HomeARC ML 2599
IN A MOMENT! DO 2599 12/89
1. A possible new angle on our interpretation of Endtime events is that the Antichrist may not be the Prince of the Covenant after all.--But a prince before him that he will later overthrow. (Dan.11:22)
2. These details are very important to us right now because it's going to happen any day! I really expect it! The hardline Communists may not be in the majority, but it's Russia that is sticking to the hardline in spite of Gorbachev. It's Russia which is not going to cast away Communism, even Gorbachev says he won't. Apparently he doesn't approve too much of what the East Bloc countries are doing, but he's not going to do anything about it.--He's not going to do anything about it.
3. But the way things are going in Russia now--considering how bad the economy is & how little food there is--I'll tell you, when people get hungry, they'll fight!--Or they'll follow anybody who will instigate them to fight for "bread & land," like they did in the Bolshevik Revolution.--"Peace, bread & land!"
4. The other day in the Russian Parliament in Moscow, Gorbachev just squeaked through with a rather low majority, only 1100 to 800-&-something, only a difference of two or three hundred in the vote. The Reformers are insisting on & demanding greater change, & to stop the Communist hardline policy of no private ownership, no profits, no Capitalistic incentives. But even Gorbachev resisted going any further--at least for now--in restructuring the Soviet economy. One hardliner made the crack, "If the Pope & the West, the Capitalist countries, approve of what's going on in the East Bloc, there must be something wrong with what we're doing!" Well, that sounds like some people are getting a little bit upset.
5. Even those countries that have already managed to kick the Communists out & install new governments are pretty shaky. They're doing it, but it hasn't actually fully taken effect yet. They're still going to have elections later & all this sort of thing, so it wouldn't take much to stop it.--Just a big, hard, tough, steel, iron man, which all dictators are, & certainly the Antichrist is going to be that! So there's still time to stop it as long as Russia hangs on to it.
6. In spite of the liberalisation there of glasnost (openness) & perestroika (restructuring), & in spite of the fact that all those Baltic & Balkan countries, those East European countries, are chucking out the Communists & even putting in majority Reform governments already, Russia is sticking to its guns!--And it may be the guns that are going to come out pretty soon! The Antichrist definitely has a war with somebody, the King of the South. We call these the East Bloc countries, but they're all South of Moscow!
7. These things are all open to reinterpretation if the events turn out to interpret themselves! The way things are going now, Russia is beginning to stiffen up a little & is unwilling to transform like the other East Bloc countries. They're taking a stiffer attitude all the time, unwilling to change anything, really. Gorbachev has merely made things a little more liberal & a little more open, but they have not restructured. Perestroika just has not happened, only the glasnost, that's all.
8. Russian Communism is still intact & it's still the law! They have not changed one iota of the Constitution, it's all still there! All it would take is a real strong man that finally gets fed up with what Gorbachev can't do, to persuade the people that his program has been a failure.--Because so far it is a failure! Gorbachev has not been able to really restructure anything much. He's kicked out a lot of old-line Communists who were heads of government bureaus & put in his own people, but he himself came out with a declaration that they were not going to go to Capitalist private property, they were going to stick to Socialism & stick to Communism. Of course, they really don't claim to have Communism yet. We call them Communists, but actually they only claim to be Socialists. Communism is the utopia of the future!
9. This would be an ideal time for the Antichrist to arise & take control, when people are really fed up, & while the East Bloc governments are still very weak or haven't even actually been installed yet.--Even though the Reformers seem to have won out & are definitely in the majority in all of the Baltic & Balkan countries.
10. Do you know the difference between the Baltics & the Balkans? (Fam: The Balkans are down & the Baltics are up!) That's right, the Baltic states are up by the Baltic Sea. Do you know the names of them? (Fam: Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia.) Right. And what are the names of the Balkans? They're always balkin' against everything! They're famous for balkin'! I don't know where they got that name, but it's a good name for them! In the Balkan Peninsula you've got the East Bloc countries of Bulgaria and Romania, as well as Yugoslavia. And then of course above those you have the other countries that are overthrowing Communism--Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland & East Germany
11. But they're all very weak & shaky right now! The AC could rise & simply take control in place of Gorbachev & stop the Freedom Movement in nothing flat! They're not strong enough, he could just flatly refuse to let them go ahead, even if he has to send in the tanks again! He could do it, there's nothing to stop him.
