Herbert W Armstrong

   We will be having the Feast of Tabernacles again in two locations, one of which is really very unique, and that's the Feast in Karlsbad in Czechoslovakia. You've probably seen the article, the interview in the World Wide News, and I'm sure you're aware of how important it is for us to keep that feast site open for our brethren behind the Iron Curtain. And not only that, but the feast site is unique in that we are the only religion, the only religion that is allowed to keep a festival behind the Iron Curtain, officially.

   That is Any religion from the West. So we're really looking forward to the feasts at Carlsbad and, of course, at Bondorf in the Black Forest. The Black Forest is unique also. Every town in the Black Forest seems to have its own beer brewery and also its own brandy distillery.

   Brethren, we are living in the end time. We are living in the end time in the last days of man's civilization, and we are destined to live in two worlds: in this dying world, this present evil world, and in the wonderful world tomorrow. And I'm sure you know that it is going to really be wonderful when God and His family are ruling a righteous and faithful government where even the poor and the weak will receive total justice, everything in abundance, all of us having joy and rebuilding this earth with peace, peace at last.

   But we're still in the time when man ruled, and there never has been a time such as ours, brethren. We have every kind of false religion thriving from conservative Protestant religions to the far-out gurus from the Far East, and the world is going deeper and deeper into deception. We're living in a time of violence, such as never was in a time of war.

   And they tell us there have been over 50 big wars since World War II. And historians have figured out that as many people have died in those 50 wars since World War II as died in World War II. Of course, we've had two false alarms already, two false alerts this month, which could have started a third world war.

   We're in a time of famine, and brethren, we're in a time of famine such as never was before. It used to be that here or there a country would have drought and then they would have to hunger maybe for one year.

   But the kind of famine we have now is the kind that even in years of crop records. Even in years of crop records like last year, for instance, nineteen seventy nine, fifteen to twenty million children starved to death, plus many millions of adults. We're adding one hundred million people a year now to the population, and we have passed the four point five billion mark.

   And the future is going to be made up of competition for food and for energy. And there has never been a generation as sick as ours. I know that the doctors tell us we have the best health care we've ever had, but why do we need health care?

   It's because we're the sickest generation that has ever lived since God created mankind. What good does it do you if they tell you, well, you're taller now or you actually live longer when we live out the last twenty or thirty years dying slowly of some degenerative disease.

   And the statistics of the sick and dying show very clearly that we are the sickest generation ever. We're living in a time of increasing earthquake activity. We even have volcanoes with us again, where a whole mountaintop was blown off.

   One German newspaper said that the smoke totally darkened the sun and the moon. And they spoke of the heavenly signs. And that was not in a religious German newspaper, that was in Die Welt, a very conservative German newspaper, spoke of the heavenly signs.

   We now have 19 earthquakes per year, which hit between 7 and 8 on the Richter scale. Now, a lot of those earthquakes, of course, take place in unpopulated regions, so we don't hear much about them. There are 100 earthquakes a year now, which goes six to seven points on the Richter scale.

   And of course, besides all of these signs, we see many others: that society is coming completely apart. We have increasing divorce, immorality, crime, increasing political corruption, terrorism, hostage-taking, uncontrollable inflation.

   And, brethren, inflation has never in the history of the world ever been solved. Except in one way, and that is a total bust, a total going broke. That's the only way inflation has ever been solved.

   We have unemployment, increasing drunkenness, drug abuse, and what is probably the clearest indicator for this society is the increasing suicide. Yet, it's a paradox. They tell us we were never smarter, and certainly this generation is the best in form. But here is how smart we now are, brethren. The world at large is now spending $60 million per hour on armament.

   $60 million per hour. That's $1 million a minute, or over $500 billion a year. Now, we hear a figure like $500 billion, and we can't really conceive of what $500 billion are.

   Brethren, someone has figured out that $500 billion would feed all of Asia. Now that's where the biggest populations are: in India, in China. $500 billion would feed all of Asia rice for over 100 years. And we're spending that in one year now worldwide on armaments.

   Yet all the signs are there that we are heading for a great tribulation just ahead, a time worse than any other in history. And Jesus Christ said to us, take heed in Luke 21. He said, take heed and watch.

   He said, be attentive. Because when we know the prophecies and when we watch them being fulfilled, brethren, it gives us encouragement and it strengthens our faith. And it prevents us being caught unawares.

   And of course, God offers us protection, even as Mr. Tkach read in the article that Mr. Armstrong wrote. We are going to a place of safety. God offers us survival, and that is the most important issue of our age. But there's something God expects us to do. And one of the things he expects us to do is to be wide awake and to watch the fulfillment of prophecy.

   So, today, brethren, we're going to take a look at some of the major prophecies of the end times. And then I'm going to show you how world events and certain news items are demonstrating the fulfillment of those prophecies. Now, I want you to turn with me quickly now to Daniel chapter 1.

   Daniel chapter 1. A very important prophetical book in the Bible because here we are shown how it would look from the time of Daniel right up until the return of Jesus Christ and the coming of the kingdom of God.

   Daniel had been taken captive in Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. He was a Jew, and he had been taken captive to Babylon in the Babylonian captivity.

   And because of his great ability, and the Jews have been given a measure of great ability, Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were asked to serve in the king's palace, right in Nebuchadnezzar's palace. And in Daniel chapter 2, now we see that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. But Nebuchadnezzar didn't remember what the dream was.

   He only knew it was a frightful dream, and he needed to know what that dream meant. And so he called all the magicians, and astrologers, and sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, who were the religious people, and he told them, I want you to tell me the dream and the interpretation. Of course, they couldn't.

   And so he decided. I'm going to kill all these phonies. And of course, by this time, Daniel and his three friends were considered to be among the wise men of Babylon, so they were in danger of being killed also.

