Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Peace, Peace When There is no Peace - By Daymond Duck -
https://www.raptureready.com/2020/09/20/peace-peace-when-there-is-no-peace-by-daymond-duck/ One, the "Treaty of Peace" between Israel and the UAE is scheduled to be signed at the White House on Sept. 15, 2020. This is not the "covenant with many" that will begin the Tribulation Period (Dan. 9:27), but it is not hard to find good Bible prophecy teachers that believe it will trigger progress toward that end. This historic "Treaty of Peace" has happened much faster than many people thought, and the "covenant with many" could happen much faster than many people think, especially because the Rapture will have taken place and the world will be in more turmoil than it is in now. Two, on Sept. 9, 2020, the Arab League held an emergency virtual meeting to consider a PA resolution to reject the UAE's "Treaty of Peace" with Israel, but the Arab League voted down the PA resolution. One PA official called the Arab League's refusal to reject the "Treaty of Peace" a stab in the back for the Palestinian cause and expressed the opinion that it will open the door for other Arab nations to sign "Treaties of Peace" with Israel. Three, Pres. Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring peace to the Middle East. The winner will be announced in Oct. 2021. Four, on Sept. 11, 2020, Pres. Trump announced that Bahrain will sign a "Treaty of Peace" with Israel at the White House on Sept. 15, 2020. Bahrain will be the fourth Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel (the other three are Jordan, Egypt and the UAE (note: The Rapture hasn't happened, the Church is still here, and these aren't 7-year peace treaties; but the fact that these treaties came into being so fast should remind us that a 7-year covenant with many could come into being very fast. Also, be aware that Russia, Iran, Turkey, the PA, Hezbollah and Hamas don't like these treaties, and their hostility could trigger some of the prophesied wars in the Middle East. The Houthis and others are, in fact, already threatening to strike Israel over these peace treaties.). Five, Pres. Trump received an unprecedented second nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring peace to the Middle East. Six, on Sept. 9,2020, Jared Kushner (Pres. Trump's son-in-law and advisor) said Trump's peace plan is an effort to save the Two-State Solution. Kushner said if things kept going the way they were going, "ultimately, Israel would have eaten up all the land in the West Bank." The problem with the Two-State Solution is that God gave all of the Promised Land to Israel, and warned the world not to divide it, but the Two-State Solution will divide the Promised Land and bring on the wrath of God. Instead of "peace and safety," the end result will be the Battle of Armageddon. Seven, on Sept. 14, 2020, it was reported that up until the peace treaties with the UAE and Bahrain, only Muslims could worship at the Al-Aqsa Mosque (the PA claims the Al-Aqsa Mosque includes the entire Temple Mount), but a clause in the peace treaties says, "all Muslims who come in peace may visit and pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Jerusalem's other holy sites should remain open for peaceful worshippers of all faiths." According to Israel and the U.S., the Al-Aqsa Mosque is just the building itself, and the "other holy sites" is the remainder of the Temple Mount. This means the EAU and Bahrain are agreeing that everything on the Temple Mount except the building called the Al-Aqsa Mosque should be open to people of all faiths, including Jews, and it could open the door for a rebuilt Temple. The Temple will be rebuilt, the Antichrist will break the covenant with many and defile the Temple at the middle of the Tribulation Period, and the Jews in Judea will have to flee for their lives; and now the door may be opening for all of this. For whatever it is worth, some Jewish rabbis have said Trump is another Cyrus that God has put in office to open the door for a rebuilt Temple. Eight, concerning deceit or wickedness, on Sept. 8, 2020, it was reported that about 1,000 people voted twice in Georgia's June election and they may be prosecuted. They voted the first time by absentee ballot and then voted in person a second time on election day. If it happened once, it can happen again, and the people that are left behind after the Rapture will eventually wind up with the most corrupt leader the world has ever had. Nine, activists (with the approval of many Democrats) have announced plans to "lay siege to the White House" until election day. They intend to do everything they can (including weeks of violent demonstrations in the Democrat-run city of Washington, DC) to