FINANCIAL DOOM of 1998
The Fall of Babylon
The World Financial Crisis of 1998 corresponds
to the Biblical judgment of the Great Tribulation in the book of Revelation
when the great economies of Cosmos Diabolicus will be destroyed in sudden
cataclysmic judgment. The year 1998 symbolizes the loss of glory,
which means loss of prosperity.
Historical Trends
1998 The Glory Has Departed
Divine Viewpoint
Crisis in the USA
Historical Trends
The Comet of '97
Comet Hale-Bopp was the prophet of doom in 1997.
The significant event on the World Stage was the return of Hong Kong to
China. China represents the evil dictator of the world with more
people enslaved than any other nation. China is synonymous with the
plight of Asia, the world's most populous continent. The return of
Hong Kong to China was a major blow to freedom. It was a step down
and not a small one. Hong Kong had come to symbolize the Asian market
of the world. When it passed from freedom to the dictatorial power
of China, it sent shock waves through the continents of the world.
It was not a shot but a boom heard round the world.
The Comet of '97 was an omen of doom. The
last time it was visible was at the time of the Fall of Babylon.
The exact year cannot be calculated, but the period of time was when the
Babylonian Empire was ending and Abraham had been called to be the prophet
of a nation of God. Abraham was told to separate from Babylon, which
was then the Third Dynasty of Ur, and go to Canaan where he would become
the father of a new race, the Jews. The world during the rise of
Babylon had been under the sign of Taurus,
the Bull, which symbolized Redemption. God promised Adam and Eve
a Savior, the Redemption Solution. The sacrifice of the bull symbolized
redemption.
God fulfilled his promise to Abraham, who became
the father of the Jewish race. Abraham was born in approximately
2161 BC, about the time of the beginning of the new Age of Aries, the ram,
which symbolized the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
The lamb symbolized the passover which means God would provide a substitute
for the sins of mankind and pass over those sins and transgressions.
The worthy substitute was symbolized by the innocence of the passover lamb,
which was to be without spot and without blemish - i.e. perfect.
The perfect lamb was a symbol of the perfect substitute, the Lord Jesus
Christ, who would come to bear the sins of the world. The substitutionary
spiritual death of the Jesus Christ on the cross, fulfilled the predictions
and purchased salvation for mankind. The Lord Jesus Christ died as
a substitute for mankind. He purchased salvation and spiritual freedom
for all.
With the payment made for the sins of the world,
the door is now open for all who will believe. By a simple act of
believing in Christ anyone can, in a moment of time, receive the greatest
of all gifts of everlasting life. Eternal life is ours for the taking.
Spiritual regeneration and Eternal Life is a simple as, "Believe on the
Lord Jesus and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31).
The Comet of '97 was a cosmic clock that related
back to the fall of Babylon in the days of Abraham. The earth shaking
event was not the fall of Babylon in the form of the Third Dynasty of Ur,
which collapsed shortly after Abraham left in 2086 BC, but the rise of
the Jews as the first Client Nation in history. The exodus from Egypt
under Moses was a demonstration of the power of God in the midst of the
devil's world system, for Egypt had become another center of world power
and the symbol of Cosmos Diabolicus. Egypt, a paragon of worldly
power, was destroyed by plagues before Pharaoh succumbed and let the Jews
go. After forty years the Jews marched into Canaan, conquered, and
established Client Nation Israel. The earth shaking event was not
the fall of Babylon, nor the destruction of Egypt, the new Babylon, but
the rise of Israel. The major event that changed the course of world
history was the rise of Israel.
The Jews as God's Client Nation were the custodians
of the Mosaic Law, the teachings that the Lord gave to Moses face to face.
This spiritual teaching forever altered the course of human history.
The canon of scripture explained the way of salvation. It prescribed
ritual that predicted the coming Savior and his work of redemption.
The last time the Comet of '97 came around spelled
the end of the world power of that day which was centered in the regions
of Babylon and Egypt. Egypt was later destroyed through great plagues
to let the Jews out so they could go to the Promised Land. So the
Comet of '97 (approximately 2,000 AD) was the prophet of doom in the Abrahamic
era (circa 2,000 BC). What was the doom? The world, i.e. Satan's
word system (Cosmos Diabolicus), was doomed. What doomed the world?