   So Daniel asked for time. And he said that he would show the dream and the interpretation. And he and his three friends prayed, and God did reveal the dream and the interpretation to Daniel.

   And so Daniel went into the king. And let's pick it up now in Daniel 2:28. Daniel says, there is a God in heaven to Nebuchadnezzar that reveals secrets and makes known to the king what shall be in the latter days, the end time, that Mr. Armstrong talks about and has been talking about for over 45 years. And he's been the only one who has taught with knowledge about it. What shall be in the latter days?

   And the dream and the visions of your head upon your bed are these. And he proceeds to tell him about the dream. As for you, O king, your thoughts came into your mind upon your bed, what should come to pass hereafter, as we had seen in the latter days.

   And he that reveals secrets makes known to you what shall come to pass. And these things are absolutely sure. Verse 31: You, O king song, behold, a great image, a statue.

   And this great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before you, and the form thereof was terrible. Yes, bad news for mankind. This image's head was of fine gold, and his breast and his arms of silver, and his belly and his thighs of brass, and his legs of iron, and his feet, notice, were down to the legs and feet now, and they're part of iron and part of clay. You saw till that a stone was cut out without hand. A supernatural event, which smote the image, noticed upon his feet that were of iron and clay and broke them to pieces.

   Verse 35: Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors. And the wind carried them away that no place was found for them. So, whatever this statue represents is finally going to be eradicated from the earth.

   And the stone that smote the image, this supernatural event, became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Verse 36, that is the dream. And we will now tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

   You, O king, are a king of kings. And he proceeds to tell him and show him, Look, you're ruling over a worldwide kingdom. And he says in verse 38 near the end, You are this head of gold.

   And after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, the one of silver. So here we see now these parts of the statue represent. Kingdom and another third kingdom of grass which shall bear rule over all the earth.

   Now I want to point your attention to the words in verse 39, and after you, which shows that these things would happen one after another, they would not all happen at the same time. Verse 40, he says, The fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron. For as much as iron breaks in pieces, subdues all things.

   And as iron breaks, all these shall it break in pieces and bruise. So this fourth empire is very destructive. Verse 41.

   And whereas you saw the feet and toes, notice it's getting down to the last part of the body now. Right down to the feet and the toes. They're part of potter's clay and part of iron.

   He says the kingdom, this fourth kingdom, shall be divided, but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, for as much as you saw the iron mixed with clay. And now notice, verse 42: as the toes, so we're getting down to the very, very last part of the body now, the ten toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken or brittle or weak.

   And whereas you saw iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves. Who are they? It doesn't say it here very clearly, does it?

   You could think, well, they must mean the four different kingdoms that are represented here. But it can't mean that because these kingdoms, I better read on first. They shall mingle themselves with the seed of men, but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

   And in the days of these kings. Now it's suddenly talking about kings. It's talking about the they.

   It's talking about the they that are represented by the toes in verse 42 and in verse 41, the toes and the feet. In the days of these kings, and these kings, these ten, are not consecutive. They do not come one after another like these four kingdoms.

   These kings. Have to be contemporary. They have to all be around at the same time because notice: it is in the day of these kings that the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, the one represented by the stone, the rock, Jesus Christ, which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

   And for as much as you saw, that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hand, supernaturally, and that it break in pieces the iron, the brass, clay, silver, the gold. The great God has made known to the king. And you and I can read this so that we can have this knowledge today: has made known what shall come to pass hereafter, as he said, in the last days.

   And the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof is sure. So we know several. Things already.

   We know these parts of the body are representative of four different kingdoms to come, one after another. Then we know that the very last part of the body, the ten toes, represents ten contemporary kings who are all around at the same time when the stone comes to set up the kingdom of God, the stone kingdom, if you want it that way. And then we have learned, of course, that in the days of the fourth kingdom, God is going to set up his kingdom.

   And that the head of gold was representative for the Babylonian kingdom. So verse 44 is very important. In the days of these kings, the God of heaven is going to set up his kingdom.

   Now, chapter 3 of Daniel is the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Chapter 4 is the story of Nebuchadnezzar. Even though he knew the true Creator God, he forsook him, and God gave him a beast's heart for seven years.

   Now, in chapter 5 of Daniel, brethren, we're going to be able to identify the second kingdom very definitely, the one represented by the breast and arms of silver. And you all know the story of Belshazzar. He was probably a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar.

   He knew the story. Of how Daniel had told him of the dream and the interpretation. He knew the story of how God had saved the three men in the fiery furnace.

   He knew the story of his granduncle Nebuchadnezzar. He knew that story, how Nebuchadnezzar had forsaken God and had to live like an animal for seven years. And then, when he acknowledged God, God turned his fate.

   And Belshazzar, who really knew better, had a feast to the false gods. And he even used the golden vessels out of the temple to have this feast to these false gods. And he actually knew the true God also.

   And we're all familiar with the very famous handwriting on the wall, where a hand appeared without a human body attached and started to write something on the wall. And in verse 22 of Daniel chapter 5 (Daniel 5:22). And you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this.

   Verse 25. And this, and you see, Daniel again was called to interpret the meaning of this handwriting on the wall. And Daniel says, this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.

   And this is the interpretation of the thing. Mene, God has numbered your kingdom, Belshazzar, and finished it. It's going.

   To come to an end, and we're about to find out what the second kingdom was to be. Tekel, you are weighed in the balances and found wanting. Perez, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

   So we know now that the second kingdom to come upon the earth after the fall of the Babylonian Empire was to be the Medo-Persian Empire. And then Daniel was given a chance. Of gold and made third ruler in the kingdom.

   And it says in verse 30: In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain, and Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. Now, chapter 6 of Daniel is the story of Daniel in the lion's den. He refused to obey when he was told he could not pray to his Creator God.

   And God shut the mouth of the lions. Daniel chapter 7. Here, Daniel, in the first year of Belshazzar, so it's going back a little.