stop the re-election of Trump. Note: In the two days following the shooting of two Los Angeles Sheriff's officers, the blocking of emergency entrances to the hospital, and chants of "we hope you die," California Senator, former Attorney Gen. of California, and candidate for Vice-Pres. of the U.S., Kamala Harris has not voiced one word of criticism of these events or any desire for the wounded police officers to survive. Elected officials are a major part of the rioting and looting problem in the U.S., and they are not worthy to hold any political position in the U.S. regardless of Party. Ten, concerning natural disasters like birth pains, the second week of Sept. 2020 had the worst wildfires in California history (about 4,844 square miles this year), the evacuation of more than 500,000 people in Oregon (more than 10% of the population of the state and more than 1,400 square miles in the state), and about 937 square miles in Washington. The numbers are changing almost daily, but on Sept. 12, 2020, Fox News reported that at least 24 people had been killed, dozens were missing, more than 6,000 homes and businesses had been destroyed, and thousands more were in danger. Incidentally, I have read that in addition to setting fires and burning buildings, vehicles, etc., in major Democrat-run cities and states, there is evidence that Black Lives Matter has set some of the forest fires out west (burned buildings, vehicles, etc., and the Democrat Governor blames it on Global Warming). https://www.naturalnews.com/2020-09-14-left-wing-arsonists-setting-wildfires.html As I write this, a slow-moving hurricane named Sally is threatening the Gulf Coast with high winds (perhaps up to 110 mph), a dangerous storm surge (perhaps more than 10 feet), torrential rains (perhaps 18-24 inches is places), and severe flooding. Several tropical storms that could develop into hurricanes are behind Sally. The nation of Israel is going on a 21-day Coronavirus lockdown. Perhaps, Pres. Trump and Prime Min. Netanyahu should abandon the Two-State Solution. God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond Duck [email protected] Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE in Prophecy - By Bill Salus - www.prophecydepot.com "Saudi Arabia Opens Airspace to Israel" (NYT - 9/2/20) "After UAE, Bahrain deals signed, Trump says 7-9 countries seek peace with Israel" "Soon after historic Abraham Accords ceremony at the White House, US president includes Saudi Arabia among those nations also now ready to normalize ties with Jewish state." (Times of Israel - 9/15/20) Saudi Arabia is back in the news again and that has some Bible prophecy pundits warning that a 2600-year old biblical prediction could be about to happen! In one of his most detailed apocalyptic writings, the prophet Ezekiel identifies the nation of Saudi Arabia in his 38th chapter. This ancient prophecy informs of a forthcoming massive invasion of Israel in the last days. It identifies an invading coalition that appears to be led by Russia and includes Turkey, Iran and nine populations in total. In addition to this intimidating list of invaders, Ezekiel identifies a group of nations that appear to be contesting the evil intentions of this coalition. The verse below explains the sinister motives of the invaders and identifies the concerned protesters. "Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, 'Have you come to take plunder? Have you, (Russia), gathered your (coalition) army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?'" (Ezekiel 38:13, NKJV; emphasis added) This passage identifies Saudi Arabia under the banner of Dedan. The Saudis are assembled alongside Sheba, (Yemen), Tarshish, (UK), and their Young Lions, (USA, and maybe Canada and Australia). This grouping of countries appear to be actively protesting, rather than militarily preventing this invasion of Israel. The concerns of these sideline spectators are lodged in several questions, which help us to recognize that the primary goal of these invaders is to conquer Israel for their own capital gains. These belligerents intend to seize control over all aspects of Israel's economy. Due to the budding relationships between Russia, Turkey and Iran, several Bible prophecy teachers believe that Ezekiel 38 could be the next event to find fulfillment on the end times prophetic calendar. But is it? Saudi Arabia is actually identified in at least four unfulfilled prophecies and when they are laid out sequentially, it turns out that Ezekiel 38:13 is seemingly the last of the four to find fulfillment. In addition to Ezekiel 38, Saudi Arabia, as Dedan, is the subject of biblical predictions in Jeremiah 49 and Ezekiel 25. Moreover, the Saudis appear to be represented as the Ishmaelites in the 