The promise of the Savior to Abraham in the Abrahamic Covenant spelled
the end for the power of the world system.
The Comet as an Omen
The comet is an omen, not because of superstition, but because of what
it means as defined by the Word of God. The comet is called a "wandering
star" (Jude 13), which describes a Cosmic Evangelist. A Cosmic Evangelist
is a reversionistic believer who, as the slave of the devil's Cosmic System,
does the devil's bidding.
Jude
12 These men are those who are reefs in your
love feasts when they feast together with you without respect (for God),
looking out for themselves; clouds without water, carried away by winds;
autumn trees without fruit, dying twice, uprooted; 13 Stormy waves of the
sea, foaming up their own shameful deeds; wandering stars, for whom
the black darkness has been reserved forever.
The Cosmic Evangelist is so full of worldly thinking that he tries to convert
others to believe his apostate ideas. Eve did the same thing.
After she sinned in the Garden, she immediately sought to convert Adam.
The Cosmic Evangelist like Satan disguises himself as an "angel of light."
He paints a rosy picture full of lies and half-truths (2
Corinthians 11:13-15).
Events of 1997
The year 1997 was
the year of the RIF (Reduction in Force). It derived its name from
the 9700 that were RIF'ed from the Army of Gideon in order for the LORD
to win a victory over the Midianites with 300 soldiers. The year
1997 was a year of downsizing, layoffs, and mergers. The biggest
merger was the return of Hong Kong to China on July 1 (Day 182).
The number 182 refers to a breakpoint in history, a discontinuity, a change
in direction. Lamech lived 182 years and became the father of Noah
(Genesis 5:28); and Methuselah, the father of Lamech, lived 782 years after
becoming the father of Lamech (Genesis 5:26). The 182nd day of the
year is the midpoint of the year, of course, after which the rest of the
year is all down hill.
The next day, July 2, 1997, the "crash of the Thai baht currency sent
shock waves through Southeast Asian economies."1 This
was the beginning of the end for the prosperity of the Pacific Basin.
What began with Hong Kong continued as the dominoes began to fall.
The economies of South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia were on the verge
of collapse when they were propped up by billions in loans from the International
Monetary Fund.
On October 26, 1997 President Jiang Zemim of China headed for the United
States for a state visit. The next day, October 27, 1997 (Day 300),
the New York Stock Exchange closed down 554.26 points, the biggest point
drop in history. The drop followed a 10% freefall in Hong Kong stocks
and fear of a speculative raid on the territory's currency.2
Regarding the date, the number 27 is the number for a horn, a powerful
judgment like a tornado. The number 300 (day of the year) is the
number for divine Judgment. Noah's ark was 300 cubits long.
It should further be remembered that there were 300 soldiers in the Army
of Gideon when the the Lord won the victory over the Midianites.
And, to top it all, the financial judgment was very clearly identified
with China since it corresponded to President Jiang's visit to the U.S.
It is obvious that the Financial Crisis in
the Pacific Basin was due to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who controls human
history.
1998 The
Glory Has Departed
Meaning of 1998
The year 1998 means
the glory has departed. This meaning is derived from the cataclysmic
events of the defeat of Israel by the Philistines in approximately 1050
BC, the loss of the Ark of the Covenant, and the death of Eli, the High
Priest and Judge, at age 98 (1 Samuel 4:18). Eli's two sons were
killed in battle and his daughter-in-law went into labor and gave birth
to a son whom she named Ichabod, "the glory has departed." Then she
also died. The next 20 years were bleak for Israel because the glory,
meaning the Shekinah Glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, who dwelt above the
Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies, had departed. Israel was in an
historical down trend in suffering because it had neglected Bible Doctrine.
Israel as a Client Nation had lost its fertilizing capacity under the salt
of the land principle and it was in dire straits with the land overrun
by the Philistines.
