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A World Gone Mad!
Why So Many Fools?
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Thursday, June 26, 2008
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www.bibleinthenews.com Audio & Print versions
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Anyone who scans the news headlines about Islamic terrorism or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict these days must surely conclude that world leaders and especially the Israeli and U.S. leaders, are... well; fools. Surely, one may think, these leaders are complete idiots!
If you follow events taking place in connection with Gaza and the terrorist organisation Hamas that is currently in control there, you will know that Israel has concluded an agreement with these criminals in order to bring into effect a temporary truce. A truce that has already been broken several times by Hamas--and it isn't even a week old yet! Many people are saying to themselves: 'This is crazy!' Israel keeps sending this Hamas-led Gaza strip fuel, food, electricity and good-will, and in return they get Kassam rockets fired at them while the fate of the young man Gilad Schalit who has been held prisoner for two years, is dangled before Israelis like a pathetic pawn in cruel mockery. And the truth is that Israel has the military capability of returning to Gaza, rounding up the Hamas leadership, and taking direct control of affairs there. But instead, Israel's leaders crouch like imbeciles in helpless submission to the terrorists.Then again, take the mighty United States of America and its resolute leader George Bush who, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 stood at Ground Zero declaring "What they have begun we will finish." Admittedly he did not state when it would be finished--but there is not long to go now before Mr. Bush will be finished as President of the U.S. They talk big in Texas of course--but what has been done? The battle still rages in Afghanistan, Iraq is in a hopeless mess, the Palestinians who cheered and fired into the air with glee at the news of 9/11 have been promised their own sovereign state and given millions of dollars. Saudi Arabia is getting richer by the minute on oil revenues, and travel in Western nations is becoming unaffordable due to fuel and security costs. If anyone won the war that followed 9/11, it certainly wasn't the U.S.A. or its allies. The world may have looked on in stunned amazement as the United States made a great display of "Shock and Awe" with its cruise missiles and stealth bombers--but when that show was over the terrorists were still at work--on the London Underground and bus routes, on trains in Madrid, and (may we say it) in Afghanistan, Iraq and Israel.
And, oh yes; there is Iran and its nuclear ambitions that the U.S. dare not do anything about!
So as we see the sun setting in the west--or over the west--and observe the terrorists calling the shots (so-to-speak) in the Middle East; we may wonder why nations like the U.S., Britain and Israel, don't use their considerable military strength to win the war on terror. Why do they act like fools? Can they not see that this evil world has to be ruled with a rod of iron, and that terrorists with their sponsors must be broken in pieces like a potters vessel!
Well, the reason that the nations behave as they do is... well, let the prophet Jeremiah give us the answer. In Jeremiah 51:7 we read this!
"Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad."
Well that was Babylon in the ancient world, but it points to something in the modern world also. To drink wine from a cup is metaphoric language. Babylon was not literally a cup and the nations were not literally drunk. But they were--as we might say--"under the influence." Wine represents teaching or doctrine; it is what influences the mind.
In the New Testament we find another "Babylon" who also makes the inhabitants of the earth "drunk" with her "wine". We find this in Revelation chapter 17 (see particularly verses 1 and 2; and verse 5). Here is an influence upon the kings of the earth that drives them to combine with one mind to make war with the Lamb--that is, of course, with Jesus Christ. Now who would be mad enough to do that? They would have to be thoroughly intoxicated--that is to say deceived by false reasoning.
There is a similar picture given to us in Revelation 16:13-16, where certain influences go forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Christ comes in verse 15 and then Armageddon follows.
So from this we see that just before Armageddon the rulers of the world will be under a certain influence or teaching--a philosophy--that will render them inebriated, intoxicated or mad. This philosophy or teaching is the spirit of our times and it emerged from the French philosophers who taught the world atheistic Humanism. As we read in Psalm 14:1,
"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."
It was atheistic philosophy that broke out with political violence at the time of the French Revolution in 1789. It produced what has been called in history books "The Reign of Terror"-- a phrase that is not without meaning in the world today.
But that philosophy has developed and evolved over the past two centuries--it brought the world Socialism, Communism and Democracy. The majority of nations today embrace it in one form or another. It was even mixed into the teachings of so-called Christian Churches and became known as "The Socialist Gospel," or "Gospel of Socialism." The Roman Catholic Church adopted it in the early 1960's during the Second Vatican Council.
The form of this philosophy that is current today is known as Post-modernism. Its principles are, in essence, a denial of reality. Post-modernists teach that reality only exists in the mind. There is no such thing as a fact, and there is no absolute truth. Truth is whatever you believe--so opinions are as important as evidence. This is the intoxicating doctrine of our times--the wine in the world's cup which is extended by politicians, by educationists, by the Churches and by the media. To be considered respectable--or as the phrase is--"politically correct" in the world today, you must genuflect at this altar; even if it means national suicide! So naughty children must be rewarded and treated like good children. Criminals must be treated as are responsible citizens--for all are equal and have their "rights." Terrorists must be called "freedom fighters" and given every consideration and respect. There is no good versus evil, for who can say what is good or what is evil? Such is the madness that grips the world and its leaders.
So if you scan the news headlines this week and think to yourself--"The world must be going mad!" Then you would be right. As Isaiah 30:28 puts it: "there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err."
If we want to keep in touch with reality; if we want truth and wisdom, we will find it in the Bible. Only here, in Scripture, may we find "the fountain of Life"--Psalm 36:9; Proverbs 13:14; 14:27. Join us again God willing www.bibleinthenews.com
Printed: Thursday, June 26, 2008
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