12. In other words, I'm saying it could happen any minute, & right now seems to be the most logical & auspicious time for him to grab it & say, "Let's take it away from Gorbachev! This guy's a failure, his whole plan won't work, & we've got to stop all of this before we just completely go to pot!"
13. So that's why I'm talking about all these things & writing about them all, because he could arise at any minute, publicly!--And there are millions of people that would laud him for it! Even the West Europeans are afraid that things are getting too shaky. I've read article after article that said, "Well, it seems like we were a little more stable & the World was more stable when we hated the Russians, when we had enemies!" One guy said, "It used to be when we'd come home at night we looked under the bed for Communists, now we come home at night & find them in bed with us smiling!" Well, that's not necessarily true of Russia.
14. Russia has held firm that they are not abandoning Socialism, they are not going to private ownership, they are not going to abandon their system! Even Gorbachev has firmly held his ground on that. He said, "Well, if they (the East Bloc countries) want to, we'll let'm."--But the next guy might not be quite so generous, & it looks like if he's the Antichrist, he won't be!
15. It just looks to me like this is the ideal time for him to rise, while those governments are still very weak & shaky. And even Russia, though it seems to stay firm on Socialism, is a little weak & shaky under Gorbachev, particularly economically. The people are upset that they don't have enough food & are having to stand in long lines even to get bread. They're hungry & they're fed up because Gorbachev's restructuring has not done the trick!--Mostly because he hasn't really restructured! He hasn't really thrown out the Communist principles & turned things over to private ownership & industry.
16. I think it's gone too far now in Russia. The Communists had 72 years to ruin the country, to absolutely run the country down to poverty & hunger with their economic policies. They & their system have wrecked the country's economy! They're the ones to blame! But who do you suppose the Antichrist is going to blame for wrecking the system? (Fam: Gorbachev.)--Exactly. He'd get a lot of sympathy if he'd rise right now & say, "Well, we were better off under Communism before Gorbachev messed up the works & brought us all this Gorbachev garbage!" That's pretty serious.
17. It looks bad to me! The whole World is rejoicing, dancing on the Wall, dancing in the streets & having a great time, but you'll notice they're not doing that in Russia! They had one little demonstration there that didn't amount to much, some demonstration about wanting to reform chapter six of their Constitution, which guarantees the Communists the Party to lead & all that. They were plugging for more parties in the Parliament too, but it sank like a lead balloon. So Russia has not changed.
18. If you were leaning a little his way, you could say that dear Dan Quayle was right, Russia hasn't really changed! It is still a dictatorship. And especially if the Antichrist arises now, it will even be more so. He could arise & grab the reins in Russia & insist on turning it back!--Or probably even claim he's going to make a revolution himself & really change things that Gorbachev wasn't able to change, & start marching into those East Bloc countries again with his tanks! In fact, he doesn't even have to march in, he's already got tens of thousands of Russian troops in every one of them! All he has to do is give the order to "Put it down, stop it!"--& that's it!
THE U.S. WON'T HELP!
19. Who's going to stop him? The U.S. has never done it yet! In 1956 when the Communists crushed the Hungarian Revolution, the Hungarians pled for the U.S. to help them!--They didn't bat an eye. Years later in the Prague Spring of 1968, the Czechs pled for the U.S. to help them!--They didn't do a thing.
20. When the Baltics--Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia--pled for U.S. help in 1940, the U.S. didn't lift a finger! The Russians marched right in & took them over anyhow. Oh, they made a few little complaints, but what can they do? They can't do anything about it! If the Antichrist would arise right now & take over & get rid of Gorbachev & get tough with both the Baltics & the Balkans, all that Eastern Bloc, he could exert his will with no problem! Those howling mobs out in the squares would mean nothing! He could do the same thing to them as the Chinese did at Tiananmen Square. (Maria: And like you said, Bush would probably just go over there & shake his hand & pat him on the back!) Yes, just like he did in China by sending Scowcroft, his National Security Advisor, to Beijing to renew business ties with Deng.
U.S. VISIT TO CHINA--DISGUSTING!
21. That visit to China was the most disgusting, sickening thing! I think that's almost turned the World against Bush, the way they went crawling on their hands & knees to make peace with the Chinese. And do you know why?--For money!--The God Almighty Dollar! I'm sure those American businessmen have been bugging him to do it & giving him Hell: "You get back on good terms with China or we're going to lose all our investments!"--Because they invested millions in all kinds of industry, hotels & whatnot!