   In the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel has visions. And we're going to come back to this in just a few moments. We'll pass on now first to Daniel chapter 8.

   Because in Daniel chapter 8, brethren, we're going to get a confirmation of the second kingdom, that it is the Medo-Persian kingdom, and we're going to be able to identify. Write out of the Bible the third kingdom, Daniel 8:1. In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, so this is in his third year now, Daniel also had a vision.

   And Daniel says it was like the vision that appeared to me at the first, in the chapter before, which we're going to go back to. Verse 3. And I lifted up my eyes, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.

   We're going to see that this ram is symbolic for the second kingdom, the Medo-Persian Empire. And he says, I saw the ram pushing west, north, south. In other words, it also was a worldwide kingdom.

   He became great. And verse 5: And as I was considering, behold, a he goat. So he saw this male goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth and touch not the ground. Speedy Gonzalez. And the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

   And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran into him in the fury of his power. Can you just see this on television or on a large screen? And I saw him come close to the ram, and he was moved with collar against him and smoke the ram.

   So here we see the death. Of the second kingdom and broke his two horns, the rulership. And there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, stamped upon him.

   There was none that could deliver the ram out of this he-goat, male goat's hand. And therefore the he-goat waxed very great. And when he was strong, the great horn was broken, for it came, for it, in place of it, came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

   North, south, east, and west. And out of one of them, out of one of these four notable horns, came forth a little horn. And we're going to be meeting this little horn as we go on, time and again, which waxed exceeding great, even toward the pleasant land.

   Verse 10 says it waxed great. And now, brethren, in between here, between I think verse 12 and 14. We have the prophecy of The 2300 Days, and I would recommend that you read Dr. Hoeh reprint article on that subject, which is very interesting. I can't take time for it now. Verse 15: Daniel wanted to know what all of this meant with the ram and the he-goat.

   And in verse 16, we read that Gabriel was sent to give him the meaning. In verse 19, He says, I will make you know what shall be in the last end of the indignation, for the time appointed at the end shall be. Verse 20 now.

   And the ram which you saw, having two horns, are the kings of Media and Persia. So we have the second kingdom confirmed that it is the Medo-Persian Empire. And the rough goat, verse 21, is the king of Greece.

   So now we know that the third kingdom, the belly and the thighs of brass was representative of the Greek kingdom and the great horn that is between his eyes, the first king. So that was Alexander the Great, and he was speedy.

   Now, verse 22. Now that, that's this great horn representative of Alexander the Great being broken, and he did die at a very young age, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. And so we read in history that the Greek kingdom was divided on Alexander's death among his four generals.

   Verse 23, and in the latter time of their kingdom, so at the end of the third kingdom, because now we're going to have the fourth kingdom mentioned. The later time of their kingdom when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, a king of the fourth kingdom, brethren, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And it is a fact of history that the four divisions of the Greek empire were one by one swallowed up by the Roman Empire.

   Verse 24: And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. Revelation 13:2 shows us that the dragon gives this king his power.

   And he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and even the holy people. As we had seen previously, a very destructive kingdom. And through his policy, also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand.

   It'll be a great trading combine, and he shall magnify himself in his heart and by peace shall destroy many, and he shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes. The supernatural event, the stone kingdom coming, the kingdom of God by the return of Jesus Christ.

   But he, this satanic king over the fourth kingdom, shall be broken without hand. Of course, by the stone, by the kingdom of God.

   So here's proof right here, brethren, that verse 23 and 24 are talking of the fourth kingdom, because as we had seen previously, it is in the days of the fourth kingdom. In fact, in the days of the last part of the fourth kingdom, symbolized by the ten toes, that the stone kingdom comes. Now let's go back to chapter 7.

   That's a beautiful sound. You know, everybody is with you then when you hear all those pages turning. Chapter 7.

   In the first year of Belshazzar, Daniel saw these visions here. And he saw four beasts coming up out of the sea. And verse 4 shows us that the first beast looked like a lion.

   And we can take for granted, but we'll see it proved also that this person. First beast, the lion, is symbolic of the Babylonian or the first kingdom. Then verse 5 shows us that a second kingdom, or pardon me, a second beast came up out of the sea, which looked like a bear.

   And this one is representative of the Medo-Persian Empire again. Then verse 6 shows us a third kingdom, or pardon me, a third beast, would come up. We'll soon see the proof that these are also kingdoms.

   A third beast came up, looked like a leopard. And this one is symbolic of the Greek kingdom. And we have proof for that because it says in verse 6: Another, a third one, which looked like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl.

   And the beast also had four heads. Again, symbolic of the four divisions of the Greek empire after Alexander died, and dominion was given to it. And after this, I saw in the night visions, and behold, A fourth beast, dreadful again, and terrible and strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth.

   And that fits with the fourth kingdom in the vision or dream of the image which was made of iron. Great iron teeth, and it devoured and broke in pieces, stamped the residue with the feet of it, and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it. And here is how it was diverse. Here's how it was different. It had ten horns.

   Now, if we just take a peek and sneak ahead to verse 24, we'll see that the ten horns out of this kingdom, and again, the beast, the fourth beast, is representative of a kingdom. And the ten horns of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise. Okay.

   So this kingdom is different, this fourth kingdom. Here we learn that it has ten horns. We saw that these ten horns are ten kings.

   Now, we're going to see proof, brethren, that these kings are consecutive, that they come one after another. And here is how, mainly, the fourth kingdom was different. All the other kingdoms-the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Greek kingdom-they came on the scene, they stayed on the scene, then they went under, but once they went under, they never came back.

   But here we see in symbolism ten horns which show us that this fourth kingdom, and it shows us later, was to receive a deadly wound, but it also says that that deadly wound would be healed. So it was to come back, it was to disappear completely and yet come back ten times under these ten horns.