3000-year old prophecy foretold in Psalm 83. These prophecies will be presented in their apparent chronological order, but beforehand it is important to connect the ancient territory of Dedan and the Ishmaelite peoples of the past with modern-day Saudi Arabia. Where is Dedan? Historic Mideast maps locate Dedan in Northwestern Saudi Arabia. Some Bible scholars, such as Gary Stearman of Prophecy Watchers, suggest that in the Old Testament, Dedan might even extend beyond Saudi Arabia to also include the modern-day Gulf Cooperation Council, (GCC), countries of Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and the UAE. If Dedan represents the entirety of the GCC Arab states, this could be prophetically relevant in light of recent events. "Israel signs accords with United Arab Emirates and Bahrain at White House ceremony" (USA Today - 9/15/20) Presently, the UAE and Bahrain are in the process of normalizing national relations with Israel as part of the "Peace to Prosperity" aspect of Donald Trump's, "Deal of the Century" Mideast peace plan. This economic part of Trump's plan was introduced by White House adviser Jared Kushner in Bahrain on June 25, 2019. "In Bahrain, U.S. Tries to Promote Mideast Peace Through Prosperity" (NY Times - 6/25/19) In the process of achieving peace with the UAE and Bahrain, which are two Arab nations that never posed a real threat to the Jewish state, Israel has agreed to temporarily postpone its plans to annex territory in the West Bank. The annexation of this land was part of the political aspect of Trump's Mideast peace plan. "UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan: "I thank Netanyahu for choosing to stop annexation of Palestinian land."" (Times of Israel - 9/15/20) It's interesting to note that UAE's Foreign Minister considers the territory in question "Palestinian land." In the cosmic CHESS MATCH between good and evil, it appears that evil moved two PAWNS, the UAE and Bahrain, forward and successfully put Israel into CHECK when it comes to the "Chosen People" expanding further into the "Promised Land." How this newly formed alignment between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain may have prophetic implications will be explored near the end of this article. Whether or not Dedan includes all of the GCC countries, most biblical scholars would agree that at least it identifies Saudi Arabia. Who are the Ishmaelites? Some suggest that Ishmael, the patriarch of the Ishmaelites, was the father of the Arabs and that he settled in Arabia. Ancient Arabia is now often alluded to as the Arabian Peninsula, and it is mostly encompassed by Saudi Arabia. The map and quote below it, reinforces these understandings. "The Book of Genesis and Islamic traditions consider Ishmael to be the ancestor of the Ishmaelites/Arabians and patriarch of Qaydār. According to Muslim tradition, Ishmael the Patriarch and his mother Hagar are buried next to the Kaaba in Mecca... Ishmael is recognized as an important prophet and patriarch of Islam. Muslims believe that Ishmael was the firstborn of Abraham, born to him from his wife Sarah's slave, Hagar. Ishmael is recognized by Muslims as the ancestor of several prominent Arab tribes and the forefather of Muhammad." The Four Unfulfilled Saudi Arabia Bible Prophecies SAUDI PROPHECY #1 "Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, The time that I will punish him." (Jeremiah 49:8) This often-overlooked Jeremiah foretelling concerning Dedan was penned approximately two decades prior to Ezekiel's issuance of his 38th chapter. Jeremiah issues a stern admonition to the inhabitants dwelling in Dedan to, "Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths." This forewarning is given because "the calamity of Esau" is coming. Apparently, when this future prediction happens, the Saudis will have joined forces with Esau's descendants, and in so doing, will become positioned in the line of fire. The Lord is going to punish Esau severely, and for Saudi Arabia's own protection, Jeremiah warns them to flee and turn back to the depths of their homeland. This infers that at the time of Esau's calamity, that Saudi armed forces are involved in a military operation that is taking place on foreign soil. The fifty-million-dollar question is, "what is Esau's Calamity?" This topic will be addressed further down in this article, but beforehand it's important to note what Jeremiah says happens to Esau's neighbors as a result of the calamity. And he, (Esau), shall not be able to hide himself. His descendants, (the Edomites), are plundered, His brethren and his neighbors, And he is no more. (Jer. 49:9-10, NKJV; emphasis added) Esau's neighbors are plundered. This would include Saudi Arabia, if they don't heed the warning to, "flee, turn