Volume 41 Issue Eight August 2022

Last Trumpet Ministries · PO Box 806 · Beaver Dam, WI 53916

Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org

“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” 

I Cor. 14:8

The Earth Shall Wax Old

“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.”

Isaiah 51:6

“Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”

Psalm 102:25-27


When people hear the word “apocalypse” they often think of the Book of Revelation. This is fitting because the word apocalypse is taken from the Greek word “apokálypsis;” which means “revelation.” (1) In particular, the word apocalypse is usually associated with revelations regarding end-time prophecy and events. While the book of Revelation contains many Scriptures regarding the world’s final days, there are an abundance of other apocalyptic messages found throughout God’s Word. For example, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ spends the entirety of Matthew, chapter 24, describing both the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 A.D. and also the end of the world. The Apostle Paul devotes II Timothy, chapter 3, to the “perilous times” (verse 1) that would occur in “the last days” and even warns that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (verse 13.) The Apostle Peter wrote of the end times in II Peter, chapter 3, warning in verse 3; “There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.” He then offers a vivid description of God’s judgment upon the earth by writing in verse 10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

How is it that God, who lovingly and meticulously created this world and then proclaimed His creation to be “very good” in Genesis 1:31, could ever allow this world to be burned up? Over time, this planet has been ravaged by sin, suffering the effects of greed, selfishness, unbridled lust, hatred, and a lack of regard for Almighty God. When God decides it is time for this world to be destroyed, much of the damage will have already been inflicted by mankind. Thus, as a property owner might find a dilapidated and unsound building condemned and subject to demolition, God, too, will demolish this world.

Scriptures in the Old Testament tell us that the world we now occupy will eventually wear out and “wax old like a garment.” Isaiah 51:6 declares, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.” A remarkably similar passage can be found in Psalm 102:25-27, which tells us, “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.” Even as these verses reveal the ultimate demise of our world, we see the promises that not only will God Himself endure for all eternity, but His salvation, too, will endure for all eternity. It is for this reason that Jesus promises in John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” As the forthcoming content of this newsletter will reveal, our world is facing astonishing trouble in the days ahead. As such, the promises of God are exceedingly precious to His people, and we will need His mercy and grace to endure the coming months and years.

 
A Famine Emergency

One would reasonably expect that in today’s advanced society, which has become dominated by sophisticated technology, fewer people would be going hungry. Yet, reports indicate that an estimated 828 million people worldwide went hungry in 2021. (2) David Beasley, who is the head of the United Nations’ World Food Programme, claims the crisis is only growing worse in 2022. “A record 345 million acutely hungry people are marching to the brink of starvation,” Beasley declared. He further went on to say, “There’s a real danger it will climb even higher in the months ahead. Even more worrying is that when this group is broken down, a staggering fifty million people in forty-five countries are just one step away from famine.” (3) Supply chain issues related to pandemic shutdowns in recent years, along with inflation and the war between Russia and Ukraine are said to be contributing factors in global food insecurity. “Global price spikes in food, fuel, and fertilizers that we are seeing as a result of the crisis in Ukraine threaten to push families around the world into famine,” Beasley further warned. (4) According to a report from The Guardian, famine is defined as “an extreme deprivation of food where starvation, death, destitution, and extremely critical levels of acute malnutrition are or will likely be evident.” Areas within the countries of Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen, and Afghanistan already meet the criteria for famine. (5)

Thankfully, Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement in July 2022 to allow wheat shipments to resume at Ukraine’s ports. (6) If the deal holds, it should help alleviate some of the food shortages in Africa. However, it should be noted that the crisis in Africa goes far beyond wheat shipments from Ukraine. Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya are currently suffering from the worst drought this region has seen in forty years. “Farmers have watched their crops shrivel up, wilt and die due to a lack of rain… harvests are up to 70 percent below the norm in affected areas,” lamented World Food Programme spokesperson Tomson Phiri. (7) It is estimated that one million livestock have died because of this historic drought. “Dead animals by the roadside are a common sight – they have not been hit by passing vehicles, but rather died in large numbers from thirst and starvation,” Phiri said. It was reported in April 2022 that food costs had risen by 66 percent in Ethiopia and 36 percent in Somalia. To make matters worse, the price of water had risen a whopping 72 percent in Somalia during this same time period. (8) Nearly a million Somalians have left their homes in search of food and basic necessities in recent months. (9)


A Historic Megadrought In The United States

For those of us who live in the United States, Africa seems like a distant faraway place. There are likely many Americans who cannot even find Somalia on a map. However, the extreme dryness in the Horn of Africa clearly demonstrates how devastating a prolonged drought can be, and we, the American people, should realize that our country, too, is facing enormous challenges in the days to come. On July 12, 2022, it was reported that forty American states were experiencing some form of drought. (10)

