Dear Rev. Londa Picard, Do You Fall For These 7 Prophecy Pitfalls? To understand Bible prophecy is a worthy, rewarding goal. The Bible boldly promises to let you know the future (Rev 1:1-3), something not possible without revelation from God. But it never promises that it will be easy. Instead it says in several places that it will take rare wisdom and righteousness to achieve (Dan 12:10; Rev 13:18; Mt 24:15). While you are still gathering this wisdom you are going to be susceptible to almost every half-baked theory and prediction created. They often come straight to your inbox forwarded by friends or from newsgroups. Wars, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, asteroid impacts, marshal law, economic collapse and everything else imaginable are predicted. The funny thing is, mostly these ideas come from fellow believers. Jesus was not kidding when he warned us that many would come in his name deceiving many. Sadly, Christians deceive their fellow Christians more than any secular skeptic could. It happens because when we encounter such theories for the first time, we are ill-equipped to debunk them, much like Eve was when Satan told her the first lie she ever heard. Like Satan's lie, these predictions effectively mix the truth of the Word of God with error. We may doubt a prediction, but the fear of what would happen if they turn out to be accurate can be very powerful. So we end up watching "just in case" because we cannot debunk them. Sound familiar? I confess I took this same approach when Y2K was approaching ten years ago because I still understood very little of Bible prophecy properly back then. With all I have learned since then, I no longer have to wait and see if such predictions happen. They can usually be debunked in seconds (much to the annoyance of those who dream up these theories and their supporters). Thankfully, you can learn to do the same. You do not have to fall for everything that I did and others continue to fall for. With wisdom and instruction you can debunk all the popular theories out there. Here, then, are the top prophecy pitfalls I have seen, in descending order, along with the wisdom to climb out of each pit. 7. Economic Signs of the End -- Ever notice that whenever there is a great tragedy, inevitably it is suggested that it is the fulfillment of some Bible prophecy? Whether it be 9-11, Hurricane Katrina, major earthquakes or Russia at war with Georgia, or Israel invading Gaza, the speculation flies. The recent global economic downturn is no exception. Some predict that the economic trouble is the beginning of the end for America. While it is true that Bible prophecy does predict the fall of America, the fall is not characterized as beginning with an economic collapse nor as happening gradually. Bible prophecy indicates that Mystery Babylon falls suddenly, in a single day, even a single hour (Rev 18:8, 10). What most people overlook (me included, until recently) is that she still sits on top of the world (as all seven continents as the seven mountains represent) both militarily and economically when it happens. We know this because the Bible says that the seafaring merchants who were made rich by trading with her principle city will weep at the sight of her sudden destruction which means no one will buy their merchandise any more (Rev 18:11-19). Therefore America is not on a slow descent to be replaced by, say, China. Instead we can expect she will rebound from this economic crisis as she always does. She will continue to dominate the world until the day she falls at the hands of her many enemies. (Note: If this concept is new to you, my book has strong proof that America is the only fit for Mystery Babylon. You can also get other evidence from this article:http://aoreport.com/mag/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=82&Itemid=47) By the way, even speaking of the coming End of the Age, a declining economy is not a sign. Jesus in speaking of the Great Tribulation which rounds out this age, described prosperity and ease with people eating, drinking, building and marrying (Mt 24:38). Paul described it as a time of peace and safety (1Th 5:3). In fact, the Antichrist comes to power through proving he is God and can save the world from the disaster of star Wormwood's passage (Rev 6-8; 2The 2:4). It is amazing the answers you find contrary to conventional wisdom when you look diligently in the Bible. Stay tuned for the next installment in three days, where I cover Pitfall #6 of using the Parable of the Fig Tree to predict the year of the Second Coming... Tim McHyde Author of Know the Future http://www.escapeallthesethings.com/PO Box 120-2070, Sabanilla, San Jose 2070, COSTA RICA701-205-4168