back, dwell in the depths." In other words, back off and go back home or else be plundered alongside of Esau's descendants. SAUDI PROPHECY #2 "'Thus says the Lord God: "Because of what (the) Edom(ites) did against the house of Judah (Israelis) by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them," therefore thus says the Lord God: "I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; Dedan shall fall by the sword. I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance," says the Lord God." (Ezekiel 25:12-14, NKJV; emphasis added) About two decades after Jeremiah pens his warning for the Saudis to disengage from their alignment with Esau, Ezekiel prophesies that the Saudis will fail to do so. As such, "Dedan shall fall by the sword." In the Bible, "the sword" is often used as a typology for a war. Thus, this identifies the Saudis as one of the neighbors that get plundered in the related war when Esau's Calamity comes. This Ezekiel passage also explains why Esau's Calamity comes and how this calamitous campaign is carried out. The Edomite descendants of Esau will be guilty of attempting to bring harm against the Jews, and in retaliation, the Lord will empower the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to execute His anger, fury and vengeance. This curse for curse in kind response comes directly out of the Genesis 12:3 playbook. This verse represents God's foreign policy to the Gentile nations. Those countries that do good to Israel will be blessed, but those that do harm will be cursed. The Edomites seek to harm the Jews, so in turn, God lifts up the IDF to eliminate all of Esau's descendants! Yes, I said ELIMINATE ESAU'S DESCENDANTS. The prophet Obadiah foretells it this way: ""The house of Jacob, (the IDF), shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph, (the IDF), a flame; But the house of Esau shall be stubble; They shall kindle them and devour them, And no survivor, (descendant), shall remain of the house of Esau," For the Lord has spoken." (Obadiah 1:18, NKJV; emphasis added) Understanding the size and scope of Esau's calamity, it's understandable why Jeremiah previously warns the Saudis to back off and go back home before this war happens. SAUDI PROPHECY #3 "They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more." For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. Selah" (Psalm 83:4-8) Saudi Arabia's third unfulfilled prophecy is encapsulated in Psalm 83. I have covered Psalm 83 extensively in my book and associated DVD entitled, Psalm 83: The Missing Prophecy Revealed, How Israel Becomes the Next Mideast Superpower. In those prior works, I explain the connections between the three Saudi prophecies identified thus far. ESAU'S CALAMITY In my book I explain how Esau's Calamity is described in Psalm 83 and the related peripheral prophecies provided below. This is not an exhaustive list; all told there are nearly 150 verses that chronicle this calamitous event. Within these passages we find out that the IDF is God's tool to defend Israel when these prophecies happen. * Psalm 83:1-18........................................ (18 verses) * Jeremiah 49:1-29, 12:14-17...................... (32 verses) * Ezekiel 25:12-17, 28:24-26, 35:1-36:7, 37:10 (32 verses) * Isaiah 17:1-14, 19:1-18, 11:14................... (35 verses) * Obadiah 1:1-21....................................... (21 verses) * Zephaniah 2:4-11.................................... (8 verses) * Zechariah 12:2, 5-6................................. (3 verses) So who are Esau's descendants today? They are the "Tents of Edom" in Psalm 83:6. Esau fathered the Edomites as per Genesis 36:1. In my Psalm 83 book I point out that the Edomites have an ethnical representation within the Palestinians. Not all Palestinians have an Edomite heritage, but many of them do. The fact that they are identified as the "Tents of Edom," infers that at the time of Esau's Calamity, they are classified as refugees. In the Bible the "tents of" typically represents either military encampments or refugee scenarios. I believe that the Psalm describes the Palestinian refugees of today. These Edomites are enjoined in the ten-member confederacy of Psalm 83:6-8 that wants to destroy Israel in Psalm 83:5. Below is a map that identifies the modern-day equivalents of these ancient populations. Observe that Saudi Arabia is included. SAUDI PROPHECY #4 This fourth Saudi prophecy takes us back to the top of the article and Ezekiel 38:13. If the sequence of prophetic events presented thus far is correct, then by this future time Saudi Arabia has been plundered severely with the Palestinian refugees and their Psalm 83:6-8 confederacy. Apparently, after being plundered, the Saudis decide to align themselves with the protesters, rather