Introduction

In this prophetic/technical supplement we will put the "magnifying glass" primarily on important events in the period of time in which we ourselves live, roughly 50-100 years backwards and forwards in time.

1.1 The revival waves of truth in the end times

Currently, Christianity is growing by about 160,000 people per day, which exceeds the population growth in the third world. With this growth, today's 800 million confessing Christians could reach 1-1.5 billion in the beginning of the 21st century. At this time, we are probably approaching the last revival.

Some goals for the revival of the end times should be: that all peoples would be able to hear the gospel, see the sick being healed, and that selfish people would have a change of lifestyle. that Christians would experience God's love, even in the financial realm in order to have enough to give to others. God's highest purpose is not to condemn the world, but to save as many as possible, and to mark his servants with his seal of protection before the coming tribulations.

Therefore I believe in a short period of continuing world peace, up until the third world war, so that God can demonstrate his great goodness to the world. Lokal wars and acts of terror according to chapter 5 can occur more frequently. Hopefully they can be a wake-up call to people about the existence and origin of the evil.

1.2 The current spiritual situation

Of the born-again Christians it is estimated somewhat more than 500 million have further experienced the Holy Spirit as a personal reality in their lives, similarly to the disciples' baptism in the Holy Spirit on the first day of Pentecost. (Acts 2) From the beginning of the 1900's up until 1960/70, however, the increase in the number of Spirit-filled Christians was moderate. But since the pentecostal/charismatic experience began to spill over into other churches and denominations, and then foremost to the Roman Catholic church, the increase in growth was dramatic, shown clearly in illustration 1.2b.

In the year 2000, as mentioned above, there were just over 500 million people on earth who had been touched by the pentecostal/charismatic experience. The prognosis for the year 2025 points towards 800 million people.
But it could be even more, if the enormously powerful waves which, for example, swept over Nigeria and Colombia, could continue and spread out over the entire world. In anticipation of meetings around the turn of the century, 2000/2001, Nigerians had trained approximately 100,000 co-workers. About 6 million people then came to participate in outdoor meetings for 6 days. Many were healed from various diseases, and at least 3 million received Jesus as their Savior. Besides, up to approximately 1 million were filled with the Spirit all at the same time. And this occurred 100 years after the day of small beginnings in the USA.

Note The basis for the illustrations 1.2, 1.3 and some of the statistical information was taken from the magazine, Charisma.

1.3 Growth by geographical region from 1970 to 2000

From illustration 1.3b, we see that the growth has been greatest in Latin America (Central and South America), followed by Asia (South Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, China), Africa, North America, and Europe, in that order.

According to the Swedish secular press, Europe, and primarily Sweden, appear to be the darkest and most secularized parts of the entire world. Only here is it true that the more modern and developed a country is, the more secularized it is also. Already in 1994, could Svenska Dagbladet, for example, present two very interesting articles about this. It appears to me, on the other hand, that our Christian press is incomprehensibly uninterested in what happens outside of the country.

In England, however, a change has begun, where the English state church has joined others in taking a leading role in the charismatic revival. A tragic wake-up call for the general public came with Princess Diana's death.

One of the driving forces behind that which is now taking place in churches is the revival prayer movement which has powerfully engaged Christians in England and throughout the world.

In addition, England has seen over 1 million people participate in Bible studies and fellowship groups concerning the meaning of life, using the "Alpha Course" concept. Out of this group, at least 20% have come to a personal Christian faith. In the whole world the number is over 2,5 million participants. The course was originally presented by Nicky Gumbel from Holy Trinity Bromton Church in London, which belongs to the Anglican church. (See note 2 below).

In Europe, for the last several years, we have available daily Christian satellite TV programming. Today's 4 to 5 digital channels are transmitted over the Eurobird satellite which covers Europe and the Middle East. I have followed them since their start in 1995. However, Christian interest in the new things that God is doing is still sadly low. Too many are content with the traditional ways. This will change, however, when the last revival reaches us.
For more information, write to: God Digital, PO Box 156, Gateshead, NE 10, OWE, England,
e-mail: info@godnetwork.com

1.4 Truth crushes the statue

The dream ends with a great stone which comes down from heaven, strikes the feet, and totally crushes the statue. Bible scholars agree that the stone represents Christ, (as the way, the truth and the life), who by His coming destroys Satan's dominion of lies, and ushers in the millennial kingdom. (Illustration 5.11)

I concur, but personally I see the crushing as the finishing touch, since the church in faithfulness has preached the truth up until the end, as her share in preparing the way for Christ.