Note: This is precisely the condition
of Israel today with the proposed Palestinian (from the same root word
as Philistines, Greek sea people) enclaves.
By December 16, 1997, according to financial analysts, after financial
disasters in the Pacific Basin, the US emerged as the economic superpower
of the world.6
Cataclysmic Herald of
the New Year
As 1997 drew to a close and the New Year was in sight, two cataclysmic
events struck on December 28 (Day 362).
First, Flight 826 from Japan to Hawaii hit sudden turbulence, which caused
approximately 74 injuries as passengers were thrown into the ceiling.
One Japanese woman, age 32, was killed from a head injury. Emergency
oxygen masks that looked like plucked chickens from a distance were deployed
in the cabin. As an isolated incident, this may have been considered
an unlucky fluke; but the same day officials in Hong Kong announced the
slaughter of all chickens due to fear of the Bird Flu. The next day
the slaughter of 1.2 million chickens in Hong Kong commenced.
What does all this mean? A farmer would know that chickens symbolize
male
dominance. The rooster rules the roost and demands that the hens
be available for his beckoning call. If they resist, he pecks them
or spurs them. So in symbolic language, the chickens call attention
to male dominance in the Pacific Basin and the plight of the Asian women,
who usually lack the power or the legal rights to retaliate. The
Japanese woman who died on Flight 826 was merely the symbol of all this
as were the chickens. Both events occurred on Day 362, where the
62 stands for the end.
Marriage Culture problems lie at the bottom
of the Asian financial disaster.
Lest we miss the point, two skiing deaths of celebrities from head and
neck injuries followed in close succession. On December 31, 1997
(Day 365), Michael Kennedy was killed while skiing when he hit a tree.
On January 5, 1998, Sonny Bono (age 62) was
also killed by hitting a tree while skiing. The head and neck injuries
in all these cases point to the meaning of 1998. Just as Eli died
from a broken neck at age 98 and the glory departed, the year 1998 was
heralded with similar cataclysmic judgments to announce the end of glory.
Europe Pounded by Storm - Jan. 4, 1998
A powerful storm with wind gusts measured by the coast guard at 115 mph
hit Europe on the weekend of January 4, 1998. Across Britain
more than 100,000 homes were without power. In Paris the Middle East
Peace process was postponed when high winds in Paris prevented a visit
from the vice-president of Syria.4
What does this mean? It is an example of angelic judgment from
the air that hit a continent due to the Middle East Peace process, which
is very much associated with Ichabod, the end of glory. Angelic judgment
means that the angels cause storms (Revelation
7:1).
Floods and Tornadoes in US - Jan. 8, 1998
Heavy winds and tornadoes coupled with flooding hit the United States South
during the week of January 8, 1998. "Four in Tennessee who were swept
away by flash floods that spilled out of the Doe River."5
A 62 year old woman drowned in Kentucky due
to the floods.5
What does all this mean? The "Doe River" is more symbolic language.
The doe was the symbol in Israel for the Tribe of Naphtali. A doe
is a symbol of peace. Here again, is a sign of the Middle East Peace
process. The 62 year old woman who died added the meaning:
The end of glory.
Earthquake in China - Jan. 10, 1998
On January 10, 1998 an earthquake measuring 6.2
on the Richter scale devastated part of northern China approximately 140
miles from Beijing. At least 47 were killed and thousands were left
homeless. Note the 6.2 on the Richter scale, the number for the end.
Divine Viewpoint
Fall of Babylon in the Tribulation
Although we are not in the Tribulation, the events of this year bear a
remarkable resemblance to the destruction of Babylon during the last three
and a half years of the Tribulation. The first Babylon in history
was the location of the Tower of Babel. After that Babylon was absorbed
by the Assyrian and then the Chaldean Empires. Babylon in the Bible
is a symbolic term for the world, i.e. Cosmos Diabolicus. In Revelation
Babylon is symbolized as a whore and referred to as a city. During
the last half of the Tribulation, the city of Babylon will be destroyed
by the greatest earthquake in world history (Revelation
16:18-20). The earthquake will be so severe that city
will be completely devastated and the islands in the ocean and mountains
will be covered with water. The tidal waves will be gigantic.