than the invaders in Ezekiel 38. Perhaps at this future point, when there is no further Palestinian plight to banner, the Saudis will abandon their Arab (Saudi) Peace Initiative in favor of normalized relations with Israel. The Prophetic Implications of Israel's peace with Bahrain and the UAE If the first two prophecies about Dedan extend beyond Saudi Arabia to also include Bahrain and the UAE, then this current peace will be temporary. Those two predictions point out that Dedan gets plundered at the time of Esau's Calamity. The IDF wouldn't plunder Bahrain or the UAE if these peace deals were still in place. However, there is another possible prophetic scenario to watch for that might include Bahrain and the UAE. Jeremiah 49:34-39 informs of an end times war with Iran. I write about this war in my book entitled, "Nuclear Showdown in Iran, Revealing the Ancient Prophecy of Elam." In a nutshell, this prophecy declares that Iran will experience a disaster, probably nuclear, and it appears that this results from a military attack by the enemies of Iran. The key verse is below. "For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies And before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, My fierce anger,' says the Lord; 'And I will send the sword after them Until I have consumed them.'" (Jeremiah 49:37) Unfortunately, this verse does not specify who Iran's enemies are, but it's highly likely that if this prophecy were to happen soon, that Iran's enemies would at least include Israel, the USA, the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It's common knowledge that a primary reason that Bahrain and the UAE are normalizing relations with Israel is to gain America and Israel as allies in the event of a future war with Iran. If a war with Iran is forthcoming in the near future, these current peace deals between Israel with the UAE and Bahrain, could make it easier for an American, Israel and GCC Arab coalition to form and fight against Iran in fulfillment of this prophecy. Rosh HaShanah And The Passing Of Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Michael Brown - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=4298 The news came as a shock in the midst of a year of unrelenting shocks, yet another jolt of massive proportions. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died at the age of 87. That her death took place as Jews around the world had begun to observe (or were about to observe) Rosh HaShanah, the traditional Jewish New Year, was not lost on many Jewish commentators. (Heightening things even more was the fact that Rosh HaShanah this year began on the Sabbath.) Upon hearing the news of her passing, I tweeted, "The timing of the passing of Justice Ginsburg (immediately before the beginning of the Jewish New Year, the biblical day of the sounding of the shofar) strikes me as an overwhelmingly sobering, significant event. May God's kingdom be advanced & may He comfort the grieving family." Larger Than Life Some Jews who had already begun reciting the evening prayers were repeating the words of what is called the Mourner's Kaddish, a prayer of praise to God recited in memory of the dead, when news of Ginsberg's death began to spread. An event that was already of momentous proportions - the passing of this liberal warrior, feminist pioneer, and cultural icon -- now felt even more momentous. Others have written of Justice Ginsburg's judicial legacy. And in the days ahead, there will be countless articles commemorating her life and, no doubt, a slew of biographies to follow. She was even the subject of two recent movies, RBG and On the Basis of Sex. More remarkably still for a Supreme Court justice, she was nicknamed "The Notorious RBG" (in the spirit of the late rapper known as "The Notorious B.I.G.") Such was the reputation and impact of this little Jewish woman who was, quite literally, larger than life. And, given the fact that she was a tenacious fighter, she must have battled with all her might to hold on through the November elections, not wanting to give President Trump the privilege of picking her replacement. As passed on through her granddaughter, she said before dying, "my most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed." Now she is gone, and Trump has made plain his desire to nominate her replacement, with the frontrunner being Amy Coney Barrett, herself just 48 years old. In fact, according to an article published back in March, 2019, when Trump was considering the replacement for Anthony Kennedy, he allegedly said of Barrett, "I'm saving her for Ginsburg." Now the Battle for Life Given that Barrett is as staunchly pro-life as Ginsburg was "pro-choice," the ensuing battle in Washington could be more intense than anything we