30 December 2008
New Year Predictions
Posted by Joy Bischoff under: General .
It’s that time of year!
No, I do not have a crystal ball nor do I read palms but I thought I would offer predictions for the next few years just because it is New Years. Specifics would sink me in a minute so I will share only general trend predictions. The biggest mistake I have seen when reading books on prophecy is when writers try to pin certain events to a time table. Things usually take much longer to transpire than we expect because the time of the Lord is different than ours. Also, it seems God wants to keep us on our toes and not put off preparing.
2009: The year of steeply increased unemployment, escalation of world military tensions with an increase in armed conflict. By the end of 2009, we will be in a depression, whether or not the government admits this or not, but civilization will not crumble, society will stumble on.
For the individual, this will be a year of division. Fence sitters no longer welcome…the polarity will widen between those who believe in morals and those who do not until we no longer feel we are accepted unless we capitulate to the new climate of “tolerance”. There will be zero tolerance for personal opinion and we will be told how we must think. Get ready for passive-aggressive behavior from liberal activist friends and relatives who believe their day has come and send out strong feelings of disapproval if we do not verbally capitulate. This will be the year of decision regarding our true commitment to God’s teachings.
2010: This will be the year that socialism trumps our free society. Perhaps the reality of this change will not be publicly announced, but any who understand our constitution will recognize the fact. Many will pretend this is not happening and will struggle to maintain the illusion that things are going on as normal. This will take real effort and willful blindness.
Now that the decision has been made as to which side of the fence we are on, it is time to fully separate from Babylon. The spiritual separation of decision is over and now must reflect in our actions. The world will be darkening so that we need to keep the commandments and draw close in unity to God and loved ones in order to feel light and peace. We will lose some who cannot reject pornography, and other poisons to the soul. We will see some return to the Savior who see gray areas disappearing and desire the light.
Wickedness will be so rampant that many people will lose personal checks and balances and civil unrest will become a problem unless quelled by severe government action, which in turn will bring about further restriction of rights. Throughout 2010, it will become more dangerous to speak out against the loss of rights and also against moral issues such as gay marriage. There will be a quiet change in definition of the first amendment with the pretense that it was always this way.
The great challenge of this year will be to overcome fear and learn to trust the Lord fully, no matter the conditions. There will be some crumbling in our social structure in 2010 but many will limp along. There will also be betrayal by those who believe it is our duty to turn in people who they perceive as stepping out of line. Similar to the thought police in Orwell’s book 1984, very real events in China, Russia, etc. occurred when children, friends and relatives reported infractions, real or perceived, out of fear or a desire to ingratiate themselves with those in power. I doubt this will be as overt as it was in China or Russia, or Nazi Germany, but the mind-set will be there and it will spread like a disease.
2011: My prediction for this year is short and simple. Out of the increasing chaos and fiery furnace of trials will arise heroes. Men and women of courage who have kept their eye on the good fruits of political and religious truth will not lose their way amid swirling mists of darkness. They will stand firm as an example and a beacon of hope to those who fear and are tossed to and fro with every wind of political and spiritual doctrine. They will not panic due to uncertainty and turn to psychics and others who promise instant answers but will patiently wait upon the Lord and their steadying hand will save others. I am not suggesting that we take up arms against our government. Christ rendered unto Caesar that which was his. He set up a spiritual kingdom and taught truth. Those who can reflect the teachings of Jesus during great trials will be great examples who will lift up those around them.
2012: Heroes who have stood firm against social turmoil and not swallowed the ideology of political tyranny, and those who have held to them will create the energy to protect themselves and to organize their communities enough to be prepared for the further unfolding of End Time prophecies. Tensions will increase in every aspect of life.
2013: Because of the groundwork laid, the salt of the earth that did not lose its savor, will bring forth the rebirth of freedom, but it will not be fast and it will not be easy. War and civil unrest will challenge us but the lessons learned will have created the mental and spiritual toughness to see us through.
2014: The work started in 2013 to restore what our Founding Fathers gave us will continue and slowly people will sit up and look around and take their bearings. Circumstances will have underscored the wisdom of conservative principles and almost everyone will understand that unchecked socialism and liberalism destroys stability and the higher nature of mankind. Hope and freedom may begin to assert itself for a period of time as we head into 2015 or 2016. After this, a time of relative peace will ensue where our children can concentrate on their educations and families can create bright memories.
I could go on with my predictions but I think I will end them on the happy note that I believe that as the days of prophecy unroll, we will have periods of rest and relative normalcy to take a breath and recharge our batteries. The danger of those times will be that many will say: (Matt 24:48) - My lord delayeth his coming. It will be those easier days where we will be in danger of losing so many to the world but should also be a time of gathering many more to Christ.
At times people say to me that I should not concern myself with studying prophecy and that I should especially not teach about it because it is too negative. There are more verses on prophecy than any other subject in the Bible. If God did not want us to concern ourselves with that subject, He would not have inspired His prophets to write those things. He does want us to discern the signs of the times so we will prepare and so that we are not dismayed and filled with shock and fear when we see these things happen.
Jesus Christ let us know that circumstances would be more difficult in the last days than at any other time in the world: (Matt 24:21) – For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Hopefully, when those days are upon us we will remember that age-old saying, it is always darkest before the dawn; and oh what a dawn it will be.
Yet we do not have to wait until the Second Coming to be encircled in the arms of His love. Isaiah penned the promise that the Savior’s arms are always stretched out to gather us in.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
(St. John 14:27).
Although the timing for my predictions may not be exact, these trials will come and we must prepare. The darkness will either envelope us completely or force us to reach for the true source of light. The Savior will have a pure people when He comes, a people lit by His love and grace, reflecting His brightness and hope. May God bless us all.
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4 Comments so far...
Roy Bischoff Says:
30 December 2008 at 11:13 pm.
You’ve always been my psychic (among other things). Too often we only see the extremes (the sky is falling vs all is well in Zion). This is a good outlook showing that we need to prepare but we don’t need to go to any extremes.
E.E. Says:
1 January 2009 at 9:04 pm.
Seriously, do you think there is a strong chance that we will end 2009 in a depression? That is kind of scary. I hope unemployment doesn’t go as high as it did in the great depression. I can’t imagine modern people handling that as well as people did back then. Most of them lived on farms or at least had kitchen gardens and knew how to do things and there weren’t gangs and so much rudeness then. Really, I can’t imagine what it would be like.
Joy Bischoff Says:
2 January 2009 at 7:07 pm.
Well, E.E., no I am not sure. My guess from the things I’ve been reading and hearing is that we may have a bit of a lift from people hoping that Obama will bring about a miracle for the economy. I don’t think it will take very long for folks then to realize that the problems are too serious and then there is a severe downturn.
Now, there could be a very different scenario if conditions change; for example, if the war between Israel and Palestine worsens, and let’s say Israel takes it to Iran, we could find ourselves in a much broader war. If it was a WWII type of broad war, then our economy could have a big boost by being turned into a war machine. Without that crystal ball, I’m not sure of anything regarding timing except one thing…life has a way of surprising us.
Nalvy Says:
5 January 2009 at 11:51 pm.
Joy you are so right. Life has a (at times) very annoying way of surprising us. I am busting my butt out here so I can get somewhere safer.
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