The meltdown of the global economy has been front and center in the evening news for at least the past year and one-half. Not that economics is ever far from news coverage. It’s just that since stock markets went awry, real estate plummeted in value, pension plans lost thirty or forty percent of value, and countries like Greece teetered on the edge of bankruptcy we can’t get away from bad economic news.
Add to this scenario terrorism since 9/11, wars and rumors of wars, unemployment, national debt and deficits, inflation, debt juggling, and political divisiveness. People are running scared. The new normal seems to be no normal, at least not like any we’ve seen since the Great Depression. We’re now in the Great Recession with few prospects of a true end in sight. Very few of the rich are getting richer and the rest of us? Forget it. We’re toast.
What to do? Dr. David Jeremiah, Senior Pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California and popular national radio speaker on his program “Turning Point,” has written The Coming Economic Armageddon, examining economic trends and interpreting them in terms of biblical prophecy.
If you care at all about economics the book is easy to read and engaging, though it’s not fun. The doom and gloom is, well, too doomy and gloomy. But the story told is an important one.
Jeremiah believes we are living in what the Bible calls “the End Times,” the period leading to the bodily return or Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Reviewing both economic indicators, U.S. and some global, and biblical teachings on prophecy, Jeremiah concludes all the signs point to Jesus’ return. When? No one knows and Jeremiah thankfully doesn’t try to pick dates.
Jeremiah discusses political concepts like the “New World Order,” tracks the breakdown of the American economy and the consolidation of governmental power resulting from it, reviews Scripture telling of the Anti-Christ, False Prophet, Mark of the Beast, and more. He is particularly, and rightfully, concerned and incensed by the fact we’ve largely done this to ourselves. In other words, we’ve lived well beyond our means for decades, have piled entitlement program upon entitlement program—like prescription plans, Social Security, Medicare, and veterans’ benefits—have put the country into $13 trillion in visible debt, and have done nothing about it.
Jeremiah’s concerns are well taken. The real problem in America is not economics but moral character. We want, we borrow and spend, we acquire, we ignore accountability and stewardship, and we act like there really is a free lunch. All the while, we’re mortgaging our country, culture, and children’s future.
I liked this book’s timely topic and its research coupled with explanations of biblical prophecy. And I especially appreciated that Jeremiah did not write like an alarmist or make you want to jump off a bridge. Yes, he’s genuinely alarmed, but he isn’t crying in despair.
Jeremiah knows God is Sovereign and in charge, and he reminds us of this vital and liberating truth. He concludes by saying “Keep your head in the game,” meaning stay informed. “Keep your house in order,” meaning minimize personal indebtedness and manage your money well. “Keep your heart in your faith,” meaning obey the Lord and follow him no matter what. As Jeremiah says, “Though the world may seem to be crashing down around us, it really changes neither our basic duty nor our ultimate security.” And finally, “Keep your hope in God,” meaning we only lose hope when we take our eyes off the God of hope. I recommend this book.
© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2011
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