have previously seen. (And I write this in full memory of Justice Kavanaugh's 2018 savage confirmation hearings.) The two-word, headline story (with accompanying graphic) on Saturday's Huffington Post (September 19) said it all: "Apocalypse Now," followed by a picture of a hanger (thus, what women will be reduced to using for abortions should Trump get a replacement on the Court). What all this means is that the intense shaking of 2020 is about to switch into yet another gear, an even more intense gear, if that is imaginable. And we can expect it to continue to intensify in the weeks ahead. The Sabbath of Repentance and Return Right now, on the traditional Jewish calendar, we are in the first of the "Days of Awe," the 10-day period between Rosh HaShanah (the biblical holy day of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This period of introspection and repentance begins with the blowing of the shofar -- Ginsburg passed away just hours after the shofar blast was sounded in Israel -- as Jewish people, especially religious Jews, prepare their hearts before God the Judge. As explained by Moses Maimonides in the 12th century, the shofar blast says, "Wake up from your sleep, you sleepers! Arise from your slumber, you slumberers! Examine your deeds! Return to God! Remember your creator! Those of you who forget the truth in the futilities of the times and spend all year in vanity and emptiness, look into your soul, improve your ways and your deeds. Let each of you abandon his evil ways and his immoral thoughts." (Laws of Repentance, 3:4, as translated by Avraham Yaakov Finkel.) Yet this is not only a time of prayer and repentance in the Jewish community. A significant number of Christians, especially evangelicals, have set aside these same 10 days for prayer and repentance, highlighted by two major events scheduled for Washington, D.C. this coming Saturday, September 26. (These are the Franklin Graham Prayer March and The Return; I'm scheduled to participate in the latter event.) Significantly, this coming Saturday, the 26th, is considered the holiest Sabbath on the Jewish calendar, called "Shabbat Shuvah," meaning the Sabbath of repentance and return, the Sabbath falling between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. And as these Christians gather to pray and cry out to God, the focus will not be on praying for a particular political candidate but rather on praying for God's mercy on America and for our corporate repentance. The sudden and unexpected passing of Justice Ginsburg drills home to us all the more the reality of death, when we will stand before the Judge and give account for our lives. It also drives home the implications of the coming elections, with many already focused on the courts. How much more now! May the Lord get the attention of the nation, and may we turn to Him with all our hearts and all our souls. In words that we will be read in synagogues worldwide next Saturday, "Who knows but He may turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind" (Joel 2:14a). We hang in the balance right now, holding on by a mere thread of moral and spiritual sanity. God's mercy is our only hope. 2020 Has Been A "Nightmare Year" For America, And The Economic Fallout Is Just Getting Started - by Michael Snyder - http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/2020-has-been-a-nightmare-year-for-america-and-the-economic-fallout-is-just-getting-started Most of us have never experienced a year that has been as tough as 2020 has been for our nation. It has just been one major crisis after another, and the month of September has brought us even more trouble. The worst wildfire season in the history of the state of California has been making headlines day after day, and now the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg threatens to escalate the political turmoil in this nation to an entirely new level. Many had such high hopes for 2020, but at this point this year has been such a disaster that USA Today is calling it "an American nightmare", and it is difficult to argue with their reasoning... First the pandemic, which divided us, economically devastated us, and has killed nearly 200,000 of us. Then the racial unrest, erupting at the deaths of more Black Americans at the hands of police: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, Daniel Prude. Now the extreme weather. For only the second time in history, the National Hurricane Center has moved into the Greek alphabet for storm names. This season's wildfires are bigger, deadlier and more frequent than in years past. In the West, people can't breathe. And now a member of the U.S. Supreme Court has died with about a month and a half to go until we get to election day. The shocking