"He cried out with a mighty voice, saying, 'It
has fallen! It has fallen! Babylon the Great! It has become a habitation
of demons, a haunt of every kind of unclean spirit, a haunt of every kind
of unclean bird and detestable thing.' (Revelation 18:2)
An angel with the voice of a loud speaker will announce the doom of Babylon,
the city of the world. He will repeat, "It has fallen!" The
repeating of the phrase symbolizes double judgment, i.e. intensified discipline.
The angels of God actually destroyed Babylon. Why? To remove
the false prosperity so that people can clearly see what is important.
Those who have money and material possessions have a false sense of security.
These things are illusions of prosperity. They cannot deliver in
this life or in the life to come. Babylon symbolizes the world's
possessions and the deceitfulness of riches. No matter how rich a
person, he will die; and when he dies, he cannot go to heaven without Eternal
Life, which is the gift of God. Salvation is free for those who want
it. Those without it will be doomed to everlasting flames of condemnation
(Revelation
20:14-15).
The Babylon that will be destroyed in Revelation will be the world trade
center. There is no use speculating on which city that could be because
no one knows when these events will occur. The Church will be in
heaven during the Tribulation and Israel will be at the mercy of Satan
with no support from the Church, its staunchest ally. The destruction
of the world trade center will deal a death blow to commerce. Now,
this is a terrible judgment; but in light of the time with the end of the
premillennial world at hand, it shows the urgency of putting trust
in God rather than worldly possessions which are on the verge of being
destroyed. The end of the known world will be at hand and the beginning
of the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are two reasons for being alive:
To accept Jesus Christ as Savior and to grow spiritually to fulfill ones
destiny.
After the destruction of Babylon, it will become
like a ghost town. It will be inhabited by every kind of demon and
unclean spirit as well as unclean bird and detestable thing. The
demons and unclean spirits will congregate over the ruins of the city.
A city that was once populous will be without people because the people
will all be dead. The unclean birds will live there. The unclean
birds are the birds that were prohibited from being eaten by the Jews due
to the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law. Examples included:
The owl, eagle, buzzard, pelican, and hawk. These birds are unfit
for food. With the exception of the eagle, they represent evil and
the production of Cosmos Diabolicus. For example, both Isaiah and
Jeremiah mention the owl as inhabiting the ruins of Babylon (Isaiah
34:11; Jeremiah
50:39 KJV). The owl (poem,
picture)
symbolizes a desolate and deserted region.
Viewpoint - January 11, 1998
The earth shaking events of 1998 herald the end of worldly prosperity.
The prosperity of the world was centered in the Pacific Basin. That
prosperity was corrupt and has now been judged by the Justice of God.
The Lord Jesus Christ as the controller of human history orchestrated this
judgment. The United States of America is not immune to the Justice
of God, Who is no respecter of persons. Our nation will no more avoid
the loss of prosperity this year than it can get out of the world.
The Justice of God stepped into 1998 and announced, "The bills are now
due!" That spelled doom for false prosperity and trust in money.
Money cannot save, and money cannot deliver
in time of trouble.
The suffering of 1998 will be intensified. The end of glory means
loss of prosperity. Those who have madly pursued the love of money
will be judged.
For the love of money is a root of all sorts
of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith,
and pierced themselves with many a pang. (1 Timothy 6:10, NAS)
Money is the coin of the realm in the devil's world. It is the hallmark
of Babylon. Those who love money have bad values in the soul.
The bad values have roots that connect to all sorts of evil. Evil
is the policy of Satan in Cosmos Diabolicus. Those who love money
are the pawns of the devil in the world. Lovers of money wander away
from the faith, Bible Doctrine. They choose the world in lieu of
the Plan of God. As a result they receive all manner of suffering.
They "pierce themselves with many a pang." The number one thing on
their scale of values is money. They have a false hope.
