YET FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE ACCURACY OF BIBLE PROPHECY AND THE APPROACH OF THE END OF THIS AGE
“And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived,” Revelation 18:23.
This is the headline and the opening line of an article in ‘The Irish Examiner’ of 4th September 2023.
Irish gangs ‘have travelled to South America to discuss importing fentanyl’
The synthetic opiate is 50 times more powerful than heroin and has killed thousands in the US
It clearly indicates how that ‘drug smuggling’ has almost attained to the status of a legitimate business activity. What used to be called ‘smuggling’ is now referred to as ‘importing’! The ‘drug business’ rivals the largest international commercial enterprises. It is reported that such evil activities involve vast sums of money.
A United Nations publication of 1998, ‘Economic and Social Consequences of Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking,’ states that:
“With estimates of $100 billion to $110 billion for heroin, $110 billion to $130 billion for cocaine, $75 billion for cannabis and $60 billion for synthetic drugs, the probable global figure for the total illicit drug industry would be approximately $360 billion. Given the conservative bias in some of the estimates for individual substances, a turnover of around $400 billion per annum is considered realistic.”
These activities of the illegal (on paper anyway) suppliers of ‘street drugs’ can be reported in newspapers yet the police forces of the world cannot really do anything to stop their activities.
Another headline, this time in a British newspaper, heralded the truth of the growing acceptance of this illegal practice. We’ve surrendered on drugs – and not one MP will fight it – (Daily Mail-2nd September 2023). There is the following statement in that article: “But the police and courts do nothing to prosecute the serious crime of drug possession, the only proven way to combat the problem.”
There has always been the use of drugs, from the ‘legal’ alcoholic beverages which lie at the centre of a world-wide business empire, to the use of such drugs as opium by wealthy Victorians.
But never has there been such a universal usage as is currently the case. Even children have been entrapped in this evil undertaking, both as ‘workers’ in the distribution of them and addicts!
I say that this ‘phenomenon’ is foretold in the Word of God. In the beginning of this article, I quote Revelation 18:23. We have there a statement regarding the capital of the Antichrist’s empire, the city Babylon, yet to be rebuilt.
Verse 10 of this chapter, records the cry of the merchants who will thrive under Antichrist’s brief reign: “Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.” That judgment will bring to an end their mercantile activities. Amongst those activities there was that of “sorceries” by which “all nations (were) deceived”.
The word ‘sorceries’ is a very important and informative one, the implications of which can be easily overlooked. The Greek word translated ‘sorceries’ is pharmakeia. It is the word from which we have our English word ‘pharmacy’. The Greek word carries the meaning of ‘the use or the administering of drugs’!
In other words, these antichristian merchants, will be engaged in a trade whereby “all nations (within Antichrist’s domain, are) deceived”, or ‘caused to stray, led astray, led aside from the right way’.
This ‘leading astray’ is the great apostasy of the last days which entails an abandoning of the Word of God. That, of course, we see all around us in virtually every ‘Christian’ denomination and its impact upon the nations generally is even more evident. Immorality abounds, only it is no longer called such but rather is embraced as that which is perfectly acceptable behaviour! Marriage has almost ceased to be, the murder of the unborn is perfectly legal as far as the nation’s legislators and abortionists are concerned, sodomy is endorsed, defended, extolled everywhere as are the other ‘perversions’ associated with it!
Rising to the fore, amidst all these abominations, is the use of illegal drugs!
The daily news reports make it abundantly clear that the use of ‘illegal drugs’ is found just about everywhere within society, accept amongst those who fear God. Cabinet ministers, politicians of every rank and party, professionals, (policemen, doctors, lawyers etc) and especially those engaged in the ‘entertainment industry’, have made the use these mind altering substances admissible!
Increasingly, these hallucinatory drugs, with their power to create within the minds of users a fantasy world, pleasing to their fleshly senses, will advance and accelerate these rebellions against the Lord which we already witness in pulpits and pews of modernistic churches. They will become even more common until they dominate societies and it may be said that ‘nations’ are ensnared and under their control.
Dear Christian, God’s Word clearly states this to be the future for this world, a future defiance of Him which will be swiftly brought to an end as Revelation 18 and 19 reveal to us.
What are we to do?
Well, Paul’s counsel to us all, as recorded in 2 Timothy 3, after he has outlined the ‘perilous times’ of the last days, is straightforward.
“From such turn away. . . . Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. . . . . Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works,” 2 Timothy 3:5, 8-9, 12-17.
In those words of counsel we are told that as Christians we are to:
* Separate from all involved in this departure from God and His Word.
* Ever bear in mind that as past defiances of God have utterly failed so will this, the most daring of rebellions, fail and end in the most terrible judgment of the rebels.
* We most ‘continue’ in all the truths we have learned from God’s Word, by which we have experienced His saving grace and mercy. God’s Word, being inspired by Him, will profitably enlighten us and will perfect His purpose within us and furnish us with all grace to live a holy life amidst the ever darkening last days.
Please remember and mediate upon the words of Peter.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls,” 1 Peter 1:3-9.
This is the way the saints of old walked in victory and we will share in that victory if we follow their steps!
Faithful believers in those days shall enjoy the blessings spoken of in Psalm 46.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah,” verses 1-7.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
4th September 2023