   Kings. Verse 8 shows that among these ten horns is where this little horn comes up, before whom there were three of the first horns, verse 8, plucked up by the root. And behold, in this horn were the eyes, like the eyes of a man and a mouth, speaking great things.

   And as I said, we're going to be confronted with this little horn and this big mouth quite a few times here. Verse 9 shows, again, right true to form. That in the days of the last or fourth kingdom, especially in the last part, symbolized by the ten toes, that God is going to set up his kingdom.

   And verse 9 shows that I beheld till thrones were cast down, and the ancient of days did sit, which means God ruling. Verse 10 at the end of it shows the judgment was set, and the books were opened. The books of the Bible.

   And so here we see God's kingdom on the heels of the fourth empire. Verse 11. And I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake, this little horn, and I beheld, even till the beast was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame.

   In the end, he's going to be totally destroyed, but we're also going to see that this beast was to have his dead wound healed. And the ten horns showed us that they were ten kings who were going to come back time and again and revive this fourth kingdom.

   Verse 13. And Daniel says, I saw in the night visions the Son of Man and how he came to the ancient of days. Verse 14, and to him was given dominion in the middle, everlasting dominion at the end, a kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

   Clearly, God's kingdom. Verse 16. Again, Daniel wanted to know the interpretation.

   And in verse 17, he says, These great beasts, which are four, are four kings. And we have seen how kingdoms and kings are synonymous. The meaning is synonymous.

   Which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever. Again, the kingdom of God coming in the days of the fourth kingdom. And Daniel says in verse 19: I would know the truth of the fourth beast. Of course, this is the one which interested him the most, which was diverse from all the others.

   And we had seen how it was diverse. Verse 24 showed us it had ten horns, representative of ten kings, exceeding dreadful, again, whose teeth were of iron and nails of brass, which devoured broken pieces and stamped the residue with his feet. In verse 20, and of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, that little horn, and before whom three fell, do you remember, that were plucked up by the roots in his presence?

   Even of that horn that had eyes and this big mouth and spoke very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows, he says, I beheld, and the same horn, this little horn, made war with the saints and prevailed against them until the ancient of days came, till Jesus Christ returns and judgment was given unto the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom, the kingdom of God. Verse 23, and he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth, which shall be different from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and tread it down, and break it in pieces.

   And this is the great tribulation that's coming. Of course, he was to receive a deadly wound, but he revived ten times.

   And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise, and another shall arise after them. And this means after their manner, or as they did. And he, this little horn, shall be diverse from the first and shall subdue three kings.

   And he's different in that this is a religious power. Verse 25, and he shall speak great words against the most high, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and notice and think to change times and laws.

   I'm going to show you how that is being fulfilled today. And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time, but the judgment shall sit. Verse 26.

   In verse 27, again, the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. And all dominions shall serve and obey him. Again, the kingdom of God.

   All right, let's go on. We've already done chapter 8. Chapter 9 is the famous 70 weeks prophecy.

   And chapter 10 is an introduction to chapter 11. The longest prophecy in the Bible. A prophecy, brethren, we should all be familiar with.

   And if we haven't already done so, Every one of us should study and read Mr. Armstrong's article, The Middle East in Prophecy, because it explains this whole chapter. But before we go into Daniel chapter 11, brethren, I want to just make a quick review.

   We have seen now that this statue that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream was representative of four, actually five kingdoms when we take the stone and add it to it. The Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Greek, which was split into four divisions. And as I had already said, history shows that these four divisions, north, south, east, and west of the Greek Empire were one by one swallowed up by the Roman Empire.

   And in 64 to 95, excuse me, in 64 to 65 B.C., this is very important. The Roman general Pompeius. Conquered the Syrian Seleucid kingdom.

   And Pompeius was the head of the king or kingdom of the north. The Syrian kingdom of the north. The Syrian Seleucid Kingdom.

   And he was called the King of the North. Then we have learned that the fourth kingdom is the Roman Empire. Now I know, brethren, that the Roman Empire is never named by name in the Bible.

   But you look in history, there is no other kingdom that could even come into question. It was the Roman Empire that swallowed up the Greek empire and fulfilled these prophecies. So the fourth kingdom is the Roman Empire, and no one, to my knowledge, has ever suggested another.

   And the Roman Empire ruled the world from 31 B.C. until 476 A.D. and was then destroyed by the barbarians. Of course, some of us Assyrians resent that remark. It received a deadly wound.

   We saw in Daniel 7:24 the ten horns and how they are ten revivals of this fourth kingdom. And here they are. The first resurrection was under the Heroli, the second under the Vandals, and the third under the Ostrogoths.

   And these represented the three horns that were plucked up by the roots in the presence of the little horn because it was agitating. It couldn't rule over them, so it got rid of them. But then the fourth revival was the first Holy Roman Empire over which the little horn was able to rule.

   That was in 554 A.D. under Justinian. Then came the fifth resurrection, the second Holy Roman Empire in 800 A.D. under Charlemagne. The Frankish kingdom.

   Then sixth. The sixth resurrection was the third Holy Roman Empire under Otto the Great, the German Kingdom. Then Seventh Resurrection, or Fourth Holy Roman Empire, over which the Littlehorn ruled under Charles V, the Austrian Habsburg Kingdom.

   We'll be hearing a little bit more about the name Habsburg in a few moments. Then the eighth resurrection, or the fifth Holy Roman Empire, under Napoleon, which ended in 1814. And then finally, the ninth resurrection, which has taken place, which was the sixth Holy Roman Empire in 1935 under Mussolini and Hitler.

   And both of them had a concordat with the Pope. And when a book was written, The History of Mussolini, the man decided to name his book Mussolini's Roman Empire. And Mussolini himself said, in his writings that what he was trying to accomplish was to resurrect the Roman Empire.