Though 1998 will be a year of suffering (especially for those who have
their money judged), there is still hope. For those who do not have
Eternal Life, the door is still open. It costs nothing, is easy to
receive, and lasts forever. Salvation is a simple as "believe on
the Lord Jesus and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). For those who
are already Christians, the issue is the spiritual life based upon the
true faith. The world is full of apostasy, which is contrary to Bible
Doctrine. Apostates have the characteristic love of money of the
world. Those who are willing to submit to the authority of God and
live on the basis of the true faith will have a life that is worthwhile
and will build up Eternal rewards that will survive the judgment of the
world.
A heart of true love is worth more than a
pocket of pure gold.
Crisis in the USA
Washington DC Crisis
On January 20, 1998 the President of the United States of America met with
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and convinced him to give away
land in Israel for a promise of peace. This was a direct violation
of the Abrahamic Covenant (specifically the part called the Palestinian
Covenant in theology). The land of Israel was deeded to Abraham and
his descendants by the Lord (Genesis
15:18-19). There was also a curse for anti-Semitism.
Anyone who curses the Jew will be cursed from the Lord (Genesis
12:3).
On January 21, 1998 news of adultery in the White House was broadcast
around the world. The media fed on it as did those with a morbid
curiosity all over the world, but especially in the USA. According
to the events associated with the downfall of Eli at age 98, from which
we derive the predictions for 1998, Eli's sons, who were priests, were
guilty of adultery. His sons were committing adultery with women
who worked in the service of the Tabernacle. Adultery of Eli's sons
caused a big scandal in Israel (1
Samuel 2:22). Eli's administration was also guilty of
gluttony (1
Samuel 2:29) and evil (1
Samuel 2:23). These three problems represent the three
counterattacks of Babylon:
-
Gluttony - Ecumenical Babylon
-
Adultery - Political Babylon
-
Evil - Cosmic Babylon
On January 22, 1998 the President met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat,
who demanded Israel's land in return for a promise of peace. "Clinton
supported Palestinian aspirations 'to live as a free people.'"7
There is a difference between true freedom and lawlessness. True
freedom only exists under authority. Lawlessness is being free from
the law, which is not true freedom but anarchy, or lawlessness. Lawlessness
is slavery to the Cosmic System. Who inspired this remark to reject
the Palestinian Covenant made with Abraham? It was not God; therefore,
it was from the Cosmic System of Satan, which is evil.
Thus, in three days, there surfaced the three counterattacks of Babylon
upon the USA. The request to give up land represents the Ecumenical
Babylon counterattack. The issue of adultery represents the Political
Babylon counterattack. The request for freedom from the laws of Israel
from Arafat were lawlessness and evil and represented the Cosmic Babylon
Counterattack. They occurred on January 22, 1998, where 22 is the
number for cursing. The Abrahamic Covenant would be fulfilled:
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth shall
be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3, NAS)
Curses from the Weather
Cursing upon the USA became immediately obvious from the weather, which
was blamed on "El Nino," a reference not to the Christ Child but to the
mythological counterpart. If the weather problems are caused by El
Nino, then what causes El Nino? This is sheer hypocrisy. The
angels produce the weather (Revelation
7:1). California, the symbol of prosperity in the nation,
was hit by storms and flooding. The most severe judgment in the Bible
was the Noahic Flood; so the symbolism in California was that of a severe
curse. Not only did California have floods, so did Central and South
America.
In the middle of the night on February 22, 1998, the region around Orlando,
Florida was devastated by a battery of killer tornadoes.
There were 42 people killed and 250 injured. There was massive destruction
to homes and property. The number, 42, is the number for a bear, a symbol
of Baal. The Florida tornadoes represented the cursing of marriage
culture due to Baal as related to the Middle East crisis with Iraq and
Israel.
At 6:30 AM on March 20, 1998 a killer
tornado hit Gainesville, Georgia.8 Twelve people were
killed and over 100 injured. At 3:45 PM another killer tornado hit
Stoneville, North Carolina.9 Two people were killed and
most of the small town was destroyed. The tornadoes on the 20th hit
before school and after school. The symbolic meaning is: The
number, 20, refers to the military, or external gates of a country.