While recent rainfall has improved the situation in some areas, much of the country remains in crisis as crops fail and water sources continue to dry up. Some areas, including much of the northeastern United States, have been suffering from “flash drought.” Spurred by low precipitation and high temperatures, this type of drought strikes suddenly and unexpectedly. For example, the state of Massachusetts reported no drought just two months ago, but now 80 percent of the state is experiencing moderate to severe drought. (11) The state of Rhode Island is also in crisis mode as nearly the entire state has fallen into a severe drought. “Most farmers are scared to death. We’re coming up on August. When they make fruit or grain, they really need water,” said Henry Wright who is president of the U.S. Farm Bureau. (12) The state of New York is also dryer than usual, which prompted Governor Kathy Hochul to order a drought watch for twenty-one New York counties. “Recent rains across the state were not enough to address the dry conditions that have persisted this year. Local water restrictions and educating residents about how to help conserve our water resources will be crucial steps to help prevent a more severe shortage should conditions worsen,” Hochul said. (13)

Meanwhile, the southwestern United States is suffering from what scientists are calling the worst “megadrought” in 1,200 years. (14) “2021 was a pretty exceptional drought year out west. And 2020 was pretty dry too. So it seems like this drought was kind of continuing, so we decided to kind of do an updated assessment,” said NASA scientist Benjamin Cook. Sadly, this years-long dry period is not expected to end any time soon. “For the drought to end this year or next year, we’re gonna need one or two winters of pretty solid, above-average precipitation to kind of dig us out of the hole we’re in. And maybe it’ll happen. But looking at historical variability, it’s unlikely,” Cook warned. (15)

How bad is the drought? Ninety-seven percent of the state of Texas experienced some form of drought in July 2022. As of July 30, 2022, the Dallas-Fort Worth area has not seen any measurable rainfall in fifty-six days. (16) Combined with scorching heat, the lack of precipitation has resulted in much of the state falling into “severe,” “extreme,” or “exceptional” drought. When exceptional drought occurs, the consequences include “widespread crop failure” and “extreme sensitivity to wildfires and grassfires.” Ranchers are sometimes forced to liquidate their herds early as there is inadequate water to care for the animals. Trees and wildlife struggle to survive, too. About 24 million Texans are living in drought-stricken areas. (16)

A large portion of the western United States uses the Colorado River as its primary water source. This important river originates in Rocky Mountain National Park near Grand Lake, Colorado, and stretches for 1,450 miles. About forty million people in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming rely on this crucial water source for agricultural and municipal needs. (17) However, a twenty-two year drought in the region has resulted in the Colorado River losing twenty percent of its flow since the year 2000. (18) The mighty river is responsible for filling two of the nation’s largest reservoirs – Lake Mead in the states of Nevada and Arizona, and Lake Powell in the states of Arizona and Utah. Both of these reservoirs have been drying up at a steady pace and now sit at nearly three-fourths empty. Lake Mead’s water level, which now stands at about 1,045 feet above sea level, is expected to drop an additional twenty-six feet by July 2023. If the reservoir reaches a level of 895 feet above sea level, water will no longer flow through the Hoover Dam and will thus cut off much of California and Arizona’s water supply. (19) It should be noted that both Lake Mead and Lake Powell are used to harness hydroelectricity, so if the levels at these reservoirs continue to drop, it could also put the United States’ power grid at risk.

In response to the astonishing decline of the Colorado River, the United States Department of the Interior has announced a new initiative to protect this crucial water source. “We have urgent need to act now. We need to be taking action in all states, in all sectors, and in all available ways,” admonished Tanya Trujillo, who is the assistant secretary for water and science at the Department of the Interior. She later went on to say, “The Colorado River Basin faces greater risks than at any other time in our modern history.” The Federal government announced in June 2022 that the amount of water allocated to the seven states that rely on the Colorado River will be cut by two to four million acre-feet in 2023. (20)

In truth, this crisis affects everyone in the United States even if you do not live in the southwestern portion of this country. Water from the Colorado River is used to irrigate fifteen percent of American agriculture and approximately 90 percent of our country’s winter vegetables. (21) This dire situation prompted the Arizona Republic to publish a headline on June 8, 2022, asking, “Why is almost no one planning for a future without the Colorado River?” (22)

Meanwhile, the famous Great Salt Lake in Utah reached its lowest level ever recorded in July 2022. After declining to a surface water elevation of 4,190.1 feet, the lake broke a record that had been set all the way back in October 1963. “This is not the type of record we like to break,” said Utah’s Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Joel Ferry. He further added, “Urgent action is needed to help protect and preserve this critical resource. It’s clear the lake is in trouble.” (23) If this drought persists, however, it will be more than lakes and reservoirs that are in trouble. A protracted megadrought will have far-reaching ramifications for the entire country. Will God be merciful, or will this drought continue? Time will tell.