   But there's one more revival to come. We're going to read about that now, brethren, in Daniel 11:1-6, we get a review.

   Verse 2 shows that there would yet be three kings in Persia. So it takes us back to the Medo-Persian Empire. And then at the end of verse 2, we learn that on the heels of that would come the Greek kingdom.

   And then it shows in verse 4 that this Greek kingdom would be divided into four parts again, as we saw, divided among Alexander's generals. And then in verse 5, we read for the first time about the king of the south, which at that time was Egypt and was one of the four divisions of the Greek Empire.

   In verse 6, we read of the king of the north. And as I said, the king of the north at that time was Syria. But we'd also learned that in 64 to 65 B.C., the Roman general Pompeius conquered the Syrian Seleucid kingdom.

   And so at that time, and this is most important, at that time, Rome became the king of the north. If you don't know that, then you cannot understand the rest of this chapter. All right?

   Daniel. Chapter 11. Now, we want to go right to verse 40 (Chapter 11:40).

   And the rest of the chapter is all explained by Mr. Armstrong in his very good article, The Middle East in Prophecy. But in verse 40, we come down to the machinations, you might say, between the king of the north and the king of the south in the end time.

   And it says in verse 40, at the time of the end, this time. Egypt was no longer the king of the south. And these roles have traded all through history. At this time, Ethiopia was the king of the south. Pushed at him. At who? At the king of the north. And at this time, the king of the north was Mussolini, allied with Hitler. And the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind.

   And Ethiopia did push. Against Mussolini in Eritrea with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships, and he shall enter into the country and shall overflow and pass over. And Mussolini did come with ships, with airplanes, and so on.

   But the Axis powers were defeated. Rommel was turned back just before Alexandria, Egypt. And, brethren, verse 41 has never been fulfilled.

   It says, he shall enter also into the glorious land. The king of the north would also enter into the glorious land, but Mussolini and Hitler, as hard as they tried, weren't able to accomplish that. And when Mr. Armstrong saw that in the closing days of World War II, brethren, immediately he began to preach: there has yet to come another king of the north. Another Holy Roman Empire that is going to enter into the glorious land into Palestine. And many countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape out of his hand.

   Even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. Sounds like Ammon. And he shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

   But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, over the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and Ethiopians shall be at his set. And as Mr. Armstrong explains in The Middle East in Prophecy, the Ethiopians in the end time are no longer the king of the south. A good guess would be a combination of the Arabs, maybe with Saudi Arabia, which are very rich. And then verse 44 shows that tidings out of the east and out of the north, that's the communist nations.

   North and east of Palestine shall trouble him. Therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy this king of the north, this beast, and utterly to make away many, and he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain. Yet shall he come to his end, and none shall help him, as we had already seen, when the kingdom of God comes.

   But it is interesting that this last beast's power. Is going to move into Palestine and plant his headquarters there. They're going to invade the Middle East, as Daniel 11 shows us here.

   But we'll go on in chapter 12, verse 1. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time.

   And at that time, your people shall be delivered. Every one that shall be found written in the book, the kingdom of God coming, and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, the resurrection at the return of Jesus Christ, some to everlasting life at that time, and some to shame and everlasting contempt, as Revelation shows, much, much later, and they will receive the second death. And verse 3: And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. Who are the wise? The wise are those who are keeping God's commandments and teaching them and spreading this good news.

   And they that turn many to righteousness. Yes, those that are doing God's work as the stars forever and ever. Eternal life. The same life that God has, which He wants to share with us. But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book even to the time of the end. So in the end time, We're going to be able to understand these things.

   And he says also, and many shall run to and fro. And we've sure never had that like we have it today, brethren. If you look sometime out of an airplane when you're landing over Los Angeles, you'll realize how many are running to and fro.

   And knowledge shall be increased. As Mr. Armstrong has said, knowledge is doubling about every 10 years now.

   But let's go quickly to Revelation chapter 13, where the prophecy actually continues. Revelation 13:1-2, he says he saw a beast coming out of the sea, had seven heads and ten horns, and it also had on these horns ten crowns.

   And notice verse 2. The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his seat and his great authority.

   So here we see a composite beast, a beast that you might say has the best, or maybe better said the worst, of all the attributes of the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Greek empire. Verse 3, he saw one of these heads wounded to death. The deadly wound was healed.

   And now, verse 5. Here again, this great mouth speaking blasphemy. Verse 7 given to him to make war with the saints.

   So now we're getting down to the toes, aren't we? Because it was in the days of those ten kings that Jesus Christ would return. And here we see this power making war with the saints.

   And he says in verse 11, I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke as a dragon. So he looks like Jesus Christ. The lamb, but in reality he is a dragon.

   He just looks like the truth, but he isn't really of the truth. Verse 13, and he does great wonders. He makes fire come down from heaven.

   And I tell you, that's very impressive if someone can do that. And he deceives them all, verse 14, by these miracles. And verse 16, and he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, and try to remember this: to receive a mark.

   I'm going to show you how that possibly is being fulfilled now, in their right hand or in their forehead. And no man might buy or sell save that he had this mark. Then he tells us in verse 18 that this beast has the number 666 written all over him.

   All right, let's turn quickly now to Revelation 17:1. Now it's John, the Apostle John, the Revelator, who says he's going to show us the judgment of the great whore. And brethren, a woman is often representative of a church in prophecy, in the Bible.

   And a whore, of course, is a false church, whereas a virgin is representative of the true church. So here we have a great whore. And in verse 3.

   He also saw this whore, this woman, sit upon a scarlet-colored beast full of the names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. So exactly the same beast as John had seen in Revelation chapter 13. Representative of the little horn here, this harlot woman riding the beast of Revelation 13:5: Upon her forehead was a name written, mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and the abominations of the earth. In verse 12, now, and the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, and these are most important to us.

