Understanding the Global Crisis

Dr Tow Siang Hwa

An article from the Calvary Pandan BPC  Weekly of 21 August 2011

 

Increasing Concern and Fears

We read with increasing concern and fears, splashed across world newspapers, warnings of global financial crisis, headlines such as “Bloodbath across global markets,” “Markets rocked by fresh turmoil,” “Clock ticking for key vote,” “Urgent compromise on debt.”

The average reader, not acquainted with international financial matters, is somewhat mystified by the wave of panic spreading around our planet because of happenings in the market place of capital cities everywhere.

From USA: “This is a terrible day. For the first time, the credit worthiness of the United States has been downgraded from AAA to AA+. American governance and policy making have become less stable, less effective and less predictable”—in other words, “less trustworthy.”

From London: “London stock market suffers biggest rout since Lehman.” In that horrendous collapse, the FTSE index fell by more than 100 points, this time round the FTSE lost 146 points, with heavy selling around the world.

Investors and traders are asking, “What is happening?”

From Tel Aviv (the Middle East’s leading Stock Exchange): “Hysteria swamped the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange when the Index plunged 7 percent in one day. Panic hit after the worst week since 2008, exacerbated by the US downgrade and the rout of international markets, and fears that Europe’s debt crisis might spread.” Does it not remind us of our Lord’s words, “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth …” (Lk 21:26). This is a description of the widespread panic preceding our Lord’s return: a time of global crisis and overwhelming fear.

Reading Beyond the Headlines

So far we have considered mainly the headlines, focusing on the impact of financial happenings in the global markets. Curiosity demands that we understand the cause of the “Bloodbath” and “Turmoil” affecting world markets. As I ponder, it seems there is financial mismanagement in high quarters on a global scale. How the economic process operates is beyond most of us and our simple thinking. Nevertheless, the suspicion is that there is massive transgression of God’s Commandments VIII, IX and X i.e. stealing, lying and coveting, or in a word: extreme greed. If the business leaders of the world would simply obey God’s commandments, today’s global financial crisis would never have happened. Did not the Word of God say, “But godliness with contentment is great gain”? Much better than allowing millions of shoppers to spend on credit without means or intention of repaying, or simply borrowing beyond one’s ability to pay, or giving credit recklessly without assurance that repayment will be forthcoming.

The foregoing are just a few simple examples of “bad deals,” multiplied a million times, causing what is now a “global crisis” involving astronomical debts amounting to “trillions of dollars” — hreatening world stability.

When mismanagement by world leaders exceeds critical limits, i.e. when mankind’s evil exceeds God’s tolerance, then divine intervention takes over. The Second and Final Global Judgment will descend on Planet Earth!

Beyond the Headlines—Global Judgment Day

As Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God,” even so God has sent a warning message to all men: “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store … against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Pet 3:7).

Be not ignorant (or “wise in his own conceit,” Prov 26:12), but be forewarned of God’s sure judgment coming on Planet Earth. The evidence of God’s First Judgment, the Global Flood, is visible everywhere, in every continent and country, crying out (not in words but in stratified rocks by their unnumbered thousands, and by hydrocarbon deposits everywhere) for those who will hear: “God who once judged with water, will judge by fire” (2 Pet 3:10).

You may scoff and say, “I’ve heard that before.” Yes, God in mercy repeats the warning, for your sake. Listen: “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up … Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet 3:8-10, 13). The hopes of God-fearing and right thinking men will then be fulfilled.

Global Economic Crisis and the Coming Antichrist

Here’s what the Bible says about the future economy of the world and the appearance of the Antichrist (“the beast”):

Revelation 13: And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matt 11:15).