It means going out and coming in for war. North Carolina is symbolic
of the camp
of the Tribe of Judah around the Tabernacle. Judah represented military
leadership. Stoneville was a small town that could be called a stone,
or little rock, which is called in the Greek, Peter. Christ was the
rock (large rock), and Peter was the little rock. A 24 year old second
grade teacher was one of the two killed in Stoneville. The 24 refers
to a strategic issue, which is often Satan's attack upon Israel.
Georgia represents the internal gates of security for a nation. It
was settled by criminals. The name is derived from George, which
means earthworker, or farmer - i.e. a reference to the land and to the
law enforcement over the land, which is usually the Sheriff's Office.
A deputy, age 27, was killed in an accident due to the tornado in Georgia.
The number 27 is the number for a tornado (horn judgment).
In both the Georgia and the North Carolina tornadoes, children were
an issue. Lanier Elementary in Gainesville, Georgia was partially
devastated an hour before it would have been filled with students.
In Stoneville, a day care center as well as the high school and elementary
schools were narrowly missed, though school was out for the day.
Four children died in Georgia. The Gainesville tornadoes hit near
Lake
Lanier. The Lake and the Elementary school were named for Sydney
Lanier, the famous poet who was born in 1842. This year points
to the meaning of 42, which is the number for a bear, or Baal. The
last devastating tornado in Gainesville was in 1936, in which 203 people
were killed. That was 62 years ago,
the number for the end. After the end comes destruction. Though
the children were largely spared, they were an issue. Baal is the
enemy of marriage culture and the enemy of children. The tornado
judgments can represent judgment for Baal involvement in the USA.
The irony of the Gainesville tornado is that approximately 135,000 chickens
were killed and hundreds still alive were scattered around the countryside.10
Chickens symbolize male dominance.
Floods and tornadoes occurred in the time of Noah when demonism reached
its peak and almost annihilated Marriage Culture. The reason the
flood occurred was to preserve the human race. The fallen angels
had destroyed the genes of the human race through cohabitation with women
to produce a new species that was part angel and part human. These
were the gods and goddesses of mythology (Genesis
6:1-5). God sent the flood to destroy the adulterated
people and animals and to deliver Noah and his family, the only ones left
with pure genes.
The cursing from the weather is due to evil and the resulting breakdown
of Marriage Culture. The rejection of God and the rejection of Marriage
Culture which follows are the two major causes of weather disaster in the
world today. The judgments from the weather damage both property
and crops and contribute to the loss of prosperity.
References
1. Patricia Wilson. "Support of Bailouts Faces Test in
Congress," Washington (Reuters), January 10, 1998.
2. Richard Jacobsen. "Dow Index Suffers Biggest-Ever Point
Loss, W. House Tries to Calm Investors," NEW YORK (Reuters) 7:53
pm EST October 27, 1997
3. Paul Eckert. "China Army Aids Homeless Quake Survivors,"
BEIJING (Reuters), January 10, 1998.
4. Geoffrey Cornford. "Fierce Weekend Winds Ravage
Western Europe," LONDON (Reuters), January 4, 1998.
5. Reuters. "Six Dead as Floods, Tornadoes Hit U.S. South,"
JACKSON, Miss. (Reuters), January 8, 1998.
6. Knut Engelmann. "U.S. Rates Seen on Hold as Asia Crisis
Deepens," WASHINGTON (Reuters), 7:06 AM ET December 16, 1997.
7. Barry Schweid. "Arafat Asks Clinton for Withdrawal,"
WASHINGTON (AP), January 22, 1998; 11:12 a.m. EST.
8. Clint Williams. "Storm's Impact Is Vast," Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, March 22, 1998.
http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/1998/03/22/tornado_new.html
9. James Thorner. "Fatal funnel levels homes, buildings,"
Greensboro News & Record, Inc., March 21, 1998. http://www.greensboro.com/nronline/projects/tornado/stormlead.htm
10. Cheryl Crabb. "North Georgia farmers tally losses, hurry to bury
dead livestock," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 22, 1998.
http://www.accessatlanta.com/news/1998/03/22/tornado_farmers.html
Revised September 28, 1998; June 3, 2009
Author: Larry Wood,