| (Copyright 2023) by Dwight Fleming (Oroville, California) |
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| Daniel, a Jewish captive in ancient Babylon, had been given several prophetic visions concerning future empires that would dominate the world over many centuries till the “latter days.” Daniel wanted to know what would befall his own people in the latter days. He sought an answer from God. Daniel was highly loved by God. Normally, the answer to his request would have been immediate. However, this time, it was delayed. Time was delayed. What caused this delay? Notice: “Then said he [a heavenly messenger] unto me, ‘Fear not, Daniel. From the first day that you did set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days, . . . Now I am come to make you understand what shall befall your people in the latter days'” (Daniel 10:12-14, see also verses 1-11). Circumstances on the earth caused a time delay for when Daniel received his answer. The heavenly messenger was dispatched on the very first day that Daniel prayed for an answer. The messenger was held up until Michael, a heavenly prince, came to his aid (Daniel 10:13). This opposition by the prince of Persia delayed time by three weeks. Not a long delay, but still a delay. The children of Israel who escaped from Egypt weren’t as fortunate. They were geared up and ready to enter the Promised Land of their inheritance when an evil report caused them to lose faith. We all know what happened. Another time delay. This time delay was for 40 years with severe consequences. Everyone 20 years and older would die in the wilderness with only two exceptions. See Numbers 13 and 14. Hezekiah was faithful in restoring the true worship of the Eternal God to the House of Judah during his reign as king. When the Assyrians threatened Jerusalem, God heard Hezekiah’s plea for help. See 2 Chronicles 32:1-23; 2 Kings 19:14-20, 35-36. God responded with divine intervention which saved Jerusalem from conquest. In time, Hezekiah fell ill. The prophet, Isaiah, came to him with a message from God that the time of his death was near. Hezekiah wept bitterly and reminded God of his faithfulness hoping for mercy. God granted his request which caused another time delay. This time delay was for fifteen years. See Isaiah 38:1-8. Did Jesus ever hint that His glorious return could be delayed? After giving His disciples the events that would lead up to His return, as recorded in Matthew 24, He then warned them about being ready. He also warned against improper behavior by anyone as a result of any delay of His return. See Matthew 24:45-51. Jesus also mentioned in Matthew 24 that a time of Great Tribulation would come which would destroy all life if not cut short (Matthew 24:21-22). Destruction of all life by human folly was not a possibility until the development of the hydrogen bomb and the amassing of nuclear arms by the U.S. and Russia. When the threat of nuclear annihilation of all life upon the earth becomes imminent, this appears to be the trigger for God’s intervention with the return of Christ. Consequently, if that trigger or imminent threat of annihilation was delayed, then Christ’s return would also be delayed. During the last 12 to 14 months, the year 1987 kept coming up by various means which made me wonder if God was trying to highlight a significant event that occurred in 1987. Personally, 1987 was a milestone year for me since I purchased my property that year. After getting it paid off, it became a launching base for traveling abroad. I was able to tour Egypt and Israel in 1991. In 1994, I toured England and western Europe on one tour and then traveled through Germany, Poland, Russia, and back through Scandinavia on the second tour. The two tours were back-to-back over a period of about five weeks. More about my tour in Russia in a minute. However, I knew that whatever significant event that had occurred in 1987, it had to be much greater than a personal event. Finally, I came across a video with Scott Ritter. He explained the importance of the INF Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union or Russia. Scott revealed that the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty allowed the world to step back from the edge of a nuclear holocaust. Scott has recently said that if not for the implementation of that treaty, which he helped to bring about, then none of us would be alive today. The INF Treaty did more than limit the number of nukes each country could have. It was the first nuclear arms treaty which reduced and eliminated a certain class of nuclear-armed missiles but only on land not on the sea. The U.S. wanted to place intermediate-range missiles in Europe. The time for a nuke to reach Moscow from Europe is much less than from North America. If a missile was accidentally launched toward Moscow from Europe, then there would be very little time to ascertain if it was an actual attack or just a computer glitch. This would force Russia to launch their missiles which could cause a doomsday scenario as portrayed in the movies. And when was the INF Treaty signed? December 8, 1987. I can’t help but believe that the implementation of that treaty, which started in 1988, caused a delay of the trigger that would initiate the return of Christ. The treaty was scrapped by the U.S. in 2018. The only arms limitation treaty still in effect between the U.S. and Russia is the START treaty first signed in 1991 and renewed in 2010. It has been extended till February 2026. START stands for “STrategic Arms Reduction Treaty.” Because of the Ukraine War, any talks to further extend this treaty have broken down. The world is once again headed for nuclear annihilation. When the Delay occurred back in 1987, it was shortly after that the Soviet Union collapsed, and the Cold War ended in 1991. How did the U.S. treat Russia in the aftermath? This ties in with the bad behavior that Christ warned against as a result of His delay. The misery that is happening in Ukraine today is the result of broken promises that the U.S. made to Russia. Russia suffered economic hardship in the 1990s. My tour in Russia in 1994 was very exciting. We picked up a Russian escort in Minsk to ride on our tour bus during our time in Russia. Olga was a schoolteacher. However, because of the economic situation at that time, she had to take on another job as our escort. Simple things, like toiletries, were highly valued since they were not in abundant supply at that time, if I remember correctly. However, bananas were abundant during my few days in Moscow. As I walked around on the streets near my hotel, all of the public trash cans were filled with banana peels. I made sure not to slip on any peels that had fallen on the ground. People are people no matter where you go. The Russians were proud of their modern subway in Moscow and made certain our tour group took a short ride on it. However, a nurse in our tour group was not allowed to visit a Russian hospital to compare it to those in Canada or the U.S. The Russian people desire to live in peace and security just like anyone else. It is unfortunate how Russia was treated after the collapse of the Soviet Union back in 1991. Jeffrey Sachs, an American economist, witnessed firsthand the arrogance of America toward Russia which has led to the current turmoil in Europe and Ukraine. This American arrogance is mentioned in Hosea 5:5 (NIV translation) which will cause a “stumbling.” Once Europe grows completely tired of American arrogance and hegemony, it is likely that NATO will collapse. This was predicted by the prophet Jeremiah: “All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many” (Jeremiah 30:14 NIV). This does not mean that other nations are without any guilt. Scott Ritter has recently come out with a new book detailing his involvement of implementing the INF Treaty, called, “Disarmament in the Time of Perestroika: Arms Control and the End of the Soviet Union.” His comments and insights are worthy of consideration. Also, several short videos are linked below which will provide greater details of the INF Treaty and America’s missed opportunities to secure better relations with other countries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74lNHXJzfEw Signing of INF Treaty 1987 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GQX7NX9V4Y INF Treaty scrapped in 2018 and what it means. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2enTI5nsii8 Jeffrey Sachs on America’s arrogance |
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