22. I wish he'd had the guts to ask Sununu (White House Chief of Staff), that if this Chinese visit had been put to a vote by the American people, would they have voted for it? You know good & well they wouldn't have. Bush did something that was totally contrary to public opinion. If he had had to have the approval of the American public, he wouldn't have gotten it. There was an absolute storm of protest!
23. It certainly sent the wrong message to the rebelling forces of Freedom & Democracy in Europe! Worst of all, it sent the worst message possible to their former masters, & that is, "If you crush these rebellions with violence, we'll come over toasting you within just a few months! We'll still be friends with the hardline Communist powers." That's exactly what it meant, because that's exactly what they just did with China.
24. With that visit to China the U.S. is saying, "We don't care what you did to the students! We don't really mind what you do with those few radical students at Tiananmen Square. You are the government & you're the ones we admire & respect, & you're the ones we're going to do business with for the Almighty Dollar!" This is almost the worst I've heard of yet, it just makes me furious!
THE PLOT THICKENS!
25. So what I'm saying is it could happen any minute!--And it's just about ripe to happen! The people in the little East Bloc countries haven't gone on long enough to find out they can't do it, they still have hope. But the Russians are losing hope. They've had Gorbachev for about four years now & he still hasn't made it. He certainly has effectively put into practice the freedom of glasnost, of expressing opinion with more liberalised newspapers & commentators & Russian TV, but goodnight, a strong man could put a stop to that in nothing flat & shut it all up again just like it was!
26. They've still got all the apparatus to do it with in Russia! It hasn't been kicked out like it has in those other countries. The apparatus is all in place. The hardliners are still there & the huge military forces are still there in Russia, & they're still in those other countries too! It would hardly take anything!--Just as long as he was tough enough, strong enough & powerful enough to get enough of those military men & hardliners behind him & say, "This foolishness has gone far enough! Out you go, Gorbachev! We gave you four years & you haven't been able to do it! Now we're going to take over & save the country, save Communism & save these other countries from Capitalism! You had your chance!"
27. They're waiting for the people to get fed up with Gorbachev, & that's what's happening, the people are getting fed up. I wouldn't be surprised to hear about an overthrow in Russia any day! And once they've got firm control there, they can take care of the rest of those countries in almost nothing flat! They've got the forces there already--70,000 in Czechoslovakia, 380,000 in East Germany & on down the line!
28. They've got huge forces along that front where they expected to have to fight World War 3! Well, the World War 3 forces are still there, only they may not be used for World War 3, they could easily use them to put down all that "Freedom & Democracy" stuff just as fast as the Chinese did it in Tiananmen Square on a smaller scale. The Antichrist could do it on a big scale, & I don't really think it would take long! Those governments are so weak & the Russians have already got all those soldiers & tanks & everything else there!
29. Frankly, that's what I'm expecting. I'm not expecting these revolutions to succeed. I'm expecting the Antichrist to rise up and boot out Gorbachev, maybe even kill him, and to get tough! "We're not going to let you do it!" Communism now is getting fatal blows, death wounds, it's dying!--And this guy is not going to let it die! He's going to take over rather than see it die, and the "wound unto death" is going to be healed! I believe it!--Rev.13:3,12,14.
30. I believe it could happen any minute, & probably the preparation for it is going on behind the scenes right now amongst the military & the hardliners. It takes time to draw up plans on exactly how to attack & what to do--a plot! Let me tell you, the plot thickens right now, & I would frankly expect it at any moment!
AT ANY MOMENT!
31. That's a popular famous phrase, by the way, "At any moment!" It's used by the pre-Trib Rapturists who go around preaching that the Lord could come at any moment! One guy was preaching that in Huntington Beach & my Mother even went to hear him. He was saying, "You should sell your things, sell your houses, pay off all your debts so you can go to be with the Lord with an unguilty conscience, that you didn't leave Earth without paying your bills!--Because the Lord can come at any moment!" Can you imagine? That's your typical Scofieldite.
32. They believe the Lord can come at any moment, any minute, & there's nothing else that has to be fulfilled. I've heard them preach on it! "There's no prophecy that has yet to be fulfilled, there's nothing else, it's all happened! Everything Jesus said, everything the Prophets said, it's all happened & there's nothing left to be fulfilled except the Coming of the Lord at any moment!" Well, I believe, too, that almost everything has happened & most of the prophecies have been fulfilled, but instead of Jesus coming, I believe that the Antichrist could arise at any moment, because he's got to come first!--2Th.2:3.