In the Garden of Eden, man made a choice -- for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Therefore, in the current age of information and knowledge, mankind will as never before, be given a genuine chance to choose for time and eternity between the kingdom of God's unselfish lifestyle, and the world's selfish lifestyle. (Illustrations 3.12 and 7.9)

In addition, God has determined to expose the origin of evil, and its awful consequences, before humans and the spiritual world, in this most developed of all world empires, marked by a society based on information and knowledge. (Ephesians 3:8-11)

These weaknesses can amongst others be:

1. The increased interest of ethnic groups in becoming liberated and forming independent nations. We have allready seen this in states as former Sovjet, Jugoslavia and Africa. That which started in Babylon with the confusion of languages might culminate into Antichrist's kingdom.
2. The statue's legs has traditionally been interpreted as the former west- and east Roman empires. This split will probably last until the kingdom of Antikrist is established.
3. An alternative interpretation, which we draw attention to in this supplement, is our highly technological society's increasing vulnerability in areas of energy supply, ( Coal, oil, gas, electricity )and the economy. Without these and together with well-functioning communication, our society would collapse relatively quickly.

Note 1:
Those who are interested ought to promptly purchase the video, "Transformations", which shows a very rewarding journey with George Otis Jr. to 4 radically transformed societies, in Guatemala, Colombia, Kenya, and California. You will witness a community where 92% are born again, jails are closed for lack of criminals, and where even the farms have begun to produce record harvests. Follow along to a city where a large prayer meeting has filled a soccer stadium with 60,000 seats, and where the drug lords have had to give up.

This video can wholeheartedly be recommended to non-Christians and doubters, as well as to intercessors!

1.5 The principal challenges to the church

The number of languages on earth is about 7000. In just Papua New Guinea, for example, there are about 800 languages.

Whole or partial translations of the Bible: 3322 languages
Whole Bible translations: only 383
Ongoing translations, in whole or part: 1100

Remaining translations needed: about 3000, which at the present pace of translation work could take 150 years.
However, by using more native translators, Wycliffe Bible Translators hope to be able to shrink the time to 25 years for the remaining translation work. 2000 new co-workers are being sought for this effort. Currently, Wycliffe has 6000 workers, of which half are translators, and the rest are service personnel.

1.5.2 UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS ( as of the year 2000, ) According to U.S. Center for World Mission

The world's population is 6.1 billion people, divided into as many as 24,000 nationalities.
Of these, 1.5 - 2.0 billion, or 25% - 30%, are so-called unreached peoples.

Thanks to increasing efforts, the number of unreached peoples has diminished from 50% down to 25-30% since the beginning of 1970.

Here follows tvo definitions:

• An unreached people group is a group who has the same language, religion and traditions, and where there are no christians who can reach there own people with the gospel.
• Less than 2% evangelical christians or less than 5% active christians.

The table below shows the distribution of these within different religions.

	Millions of people		Nationality/People group
	Total	Unreached	Total	Unreached	Reached
Muslims	1.100	900	4.100	3.700	400
Hindus	885	536	3.400	2.700	700
Buddhists	340	225	1.300	1.000	300
Atheists	875	75	250	50	200
Other	819	273	4.950	2.550	2.400
nom. Christians	2.100	------	10.000	------	4.000
TOTAL	6.100	2.009	24.000	10.000	8.000

The population of the world can be divided up in different ways, resulting in quite different conclusions. Previously, the broad concepts of countries and states were popular. Now it is peoples and people groups. For quite some time, for example, I was unaware that the Soviet Union really consisted of more than 120 diverse people groups/languages. Many of these viewed the Russians as oppressors, even if the majority studied Russian in school. Gradually, I learned the facts "the hard way," when I deeply offended a Ukrainian pastor by calling him "Russian." The Ukrainians, who are a separate people group with their own language, finally received their century-old dream of independence at the fall of the Soviet Union.

Since the "Gospel" has a bad ring in the language of the oppressor, God seems to desire that all people should get to hear of "freedom in Jesus Christ" in their native tongue. As a result of this, the number of "unreached peoples" increases drastically.

1.6 More about our mission

Jesus commanded us:

• to preach the joyous news of the Gospel to every people group.
• in order that God can confirm the word by healing the sick and driving out demons.
• The result gives birth to genuine worship to the glory of God. This has already happened in regions of Latin America, Africa, and Asia. (Series 1, illustration 2.30)

In order to attain this ultimate goal, we must: as local Christians, begin to come together into a functioning "body of Christ". further, we must dare to step out of our safe churches, and instead seek to develop contact with people in a way which doesn't threaten their integrity. engage laymen, both men and women, more than ever, as well as native christians on the mission field. (See note 1) finally invest more in mass media such as, literature, film, radio,TV and the internet.

When we witness, we must try to see each person as God sees them. We can not view them as targets of evangelism, or as enemies, even if they persecute us. Instead, we ought to see them as redeemed sinners, potential members of the kingdom of God, who need to experience who God is, and what He wants to do in their lives.