   And these ten kings have to be contemporary, brethren. The context shows it. They have to all exist at the same time.

   Ten kings which have received no kingdom as yet. Parallel to the ten toes, as we're going to see, because they are also extent at the time of the return of Jesus Christ. Received no kingdom as yet, but received power as kings one hour with this beast.

   He says, These have one mind and shall give their power, their sovereignty, and strength unto the beast. And these, notice it, these ten kings ruling together who have actually given up their sovereignty and given it to one man. These shall make war with the Lamb, with Jesus Christ, and the Lamb, of course, shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and king of kings, and they that are with him, you and I, brethren, are called and chosen and faithful.

   Verse 16 shows that these ten kings are finally going to hate the whore when they find out that she was a false church. They're going to destroy her.

   And verse 18 shows the woman which you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. Verse 9 shows she sits on seven mountains, and Rome is a city built on seven hills. A couple of verses in Revelation 16:12.

   And the sixth angel poured out his vial on the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up just a little bit east of Palestine. And the way of the kings of the east. Might be prepared.

   And the kings of the east are those living east of the Euphrates River. And it's going to be dried up. And Revelation 9 shows that an army of 200 million soldiers is going to march across the Euphrates River.

   And verse 15: Behold, I come as a thief. Christ will have to come to stop that war. And blessed is he that watches and keeps his garment. Lest he walk naked and they see his shame. He's telling us to repent. And he gathered them together in a place called, in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon.

   Yes, brethren, Armageddon is just around the corner, and the nations are now preparing for it to the tune of $60 million per hour. Where do we stand in the fulfillment of these prophecies? Oh, we Stand shortly before the final and tense revival of the Roman Empire and the seventh Holy Roman Empire.

   And we stand just before the great tribulation and the coming of the kingdom of God. And I'm going to show you some news items now that clearly reflect how these prophecies are being fulfilled. For instance, this one: a page copied out of Der Spiegel, the German news magazine.

   And this article appeared in the issue of the 23rd of October, way back in 1972. It's an article about the European Economic Community, the EEC, or Common Market. And it shows a map here in the article of the Common Market Nation.

   And this map has a very interesting title. It says in German, EWG - Nachfolger des Römischen Reichs, or EEC, European Economic Community, successor of the Roman Empire.

   So, way back in 1972 already, the editors of the Spiegel realized that what was shaping up in Europe as the common market was a new addition, a new revival of the Roman Empire. From time to time, you see ads like this in German magazines: double page spread.

   Deutsche Zach Jach to Europa. That's how. Germans say yes to Europe.

   And they mean, of course, a united Europe. And then they give the reasons why. We need a united Europe.

   And they say it's all going to be very good. But we know different. Here's a clipping from December 1975, which showed at that time that we are going to get a common passport for all the common market Nations in Europe. Well, I have a German passport, and this year I'm going to be able to trade it in for a European passport, which will allow me to live and work without any further permission in any one of the common market nations, which we know eventually will be exactly ten. Here's a sidelight, but I think it's very interesting.

   They have already decided what the common language of Europe is going to be. Now, this is not going to be a language that everyone on the streets will speak and learn, but it will be the language that government will use. It will be the language of trade and commerce.

   And strangely enough, they have settled on Latin. And Latin was the language of the Roman Empire throughout all the ages. And of course, interestingly enough, Latin is the language of the little horn of this great false church.

   Here's an article. You remember we read before about someone who is going to think to change times and laws? Well, here's one from the Bond newspaper of April 1975.

   The week begins with Monday is the headline. Now, in America, we're not aware of that yet. The calendars here begin with Sunday as the first day of the week.

   But here it says beginning with the 1st of January 1976, the week according, notice the wording. This is directly translated from the German newspaper. The week, according to the Old Testament creation story, will be introduced in Germany.

   And the week will no longer start with Sunday, but will begin with Monday as the first day. And this has been made law according to Dean Norm of the German standard. So, since January 1st, 1976, brethren, Sunday is looked upon in Germany as the Sabbath of the Old Testament creation story.

   How blasphemous. Here's something else. Germany has passed a registration law.

   They had difficulty getting this law through. This law was to allow the German government to put each person into a computer up to 170 facts, if necessary, on any one person. It would give your birthday, your religious affiliation, your political affiliation, all these things.

   And originally, they wanted a personal mark feature to go along with this registration law. So it didn't get through.

   So they said, Well, look, we'll drop the personal mark feature, but we've got to have this law so that we can combat terrorists. And the law has now gone through. And of course, since then, it has been pointed out many times that it would be a snap to simply add the personal mark feature now at any time.

   Is the dictatorship possible in Germany? Well, Franz Joseph Strauss, who might be the next Chancellor of Germany, and we'll know by October the 6th, the election is on October the 5th, right after the feast. Franz Joseph Strauss was counting on the day when he would be chancellor.

   And so, way back then, he made a grand coalition with Billy Brundt because he was anxious. Billy Brunt was anxious to get his hand on the power lever, so he fell for it. They needed a two-thirds majority, it was the only way they could get it by forming a grand coalition, and Strauss talked Willy Brundt into backing the emergency laws, and they have been passed. And these emergency laws in Germany can go into effect even when an emergency is only threatening. And paragraph five can do away with freedom of the press, just like that.

   Paragraph eight can do away with freedom of assembly. Paragraph one hundred four does away with habeas corpus. Where you have to bring someone before a judge in 24 hours.

   This emergency law can tell you where to work, where to live, what to plant, whom to sell to. It allows for vehicle confiscation and for draft into the Army, even for men up to 60 years. What about atomic weapons?

   Well, brethren, France and Britain, which currently is still in the common market, and Mr. Armstrong said clearly it will not be. And of course, the Britons have shown clearly that they are soon going to leave the common market.