death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has stunned the entire country, and I will share my analysis on where things could go from here on The Most Important News later tonight. In this article, I want to focus on the economic impact that all of this chaos is having. Since the pandemic first started, more than 60 million Americans have filed new claims for unemployment benefits, and that is a threshold that has never been crossed before in all of our history. And we have also seen businesses shut down at a pace that is hard to fully grasp. If you can believe it, more than 160,000 businesses listed on Yelp say "that they have closed"... Yelp on Wednesday released its latest Economic Impact Report, revealing business closures across the U.S. are increasing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic's economic toll. As of Aug, 31, 163,735 businesses have indicated on Yelp that they have closed. That's down from the 180,000 that closed at the very beginning of the pandemic. However, it actually shows a 23% increase in the number of closures since mid-July. I was most alarmed by that last sentence. Things were supposed to be getting a lot better by now, but instead we have seen "a 23% increase in the number of closures since mid-July". That is not good. And the percentage of businesses on Yelp that are indicating that their closures are "permanent" just keeps rising... In addition to monitoring closed businesses, Yelp also takes into account the businesses whose closures have become permanent. That number has steadily increased throughout the past six months, now reaching 97,966, representing 60% of closed businesses that won't be reopening. So what this means is that none of us should be expecting a return to what we considered to be "normal" prior to 2020. In fact, it is likely that we will see large numbers of businesses continue to fail in the months ahead. According to Fox Business, a whopping 40 percent of all U.S. restaurants "could go under within the next six months"... At least 40% of restaurant operators struggling to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic believe their businesses could go under within the next six months if there is no additional stimulus package from the federal government, according to a new survey by the National Restaurant Association. With one in every six restaurants closed permanently or for the "long term," the industry is on track to lose $240 billion in sales by the end of the year, according to the National Restaurant Association's findings on the impact COVID-19 has on the restaurant business. So what do you think? Should we bail out the restaurant industry? By the way, the airline industry really wants a bailout too. And just about every other industry is looking for government help as well. The reason why almost everyone has their hands out is because we have plunged into a crippling economic depression, and everyone is starting to realize that there is no end in sight to this downturn. Of course most average citizens also want another round of "stimulus checks" from the federal government, and we are being told that there is a really good chance that "the economy backslides" if that does not happen... Lawmakers remain deadlocked over a measure to provide another round of $1,200 checks to most households and more aid to struggling small businesses and unemployed Americans. Most saw the money they received from Congress's $2.2 trillion CARES Act run dry over the summer. "If they don't" approve another stimulus, "they're taking a huge risk, says Mark Zandi chief economist of Moody's Analytics. "The odds are better than even the economy backslides." We have already stolen several trillion dollars from future generations of Americans so far this year to fund "stimulus packages", and so a lot of people figure that it probably wouldn't make that much of a difference if we stole several trillion more to fund another one. And the Federal Reserve has been flooding the financial system with so much new money that it makes everything that they have ever done in the past look completely insignificant. In the process, our authorities are systematically destroying the reserve currency that the entire globe depends upon, but at this point very few people seem to care. So we continue to steamroll toward economic oblivion, and nobody is even thinking about hitting the brakes. In the USA Today article that I quoted at the start of this piece, the author stated that it is "impossible to know if the worst is behind us or still lies ahead"... Many of us are vacillating between horror and disbelief at what can only be described as an American nightmare. Devastation doesn't cover it. It's impossible to know if the worst is behind us or still lies