the lawless one will be revealed (whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and will destroy with the brightness of His coming); even the one whose coming is according to the inner working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are perishing because they did not receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved. And for this cause, God will send upon them a powerful deception that will cause them to believe the lie, so that all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but who took pleasure in unrighteousness” (II Thess. 2:3-12).
The Coming False Prophet: The second half of Revelation 13 predicts that a great False Prophet will arise—depicted as a beast with two horns like a lamb, but it speaks like a dragon—showing great signs and wonders, even calling fire down from heaven. He will be the partner to the Beast and the leader of a new world religion. The signs and wonders he performs will convince all people. Hence, all religions will come together and worship the Beast as God manifested in the flesh—the Antichrist: “And I saw another beast rising out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon; and he exercises all the [worldwide] authority of the first beast before him; and he causes the earth and those who dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he performs great wonders, so that he even causes fire to come down to the earth from heaven in the sight of men.
“And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by means of the wonders that were given to him to perform in the sight of the beast, saying to those who dwell on the earth that they should make an image for the beast, which had the wound by the sword, yet was alive. And he was given power to give a satanic spirit to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast also could speak; and he causes everyone who will not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Rev. 13:11-15).
The Coming Mark of the Beast: The final verses of Revelation 13 show that a global monetary solution will be enforced—the Mark of the Beast. Without it no one will be able to buy or sell. Notice: “And he [the Beast whose deadly wound was healed] causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, to receive a mark in their right hands, or in their foreheads; so that no one may have the ability to buy and sell unless he has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (verses 16-17).
Never in the history of the world has there been a time when it was possible for such a monetary system to be instituted. However, the technology has now been devised to bring about a global financial system, which everyone in the world will have to accept. Recently, there have been reports that scientists have been working on an invisible bar-code tattoo that can be applied onto a person’s hand or forehead. However, they have a major problem to solve: How can they make it possible for a global positioning satellite system to track everyone who has the invisible bar-code tattoo? No doubt, sooner or later, they will discover how to do it.
When Will the Mark of the Beast Be Enforced? At the time the new world banking system with a new world currency—digital and paper—is instituted, the Mark of the Beast will not be enforced right away. As we analyze Revelation 13, it is evident that the Mark will not be enforced until after the Beast has recovered from his deadly wound, and the last three and one-half years begin. At that time, everyone is commanded by the False Prophet to make an image for the Beast, probably to celebrate his return to life. If anyone refuses, he or she will be killed (verses 14-15). Then the Mark of the Beast will be fully forced upon everyone. However, the saints will refuse to make an image for the Beast and refuse to allow the Mark to be put on their right hand or on their foreheads. As a result, the saints will be martyred for Christ.
However, before these things happen another heavenly event takes place immediately prior to the start of the Great Tribulation. What will that be? God will send three powerful angels to warn the world: “And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and language and people; saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him, because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him Who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.’ Then another angel followed, saying, ‘The great city Babylon is fallen, is fallen, because of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, which she has given all nations to drink.’
“And a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives the mark in his forehead or in his hand, he shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath; and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone in the sight of the holy angels, and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends into the ages of eternity; and those who worship the beast and his image, and all who receive the mark of his name, have no rest day and night’ ” (Rev. 14:6-11).
From the context of Revelation 13 and 14, the three angels must give their warnings before the worshipping of the beast and his image takes place and before the enforcement of the Mark. God always gives a warning before something takes place, not after it has already happened—that is clearly evident throughout the Bible!
Finally, we will understand the meaning of the number of the Beast when he comes on the scene: “Here is wisdom. Let the one who has understanding count the number of the beast; for it is a man’s number, and his number is 666” (Rev. 13:18). We have this promise from the book of Daniel: at the end, when these things are to be understood, we will then understand: “And he [the angel] said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and refined. But the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but THE WISE SHALL UNDERSTAND’ ” (Dan. 12:9-10).
From these and other prophecies, it is clear that Jesus Christ will not be coming in the foreseeable future. We may see many more years come and go before these final events unfold.