   But France and Britain both have atomic bombs, and both of them have declared their willingness to work with Germany now, even the British. Of course, in return, they want Deutschmark. Because North Sea oil, they know now, is not going to save Britain.

   And so they're looking to Assyria, to Germany now, even as Jose. Shows. And they're going to eventually sell them their atomic secrets.

   It's also interesting, brethren, that every atomic bomb right from the beginning, every atomic bomb on European soil, actually on German soil, sorry, on German soil, every atomic bomb, American atomic bomb, on German soil is guarded by German soldiers.

   And I found that out in a very miraculous way. The young man we visited on an army base, a German army base at the time, my wife and I. And he told us this. I couldn't believe it.

   He is now married, and he and his wife are both now in the church. Here's a clipping: French have designs for neutron bombs. It says a French neutron bomb is in the news again.

   The defense minister confirmed a few days ago what some French experts have been saying for a long time. Notice, if France decided to go in for these weapons, the first of them would become operational in under five years. Notice the clever wording.

   And last week, when I gave this sermon in the morning here in the auditorium, I was telling the people: look, within five years, France could have the neutron bomb. That was until yesterday's Los Angeles Times arrived, and I read this on the first page.

   France confirms it built, tested neutron bomb. President Valley. Discard to STAN confirmed Thursday that France has developed, built and tested a neutron bomb.

   He told a news conference that France could put the weapon into production by 1982 to 1983. Germans are working on a cheap missile, which they're producing in Africa and testing in Africa. And the European Space Cooperative, of course, has successfully launched an ICBM.

   Here's another clipping. French float idea for European defense force outside of NATO. And here they're showing that France now wants to get away from the United States and the United States nuclear umbrella, which has kept the Russians out, and they want to now form their own defense force, a European defense force outside of NATO.

   By the way, Europe is also feverishly working on the cruise missile because they fear that the unreliable United States, in the end, is not going to sell it to them. It recently leaked through that the Germans have developed a method to congeal huge surfaces of the ocean into a kind of porridge to block the sea maneuvers of the enemy.

   Gives you an idea of what it's going to look like, brethren. In the end time, of course, they have much of research going. Here's a clipping out of the latest Time magazine of June 30th.

   The U.S. is no longer number one. Europeans take a bleak new view of their chief ally.

   Among Americans, it is still commonplace to regard the U.S. as the world's foremost power economically, militarily, and in almost every other way. Among Western Europeans, however, the view is quite different. The U.S. is no longer number one. U.S. strength has declined since. So much that Washington can no longer be relied upon, they say, as the leader of the Western Alliance. And today, the worry is that the U.S. has neither the military strength nor the will to keep its commitment in Europe. Brethren, America is not solving its problems, as Mr. Armstrong has prophesied for over 45 years.

   And someone has compared the present effort of President Carter trying to solve the problem. They say it's like a drunk trying to postpone his hangover by drinking more whiskey. Around the corner is what appears to be the final blow-off in the great inflationary cycle of the last 40 years.

   As I said, no inflation has ever been solved. The result, unfortunately, will be the complete destruction of the dollar. And then in today's Los Angeles Times, this morning, I read, US trade deficits more than doubled last month.

   Boy, talk about trying to postpone a hangover so we make even a bigger trade deficit. But here, brethren, now I want to introduce you to a man who's already been introduced in the Plain Truth, Otto von Habsburg, the legal heir to the Habsburg throne. And Otto von Habsburg is the man who has written several books.

   Showing clearly how he feels a united Europe should look. He says a united Europe should be on a Christian, he says it must be on a Christian foundation. And that to him means only one church.

   And he says the church is to have the real power. And he also says that the crown of Charlemagne, which is still in a museum down in Vienna, that the crown of Charlemagne should be the symbol under which Europe unites. Now, in his book, Otto Finn Hatsworth's book, The Social Order of Tomorrow, under the heading The New Electors notice of the Holy Roman Empire, he says, Who would be the head of state of a united Europe?

   He says the head of state would have to be elected. See, he tries to look democratic, and it would probably be best to elect him for life. The risks can, however, he says, be minimized.

   He realizes there are risks to electing a man for life. Especially when you see how he is to be elected. And he says the risk can be minimized as much as is humanly possible by a careful selection of the members of the electoral body.

   Brethren, see if you can't tie this in with what we just read in Revelation 17, where ten kings say, We elect you for our man. You can be our dictator. We're going to give all of our power to you.

   Audustin Hopswerk says in his book, It would seem best to select for this purpose, the heads of the various national states, the ten kings, presidents as well as monarchs. It would be their task, these men, these monarchs and presidents, it would be their task to elect for life the supreme guardian of law and justice in Europe, like the great electors of the Holy Roman Empire.

   They would, as far as is humanly possible, guarantee the independence and stability of the highest office in the state. And just recently, Pope John Paul II awarded the Grand Cross with ribbon and star, which is the highest honor that the Catholic Church can bestow.

   Pope John Paul II bestowed this on Ottolf von Habsburg. Otto von Habsburg recently said what should be done in the case of the ultimate challenge, which he figures would be atomic blackmail. He says the challenge of the atomic age can only be met by an individual, by one person, never by a collective body.

   For where decisions have to be taken in seconds, there can be no debate. Will we even have registration or won't we have registration for the draft? Yes, in the case of the ultimate challenge, he says: first of all, the concept of national emergency would have to be redefined, and the proclamation of such a state would have to lead automatically.

   Do you remember the emergency laws? Well, he says it would lead automatically to the emergency laws coming into force. And the most essential point would be as follows: all power would be transferred without delay to a single person, he says for a period of nine months.

   Of course, once the man has power, he's not going to let go of it after nine months, and this man to have the right during this period of emergency to suspend any laws and to adopt any measures necessary for the survival of the population. Otto van Hochberg is now a member of the new European Parliament, which meets regularly at Strasbourg since last year.

