I will make only one prediction for 2018 and that is that most predictions about 2018 will turn out to be wrong. There are too many variables to forecast the future with any accuracy. Even trend forecasting has a record no better than long-range weather forecasting.
In 2018 there are things that we do need to keep an eye on. The agenda to globalize will continue. The globalists are luciferians. They have a global agenda and they have the power of the devil behind them. They can only be hindered where God’s people resist.
An information war is raging for control of America. The postmodern godless socialists have gained control of most American institutions and city people. However, traditional God-fearing Americans still prevail in the countryside. The leftists are feeding their propaganda on major media networks and the right is using alternative media to get out the truth.
The left is countering conservatives by starting to censor Internet media. Let’s hope that lawsuits, court decisions, government regulations and market forces can stop the leftist censoring because conservative Americans will not tolerate leftist tyranny for very long.
The world is an uncertain place. There are flashpoints and tipping points that could change geopolitical perspectives overnight.
I do not think America will allow North Korea to keep developing nuclear weapons for even another year so a radical change must happen in 2018. Either N. Korea is convinced to make changes or there will be a war. And the outcome of that war is equally unpredictable.
Another unpredictable flash point is Iran. They have their own nuke program and they fund Hezbollah. Israel and Saudi Arabia understand the Iranian threat and they will be countering it. Civil unrest is now rapidly increasing in Iran so there could be a revolution brewing there. How would an overthrow of the Iranian regime change Middle East perspectives? Does anyone really know?
The future of most nations in North Africa and the Middle East remain uncertain. There are civil wars brewing just about everywhere. Basically you have a war of factions. There are Islamic factions and tribal factions. The only solution is for some great power to come in and take over the whole region like did the Roman Empire. I suspect Rome will arise again but first there will be great turmoil in Europe.
The E.U. will have increasing troubles in 2018. Germany is taking over Europe by economics. There are powerful people in Europe that want a United States of Europe. I think the importing of Middle Eastern and North African people into Europe is actually part of the plan to reform the Roman Empire.
Wherever terrorism and conflict occurs the people demand more security from the government. The end result is police state powers. Later at some point, Europe will have to invade the Middle East to deal with the root of the Islamic problem. That invasion probably will not happen for a decade but we are already seeing police state powers rising in some nations of Europe. They are also forming an European army. In 2018 we are sure to see more radicalization and violence.
Who knows what Russia will do in 2018? There is always the possibility of war in East Europe. In spite of all the hype from some Bible prophecy watchmen, I do not think Russia will be invading the Middle East for several years. I think for the next decade Russian influence will expand into Eastern Europe either through war or persuasion. It seems to me that a large part of the Gog army will already be positioned in Eastern Europe before it is turned around and comes down against Israel.
China is not going to want to rock the boat in 2018. They have dreams of being the greatest power in the world by the 2030’s. Of course North Korea is a wildcard, but I do not see China risking it all over North Korea.
There are other areas to keep an eye on in 2018. Many nations in Africa and a couple in the Americas are unstable. Pakistan is also a nation to watch. They have become a breeding ground for Islamic terrorists.
Economically the world should do fine in 2018. Everyone is still in the process of pushing the debt down the road. I do not think there will be a world economic crises in 2018 but who really knows? The stock market cannot go up forever and neither will housing. How long will the Trump effect on the economy last? Who knows? Let’s see how the mid-term elections turn out. If the democrats take the House or Senate, the expansion could stop before 2019. Internal turmoil in the U.S. or a foreign war could also bring the economy down unexpectedly.
In 2018 Christianity will see gains in Muslim nations and the Far East and see further declines in the Western world. Deep Africa will mostly just continue to merge native paganism with Word of Faith presumptions. South and Central America will continue to see more conversions of Catholics to evangelical Pentecostal faiths. One thing is certain, persecutions of Christians will continue to increase in the world.
Some Bible prophecy teachers will suggest that Gog is coming down in 2018 or tell you the Rapture is likely to happen on the Feast of Trumpets in 2018. They will continue to be wrong.
I do not know why Christians still follow prognosticators like Cahn, Haggie, Horn, Bliz and ilk. None of their past claims ever came about but people still think their latest book gives inside knowledge about the future. They have the same Bible as you. They are not getting their stuff from scripture taken in proper context. Those that learn pagan beliefs or naturally reoccurring cycles and then search the scriptures to find private interpretations find just what they want. The Gnostic’s made the same error.
I am amazed that so many other Bible prophecy teachers promote such people on their own platforms. Where is their discernment? I am not saying these teachers are not Christians but most of what they are teaching is of little use to Christians. They build on the house of God with mud. They spew a big splat, but then it just falls off after a few years.
I suppose Pope Francis will continue to be an oxymoron in 2018. Why did the Roman Church elect this moron anyway? I can’t see this Pope becoming the False Prophet of Revelation. He is a false prophet of course, because all claiming what popes claim are false prophets. Even so, this false prophet is not going to convince anyone to worship the Antichrist. The Catholic Church will probably eventually decide that he was elected illegally because the previous Pope is still alive. There are many Catholics already making the claim that Francis is a false Pope. After they dispose of Francis they may elect someone more worthy to take on the title of False Prophet.
I am sure there will be many surprises in 2018. Maybe Hillary and many in the Obama administration will go to jail for all the crimes that they committed? Maybe pigs will learn how to fly?
Most people think humans are progressing as a species but we really are progressing toward Armageddon. People are expecting global warming but they will probably get global cooling. People hope for honest politicians but they continually elect people more crooked than themselves. We cannot even figure out if we should buy crypto currencies in 2018. You get the picture. We do not have a clue about our future. The only things we know for sure about the future is what the Bible tells us.