Remember, we are not given any specific time sequence—only an events sequence. However, all of these prophecies must be fulfilled—for they are the key events that lead up to the return of Christ, just as He told us: “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branches have already become tender, and it puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. In like manner also, when you see all these things, know that it [Jesus’ second coming] is near, even at the doors. Truly I say to you, this generation [the generation when all these things will be fulfilled] shall in no wise pass away until all these things have taken place. The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My words shall never pass away. But concerning that day, and the hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matt. 24:32-36).
What Should We Do Until Then? There are four things that we must keep on doing every day. First: We must always be watching. Jesus warns us: “Watch, therefore, because you do not know in what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have been watching, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready. For the Son of man is coming at a time that you do not think [because we do not know the day or the hour, though we know the times and seasons]” (Matt. 24:42-44).
Second: We must always be doing the will of God and keeping His commandments. “Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his lord has set over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. Truly I say to you, he will set him over all his property” (verses 45-47).
Third: Although it is apparent that there may be much more time than we had anticipated, we are not to take the attitude that Christ is delaying His coming. Remember, God the Father and Jesus Christ are never early and never late. God’s plan is always on time and it is the Father who sets the time schedule. So we need to be on guard not to slip back into the world, deceiving ourselves that we can always repent later. Moreover, the ministers of God are not to abuse the brethren in any way. Notice Jesus’ warning: “But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and shall begin to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, the lord of that servant will come in a day that he does not expect, and in an hour that he does not know. And he shall cut him asunder and shall appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 24:48-51).
Fourth: We must always maintain our personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. Jesus gave the Parable of the Ten Virgins to illustrate that, while we are watching, we must also maintain our relationship with God through the Holy Spirit—as pictured by the oil and lamps. This is something that each one of us has to do daily. We cannot get lazy and neglect being led by the Holy Spirit. When you maintain a good personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ through daily prayer and study, you will be led by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:14).
The Parable of the Ten Virgins depicts those who are wise and those who are foolish, as Jesus said: “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be compared to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. The ones who were foolish took their lamps [they had the Word of God], but they did not take oil with them [they did not exercise the power of the Holy Spirit—symbolized by the oil]. But the wise took oil in their vessels [an extra supply of oil in a separate vessel—they were led by the Holy Spirit] along with their lamps.
“Now when the bridegroom was gone a long time, they all became drowsy and slept [everyone has problems and weaknesses]. But in the middle of the night [when it is least expected] there was a cry: ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Go out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
“And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out’ [they were not maintaining their personal relationship with God]. But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there not be enough for us and for you [you cannot give someone else of the Holy Spirit that you have, which God gives through maintaining a close personal relationship with Him. So they tell the foolish ones], but instead, go to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. And afterwards the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But He answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you’ [because they did not maintain their personal relationship with God and use the Holy Spirit to grow in grace and the character needed to enter the Kingdom of God]” (Matt. 25:1-12).
This is why we need to watch and keep on watching. However, we must know the Scriptures and rightly divide the Word of God in order to understand the flow of events.
Brethren, considering the times we live in, we need to continue to draw close to God in heartfelt prayer and the study of the Scriptures—every day. When we are faithful in maintaining our relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ, we will be growing in grace and knowledge. We will be watching and ready. We praise God the Father and Jesus Christ daily for Their goodness and mercy. We thank you for your continued love and faithfulness to God and love toward each other. We thank you for your prayers for us and all the brethren. We thank you for your faithfulness in your tithes and offerings, especially in these difficult times. We pray that God will continue to bless you and keep watch over you. We continue to pray for you daily—for your health, your healing, and for God’s love and grace to be upon you in everything.
With love in Christ Jesus,
Fred R. Coulter
FRC
PS: Our program of distributing Bibles and Interlinears continues to be a great success! We still have a lot of Bibles left—so feel free to request additional copies if you can place them into the hands of those who have a sincere desire to study the Scriptures. What better gift can you give someone than the Word of God! You can order copies individually or by the box—calfskin, 8 in a box; paperback, 8 in a box; vinyl, 6 in a box; and Interlinears, 4 in a box. Thank you and keep up the good work!