Note 1:
In Bogota, Columbia, exists what is probably the world's most rapidly growing congregation. It has grown from only a few to over 150,000 members in 10-15 years, due to the fact that every new believer, after a year's training, becomes responsible for the growth and discipleship of 12 new members.
There model called G12 is supposed to be spread all over the world in the last revival. It has started in England allready.

1.7 Supernatural cooperation within the body of Christ

A positive effect of difficult times seems to be that Christians who don't voluntarily go further with their development are least able to be forced to take a stand. The choice we are presented with is: Do we want to die as disconnected Christians in the wilderness, or will we together as members of the body of Christ conquer the Promised Land? (I Cor.12)

A Christian congregation which consists of disconnected wilderness Christian individuals will never be able to manage the difficult tasks which will be required of the end time church. For this we must have a church, as is found in China, which "chooses to die from living for self," in order to be able to live a supernatural life in the Promised Land. We need to therefore be willing to begin to "die" from the individualism and selfishness which not only prevails in our culture, but is also in our churches.

The "promised land" life is characterized by individuals who:

are "in Christ", and no longer let themselves be habitually controlled by their "old nature", or "the flesh". are willing to begin to live according to the kingdom of God's lifestyle of giving and service as members of the body of Christ. train themselves to increasingly receive direction and instruction from Christ, the head of the body. By doing this, the members are together able to accomplish greater things than they could do as isolated individuals. in love follow their master, Jesus Christ, wherever he leads them.

The way to enter this life goes daily through an ever-deepening experience of the cross in our lives.

Note 3:
One time a pastor from the West came late in the evening to his Chinese friend in a remote village. He was asked if he would preach the next morning if they arranged a meeting. The pastor agreed, but wondered how they would be able to call together all the people at such late notice. "The Holy Spirit will do it," came the answer. The next day, in fact, hundreds of Chinese believers stood out in the yard, rejoicing that the Holy Spirit had assembled them for a big meeting with the guest speaker. Some of them had been travelling on their way for several days!

1.8 Increased presence of God gives birth to life

In contrast, the atmosphere of meetings are transformed wherever the waves of revival pour forth: the program is characterized by the tangible leading of the Holy Spirit. Christians who begin to live in a harmonious and loving fellowship comprise a living temple in which God can manifest his healing presence, kindness, power and glory through accompanying signs and wonders. Wherever the Spirit's double-portion river, flowing from the presence of God in the temple, is allowed to break forth into society at large, refreshing comes to both nature and people. (Ezekiel 47:1-12) ordinary men and women begin to learn to minister as priests of their king, expressed through service to their neighbors as they offer the gift of salvation.

It is a serious matter to realize that we ourselves are partially responsible for opening or closing off such a healing presence of God.

Note.4
Therefore, God's promise of His protection in Rev.11:1,2 applies only to those who have been willing to be deepened in their experience of the cross. These have begun to "offer up" their self life, and to worship the Lord in the "inner court". In the outer court, His protection is lacking, for it is "given over to the nations" during the last persecution. (More on this under illustrations 5.6 and 5.7)

1.9 When is the Bride caught up to heaven?

Jesus' Great Commission reads: (From the Living Bible) "And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then, finally, the end will come." (Matt.24:14) "...and then teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you..." (Matt.28:19-20) "You are to go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere." (Mark 16:15) "...and that this message of salvation should be taken from Jerusalem to all the nations..." (Luke 24:47) "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me...to the ends of the earth..." (Acts 1:8)

Even if God should reckon fewer unreached peoples than we do, and if all of my earlier arguments in the text of Series 2 were incorrect, the following fact remains:

As long as 25-30% of the world's population have not heard about Jesus even once, the rapture is probably going to be delayed--until we have finished our part of the Great Commission.

1.10 Coming crises and wars

However, that even large problems can be corrected, is shown in section 6 with the successful investment in the Y2K computer problem at the end of the millennium.

According to the prophecies, we are not only on the verge of a great revival, but also difficult times with everything from various crises, to war and persecution.

As Christians, we should therefore prepare ourselves:

• both mentally and
• practically for this.

If we fail to prepare, we risk "flipping out" in panic.

The text in this supplement will increase your mental preparedness, and give examples of both desirable and necessary practical preparations.

1.11 Our need of preparation

• for one or more economic recessions, according to section 3
• at least mentally for oilcrises and wars, according sections 4 and 5
• practically for short times without electricity, water, heat and availability of food, in connection with crises and wars, according to section 7
• to survive self-sufficiently, even during the persecution of the Antichrist (section 8).

During all of this, let us actively work for the spread of revival according the prophecies in section 2.