BE PREPARED!
33. I'm sorry this is not a very cheerful message, but at least things are moving fast, & that's what I expect to happen next!--And that's what we really need to get prepared for, & I hope we've done everything we possibly can in preparation for any emergencies that may happen.
34. Of course, the first thing I would expect to happen is a large protest from the U.S. & Israel--if Israel is the King of the South--& protest from perhaps even Europe. "Oh, that's naughty, you shouldn't have crushed the Freedom & Democracy Movement in the East Bloc countries!--Tsk, tsk, tsk!" That's all they'll do! Because I wouldn't put it past the Antichrist, once he's got control there, to say, "Shut up or I'll crush you too!"--And that could be the next thing.
35. It seems quite clear in Ezekiel, the people protest & say, "How come you're doing this? Why are you doing this?"--Eze.38:13. They just protest. Maybe he gets a little too big & too tough & it looks like he's going to endanger Europe.--Or Europe's going to go with him, which they certainly will. Maybe they'll try a little something funny to oppose him, which is what it looks like there in Daniel 11 & Ezekiel 38. They finally try to actually come & oppose him, particularly Israel. You know those stubborn Jews!
36. It looks like he'll just decide, "It's time for the final solution," as they call it!--To wipe out the Jews & the Americans with the assistance of all of Europe's batteries of missiles. Apparently Europe joins him & they turn those European missiles on the U.S.A. & almost obliterate it!--At least destroy it enough that it will no longer be a World power & threaten his kingdom.
37. So things are getting pretty close, & it won't be long now! Are you really prepared for the tough conditions that would befall the whole World when such a major crisis as that takes place? Have you got all that manual equipment? Mama was telling me about how much tape recorders & batteries & tapes are costing nowadays. I patted her on the back & said, "Well, thank the Lord, Honey, we've done it before & we can do it again!--We can go back to shorthand, the old typewriters & all the rest!"--And we may have to, so be prepared!
38. Do you have all those things now? (Peter: We do...) The Family Worldwide needs to do it! It's better to have it & not need it, than to need it & not have it! I'm just a voice crying in the wilderness to remind you that you'd better shove along & make sure we're prepared & the Family Worldwide is prepared, & that they're not going to be caught short & find out they don't have enough oil in their lamps--literally!--Or candles, either one!
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REJECTION OF PERESTROIKA!
(The next day:)
39. (Dad reads from newspaper:) "Prime Minister Nicolai Ryzhkov asked Soviet lawmakers to approve measures tightening government control of the economy, a request critics said effectively reverses perestroika. The tight control program was immediately denounced by radical deputies as a return to the rigid system of state planning that already brought the Soviet economy to the point of collapse." Well, that's the end of that! No more perestroika! "Gavril Popov, chief editor of an economic journal & co-chairman of the Inter-Regional group of deputies said, `This economic program should be rejected as anti-perestroika.'"
40. There it begins, the rejection of Gorbachev's perestroika! So like I said, Russia is going the exact opposite direction from the rest of the East Bloc! They're stiffening their resistance against Gorbachev & it wouldn't take much for a strong leader to completely reverse his policies.
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CONFIRMATION!--WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK!
41. I had a rather remarkable experience! I was thinking about the news & all of our estimates & theories, & I finally just got desperate & said, "Lord, You know what's happening, You know what's going to happen! Why don't you just show me for sure!" And it's almost like I saw an Angel in the distance--not in the usual artistic way, but a real Angel, head & shoulders--about up there where the ceiling meets the wall, although I didn't have my eyes open.
42. You don't usually get those things in exact words, you don't hear them with your ears necessarily, but you just sort of feel them. And it was just as clear as anything: "You are on the right track & I am leading you! I am showing you!" So, praise the Lord! TTL! He has been leading us & He is showing us & we are right, & that's the way it's going to be! TYL!--And that was it! That was enough! TTL! It was very encouraging, just like the Lord was confirming what we'd been getting. So that's the way it's going to be. TYL!
43. All the news today was confirming it again! Russia's reneging on a lot of its promises & backing down on its changes--backing up, in fact, & away from any drastic changes. Bulgaria, one of the last of the East Bloc nations to begin to yield to the Democracy Movement, is now reneging on its promises. The only ones that seem to really be going through with it are Hungary, Poland & East Germany.--And Czechoslovakia is still on the road to reform, but it hasn't really completely happened yet. (Editor: It has now, both in Czechoslovakia & Romania.)