I do hope all Christians reading have many works of the Spirit in 2018.
Yes, the uncertainty of things weigh people down, but the Bible assures and hopefully comforts us in trying times.
But, as we are part of Creation, it’s hard not to struggle:
Roman’s 8:22 King James Bible
“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”
Thank you Don for another interesting discussion. We seem to be in an age nearing the Rapture and some prophecies are still, IMO, needing completion. I won’t pretend to say pre or post rapture for the completion because I think that it is not clearly written. I do think that for a couple, we can see the events lining up though. I think we will see continuing the movement of Turkey away from US and Israeli contacts into the woozy land of Islamic radicalism. I think that is needed for it to align for the Ezekiel War. The timing, to me, is not clear. The other that may be forming is the Jeremiah 49 Elam prophecies. Elam being SW Iran and the location of much of its nuclear programs. In 49:36 “And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come”, has not been fulfilled in that the “no nation wither the outcasts shall not come” has not happened. A nuclear accident, whether a result of an attack on a production facility or just from incompetence could easily result in evacuation of the population.
As I said, interesting times, I think we are watching the beginnings or the foundations forming for the completion of a lot of prophecies.
However, I hope you and your blog followers each have a Blessed, a healthy, and a prosperous New Year. Phil
Don,
You are absolutely right. We have no idea when these events will occur. We just know that they will, and the world is moving closer to them. Personally, I believe that Trump may actually keep the world at peace at least for as long as he is in power. But again, who really knows?
I too hope we have many works of the Spirit this year. I may have just had one by leaving an argument with one of God’s people who hates Trump, supports open boarders, illegal immigration, legal marijuana, global warming and most other liberal issues. He claims he’s well versed in the Bible.
Like some Bible prophecy teachers I think these liberal Christians are of little use to other Christians.
I’m curious to know whether Gog’s army will be in place in Eastern Europe through war or persuasion. National leadership’s will change in a decade but right now Eastern Europe’s leaders are resisting the EU’s demands to take in migrants. They are more supportive of Trump’s Nationalism and their own than the nuts leading Western Europe.
Hi Caitlin,
I’m sorry, but “liberal Christian” is an oxymoron. IMHO, the vast majority are not true Christians, but, great pretenders.
Hi David L,
Sorry about my oxymoron, lol.
I hope I’m not diverting from Don’s topic. Maybe it falls under Christians who search the scriptures to find private interpretations. The man I refer to is saved. He is my son’s father and my ex and neither of us know what to say to him anymore. He thinks we are the pretenders.
In Don’s second paragraph he said, “They can only be hindered where God’s people resist.” I read that about a dozen times just wondering how many more there might be who won’t stand with us and resist.
It’s like you said, David L, it’s hard not to struggle.
ohh i know plenty of christian pretenders right here in my own neighborhood in my own circle of family members and close friends… its really sad but none of them believe in anything that has to do with christ or the bible
it is 2018 and i was in disbelief today when i read a tweet from chelsea clinton saying happy new year to the CHURCH OF SATAN…just wow, i knew hillary was corrupted to the core but i think they worship satan and money.
Hi,
I don’t really have much of an eye on currents as I am just dealing with God throwing me all kinds of “issues” in the personal arena.
We have somewhat put a car collision behind us (we even had to throw out the jackets we were wearing because the imprint of the seat belts won’t come out, even after a couple washings).
My dog might has well have her bumb leg amputated because it’s just a “wet noodle” at this point. Things are digressing. I have a bad feeling there. Will find out more come Monday eve.
My brother-in-law has been battling stage-4 lung cancer for a couple years and I am not sure about 2018.
My [somewhat estranged] sister-in-law is in hospice. She probably has a couple of weeks, at most, left. And that side of the family is “all-in catholic” and all the nonsense that goes with it. It’s a spiritual battle over there every visit.
My wife spends over an hour every morning, seven days a week, in self prayer and bible study. Super “good girl”. I only wish I could spend my mornings in prayer and bible study. I do mine in the evenings (and, just as a hobby in the winter months, I do play a musical instrument… only a hobby that keeps my mental facilities challenged / engaged).
I have been avoiding my usual Breitbart and Rapture-Ready [true] news visitation. I’m just shutting down a bit. The world will have to deal with itself for a while. That being said, I do check “the prophetic years”… good community.
Blessings to all, Craig
The Bible tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-3 that we will not gather together with Christ until the man of perdition is revealed. I am certain from this scripture we will not experience the rapture until the antichrist is revealed but I am less certain if the remaining verses in this chapter are after we are lifted up as these verses could be explaining what the man of sin does after we have been taken up. Any thoughts from my Brothers and Sisters?
Hi Stephen,
Actually 2Thes 2: 1-3 is not saying that at all. Some were being told that the great tribulation was upon them. Paul explains that the day of Christ will not be at hand until the restrainer is taken out of the way and the son of perdition is revealed. The fact that they were still here and the Antichrist had not yet been revealed proves that they were being told wrong.
The Antichrist is revealed 3.5 years before the end of the age and that starts the day of the Lord. The Church is taken sometime before that great day of the Lord.
Not wanting to get off topic but
The KJV uses the day of Christ which some relate that with the rapture.
Some translations use the day of the Lord which is the tribulation or the wrath of God.
The context in 2Thes 2 is about the tribulation. So it can be a little confusing.
Hi George,
Thanks for pointing that out. The older texts use Day of the Lord. The Textus Receptus uses Day of Christ. In the context I think the Day of the Lord is what Paul is talking about here.
From the other two occurrences of the “Day of Christ” in the Bible I think that the day of Christ is the time that Jesus judges His Church in heaven. The many “Day of the Lord” usages in the Bible are usually associated with the great tribulation judgments on earth.