ahead. Of course that is not true at all. In fact, it is exceeding clear that what is ahead of us is going to be much, much worse than what we have already experienced. But most Americans don't want to hear that. Most of us just want to cling to the belief that someday we will wake up and everything will have returned to normal. That may happen in fairy tales, but this is real life, and real life simply does not work that way. Daily Jot: Fill the seat Mr. President - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com There is a lot of hoopla about whether President Trump should fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Of course, he should. And the Senate should not unreasonably withhold consent. This is the Constitutional mandate and it was a large part of the reason Trump was elected. Let us recall that during the previous presidential election that it was pointed out by both sides that Trump could possibly appoint three Supreme Court judges and change the balance of the court. Leftists were aghast at the thought; conservatives embraced the opportunity. As we stand today, the leftists have lost on this one, but not before they will try every trick in the book to stall the appointment. Article II Section 2 Clause 2 of the Constitution refers to the appointment of Supreme Court justices; "and he [The President] shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law..." Now then, "advice and consent of the Senate" is what we will see yet another war of words between the news media, Democrats and Republicans. It has begun. And it is vicious. Leftist filmmaker Michael Moore has called for protests in the streets as a run up to "throwing Trump out of office." He also suggested that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) shut down the government until after the election. This is the rhetoric that appeals to those ignorant people who support the leftist ideals of those like Moore and his buddies in Congress. Pelosi has nothing to do with Supreme Court Justice selection. Pelosi, however, is not beyond trying to block the appointment. She told ABC's "This Week" that she has arrows in her quiver that she was not going to discuss just yet, but many believe that Pelosi will start another round of impeachment hearings against Trump if he presses forward on the nominee. Socialist congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) urged people to use this moment to become "radicalized" against a president that is "authoritarian and has no regard for life." Then there was mentally-failing Democratic candidate for President Joe Biden saying Trump's plan was an "abuse of power" and begged senators to "do their constitutional duty" by not approving any justice before the election. This plea was made in the same speech where he said that by the end of his talk, over 200 million people will have died of COVID 19. What? These are shrill and untruthful comments of revolution playing out in our daily lives. Isaiah 30:1 says, "Woe to the rebellious children, says the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin." Fill the seat Mr. President. Daily Devotion: Keep Moving Forward - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. -Ephesians 6:10 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/keep-moving-forward-2/ - Listen During a call-in segment of a radio program I was doing, a man asked, "Does there come a point in the Christian life where somehow you just don't get tempted to think evil thoughts anymore?" "Yes, it's funny you should ask that," I told him, "because I just reached that point yesterday. It's great." I was kidding, of course. In reality, this doesn't ever happen in the life of a Christian. Some believers are surprised to discover that the Christian life is not a playground but a battleground. It isn't easy being a Christian, because immediately we discover that we have an adversary, the Devil, who wants to bring us down. The spiritual battle is raging every single day. As I have often said, the Christian life is a constant process of moving forward. And the moment we stop moving forward, we will start moving backward. We need to put our spiritual armor on. We need to suit up. As we are told in Ephesians 6, "Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places" (verses 11-12 NLT). And you know what? This wrestling match won't end until we are safe in the arms of Jesus. Wouldn't it be great to think that as a Christian, you somehow could reach a plateau at a certain moment in your life where you would be above it all and no longer be vulnerable? This spiritual fight will rage on until the final day. So keep your armor on. Be aware and alert. And constantly move forward. 
FROM THE HEART
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