44. The Antichrist or Russia could stop them at any time! All they'd have to do is call for the activation of their tens of thousands of troops that they have in each of those countries to put a stop to it. No matter how big those mobs are, what are they going to do?--Even half-a-million of them aren't going to stop troops & tanks & guns! He could stop it any time he wants to.--A strong leader rising in Russia to condemn Gorbachev & condemn all of this uprising for Freedom & Democracy & nip it right in the bud! They're still only in the bud, you know. They haven't really established strong Democratic governments yet or changed their Constitutions much.
45. It looks like Gorbachev's even backing off! I think he sees that he can't push'm too fast, too far, & he's trying to pull the Communists along with him & the forces who want change. But with these latest moves it looks like they're slowing down & backing off.
46. It would be so easy for some really strong, charismatic, in fact, supernatural leader to arise now & destroy the whole thing on the pretense of stopping the deterioration & the death of Communism, & try to revive it, & certainly revive his control. It's the ideal moment! I don't see how he can let it go much further, or it could get completely out of hand! The longer he waits, the more difficult it would be to stop it. But even if they all get a completely Democratic system in place, they're all so weak, they could easily be toppled.--And that's what he's going to do.
47. Thank You Lord for answering prayer!--In a brief moment, to give me that flash of revelation that we're on the right track & this is the way it's going to be! Thank You Lord for showing us, so we'll know what's coming & how to prepare for it! PTL! TYL! Thank You Lord for that assurance, that confirmation! TYL! I think He likes it when we really seek & try to find! He likes it when we really try to find the answers, sincerely with a whole heart. Then He's willing to show us & give it to us!
48. Amen, we're on the right track, I believe that's the way it's going to happen, & I don't think it will be much longer, either! The longer the Antichrist waits, the harder it's going to be to stop the Freedom & Democracy Movements in Eastern Europe. Right now there's a lot of rejoicing at how Communism is crumbling, but it wouldn't take much to stop it & restore even worse dictatorship under the Antichrist!
49. It's rather sad, all those happy people thinking that Freedom & Democracy have come, what they've waited for for all these years. This is the calm before the storm! They're even going to have Shevardnadze, the Russian Foreign Minister, visit Brussels & apparently speak to the leaders of NATO. They're taking him right into their camp, he's going right into the lair of his enemies!
50. If this is all a clever trap, it certainly is ingenious! (Maria: Some well-known preacher said that the U.S. shouldn't give money to those countries, because Communism was going to just snatch them right back again!)--Right, I read that. That's exactly what the Lord is showing us.
51. So maybe dear Dan Quayle's not so wrong in his warning against trusting Russia after all! And that's what Sununu was as good as saying also. He said, "Yes, we're trying to encourage perestroika, but the immense forces of the Soviet Union are still there poised to strike & still out for World conquest!"--And they surely will be under the Antichrist.
52. Wow! TYL! What days we're living in!--The Days of the End! We're going to watch it all, just like a movie, as the plot unfolds.--And we know how it's going to end!
Quiz Questions for "In a Moment":
1) Is there a possibility that the Prince of the Covenant in Daniel 11:22 is not the Antichrist? (1)
2) What two Russian words has Gorbachev used to describe the ideals behind the movement toward freedom in the East Bloc? What do the words mean in English? (6)
3) What reform is happening (26)/is not happening in Russia? (7,15,40,41,44)
4) Is Russia really abandoning Socialism? (14,46)
5) "The movement in the East Bloc to have freedom from Communist rule has gone too far to stop."--True or False? (45,47,49-52)
6) Are we on the right track in our recent prophetic interpretations? (42,43)
7) Could the Antichrist arise very quickly? How? (11-13,15,26,33) Who might get blamed for the mess Communism is in? (16,27,28)
8) If the Antichrist rises in Russia soon, what excuse might he use for being forceful? (47) Who might he use force against? (6,18,36,37)
9) What in this Letter makes you think that the Antichrist dislikes America? Why? (37) Have East Bloc countries ever asked the USA to help rescue them? What did the USA do? (19,20)
10) What mistake did the Bush administration make in its handling of China? What was the motivation? (20-25)
11) This Letter suggests that we should be prepared for what's ahead. Make some suggestions on things you & your Home can do to be more prepared. (38,39)
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