   What about the woman, brethren, that mounts the beat? Well, she is very active. I was in Otto Boeren, a very little town with a Benedictine abbey near Munich in September of 1977.

   And I believe that I was there to witness the kickoff of the Catholic Church's efforts to bring about a united Europe. I was there when the Bishop of Augsburg, Joseph Stemfel, said, In the name of the triune God, I officially open these Europe days in Otto Boyerin. Cardinal Benelli, the present Pope Maker, said in his speech, the call is to unite Europe.

   This is the hour for Christians to act. The new Europe, he said, needs a spiritual foundation. While I was there in Otto Bayern, I saw these posters and I was able to talk someone into giving me one of these.

   I thought it would be very interesting to show you. I've been showing this poster since 1977. I still think it's very significant.

   As I said, I believe I witnessed the Catholic Church's kickoff to get the whole church behind a united Europe. By the way, Benelli also in his speech said that the priests should take this message for a united Europe to every parish and down to every last member of the church.

   This heading here in yellow says in German, Euhopa Jetst einen, which translated means unite Europe now. And the hierarchy of the Catholic Church from all over Europe was present, even the Catholic politicians from all over Europe were present. And then here's a clipping from March 28, 1980, from the St. Louis Review. European unity called for by the Pope. Pope John Paul II called for European unity in a message to the nations of Europe, March 21.

   The message marked the opening of the 15th centenary of the birth of St. Benedict. Who by the way is the coming patron saint of this united Europe.

   The Pope held up the efforts of Saint Benedict to create a Christian unity in the old world as a model for a new united Europe. He went on to say, excuse me, here again, the Pope was talking about which language they should be using. The pontiff extolled Latin as the language of the old Europe spoken commonly by the men of culture and use in the liturgy. So he's pressing for that.

   And here in the World Wide News of June the 16th, this year, Mr. Armstrong, under the heading Completion of Work Near???: World conditions may force European nations and possibly some Balkan nations, ten in all, says Mr. Armstrong, to unite, bringing to pass the revived Holy Roman Empire, even yet this year or possibly next. And our work, the Philadelphia era, will probably be finished about the time this European empire is united.

   Those nations have wanted to unite politically with a common currency and common military force for some time, but have been unable. It can be accomplished only through the Vatican. Yes, Mr. Armstrong knows that the Vatican is going to play an important part. Brethren, how much time do we need? We don't need a lot of years.

   You know, Hosea chapter 5, I won't turn to it now, but in verse 13 to 14 (Hosea 5:13-14), Hosea talks about another war in the Middle East. He talks about when Ephraim saw his sickness, and would you believe it, the British do not see their economic sickness yet today. Of course, North Sea Oil has staved it off somewhat.

   But when Britain saw, Ephraim saw his sickness, then Judah gets a wound. There will be another war in the Middle East, and that, of course, could touch everything off.

   That would force Europe to unite. That would force Europe to march into the Middle East, even as we saw in Daniel 11 to secure the oil. That would force the kings of the East to come across the Euphrates.

   That would force Armageddon. I want to turn in closing to Matthew chapter 24, brethren. Matthew 24:3 as Christ sat upon the Mount of Olives the disciples came to him privately saying tell us when shall these things be you see he had talked about a time that would be so terrible he said there would be no one stone left upon another and he said or the apostles asked him and what shall be the sign of your coming and the sighing of the end of the world. And this chapter can only be understood as an answer to these questions.

   And so he says, take heed that no man deceive you. Many would come in his name, deceiving many. Then he says in verse 6, there would be wars and rumors of wars, but the end is not yet.

   Then verse 7, he shows that there would be world wars, kingdom against kingdom, and famines. And we have never had famine like we have it today. And pestilences and earthquakes in different places.

   And they'll start to hit in population centers. And he says, But these are the beginning of sorrows. In verse 14, this gospel of the kingdom, the good news that God is going to have a family born of him, ruling with Jesus Christ, his born Son, bringing the world peace and justice and plenty.

   And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached. And, brethren, I do not know of any other church on earth that is preaching this gospel in all the world for a witness and unto all nations, and then shall the end come.

   Verse 21, he says, There will be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world, to this time no, nor ever shall be. The worst time ever. And he says, except those days of this great tribulation would be shortened, there would no flesh be saved, nothing would be left alive.

   But he says, for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. And he shows us how they're going to be shortened in verse 27. For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even unto the west, there's going to be a great rock cut out without hands and is going to smite the kingdoms of this earth to bits.

   And there's going to be only the kingdom of God left forever and ever and ever for those who are smart enough to see it and shines even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Jesus Christ is going to return and set up God's kingdom.

   Verse 30, and then shall appear the sighing of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Yes, and we with him, as we saw.

   Verse 31, and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four different directions of north, south, east, and west from one end of heaven, in the atmosphere from the other. And he says, Now learn a parable of the fig tree because he wants us to know exactly when he's returning. That's the question they asked him, when will these things be? What will be the signs of your coming and of the end of this age? He says, Learn the parable of the fig tree.

   He says, When his branch is yet tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. And if we're smart brethren, we're going to listen to what he says in verse 33. So likewise, you, when you shall see all these things, what things?

   The things that he has mentioned in this chapter, that we would be deceived. There would be deceivers. There would be wars, rumors of wars, world wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes, the gospel being preached in all the world for a witness, a great tribulation so great that if he didn't come and stop it, no one would be left alive.

   So likewise, you, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door. And verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. And it's impossible that he meant the generation of the apostles whom he was talking to.

   It means the generation when finally man would have the power to blast all life into oblivion. Verse 42: Watch, therefore, for you know not what hour your Lord does come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known, and that's why we're supposed to watch in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

   And he says, Therefore, be you also ready, even as Mr. Armstrong has been admonishing us to be ready.