A Soil Crisis

When we shop at a supermarket these days, it is not unusual to find that some of the products we’re looking for are out of stock. Shortages of various items became common during the pandemic and further fueled inflationary pressure that made the simple necessity of purchasing food far more expensive. In recent months we’ve seen shortages of products such as eggs and chicken wings because of a bird flu outbreak that has impacted more than forty million poultry in the United States. (24) Shortages of fertilizer, attributed to the war in Ukraine, have made life more difficult for farmers around the world. (25) When we factor in high fuel costs, which can be devastating to farmers, and the historic drought in the American southwest, one might wonder if there’s anything else that could possibly go wrong. The answer might be surprising to some.

Yet another crisis has been building for years, but it is a problem that not many people have heard about. The world is running out of topsoil. A report published on April 19, 2022, reveals that the Midwest portion of the United States has lost 57.6 metric tons of topsoil over the last 160 years. (26) Without good soil, it is almost impossible to grow crops. In fact, 95 percent of the world’s food supply relies on soil in one way or another, (27) but this absolutely vital resource is disappearing all over the world. “There are places that have already lost all of their topsoil,” said Jo Handelsman, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (28) A piece published by Time Magazine in 2012 claims that “soil is being lost at between 10 and 40 times the rate at which it can be naturally replenished.” The same piece also indicates that 70 percent of the earth’s topsoil is already gone, and the world is on pace to run out of usable topsoil in sixty years. (29) Please remember that this report was published nearly a decade ago. If these calculations are correct, the world could find itself in quite the predicament over the next half-century.

In the meantime, as soil erosion continues, food has become significantly less nutritious. “Modern wheat varieties, for example, have half the micronutrients of older strains, and it’s pretty much the same for fruit and vegetables. The focus has been on breeding high-yield crops which can survive on degraded soil, so it’s hardly surprising that 60 percent of the world’s population is deficient in nutrients like iron. If it’s not in the soil, it’s not in our food,” said Professor John Crawford, who was a professor at the University of Sydney in Australia at the time. (30)

My father used to say that the Bible is “more accurate than tomorrow’s newspaper.” When we consider that the earth is even losing its soil, the words of Isaiah the prophet seem all the more prescient. This trend is more evidence that the world is indeed wearing out and waxing old like a garment.


The Self-Inflicted Demise Of Humanity

The days which Jesus Christ prophesied of in Luke 23:29 have surely come to pass. This verse tells us, “For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.” This is precisely the attitude that has become common in our world and even more so in recent weeks. When the United States Supreme Court overturned the contentious Roe v. Wade decision on June 24, 2022, and made the legality of abortion a state-by-state decision, it ignited a national firestorm that saw throngs of people protesting for their so-called right to slaughter innocent and helpless children in the womb.

After the Supreme Court’s intention to overturn Roe v. Wade was leaked in May 2022, a man was so filled with rage that he traveled from California to Maryland in early June with the intent of killing Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The man was arrested outside of Kavanaugh’s home. (31) As a result of this aggressive intrusion, American President Joe Biden signed a bill into law on June 16, 2022, which provides Supreme Court justices with around-the-clock security protection. (32) In the weeks that followed, protestors continuously gathered outside of the homes of the justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. These angry people are often heard to be chanting, “No privacy for us, no peace for you.” (33)

An increasing number of people are going far beyond protests, however. In the weeks since June 24, 2022, doctors reports that inquiries from women regarding permanent sterilization are on the rise. “I’ve had more consultations for sterilization in volume per patient load than I’ve ever had in my career,” said Dr. Michelle Muldrow of San Antonio, Texas. She further went on to say, “Never before have I seen so many women in such a panic or state of anxiety about their bodies and their reproductive rights. They feel like this is their only option.” (34) One woman who decided to undergo the irreversible procedure explained her reasoning, saying, “Because of Roe being overturned, it is causing me to undergo a major surgery and take on the complications and risks that come with it just so that I don’t have to worry about carrying an unwanted pregnancy.” (35)

Sadly, it is not just women who are seeking to be sterilized. Following the Supreme Court’s decision, more men have been seeking to be sterilized, too. “There is a definitive uptick in men exploring vasectomies. The Supreme Court decision has prompted a lot of conversation about contraception in general, as well as raising the awareness about vasectomy as an effective, low cost, safe, and permanent method of contraception that gives men control over their procreation,” said Dr. Alex Shteynshlyuger of New York City. The doctor reports that he normally receives fifteen calls each week from men interested in vasectomies, but in the week Roe v. Wade was overturned, the number of calls spiked to seventy-two. (36)

As I’ve covered in other newsletters, the majority of the western world, including the United States, is suffering from a birthrate crisis. Couples are already not having enough children to reach replacement level, which requires a birthrate of 2.1 children per woman of child-bearing years. The recent Supreme Court decision has exposed one of the underlying factors in this crisis. Simply put, there is a large percentage of men and women in the United States who never want to have children. In fact, results from a study published by Michigan State University in July 2022 revealed that one in five adults say they want to remain childfree for the entirety of their lives. This amounts to between fifty and sixty million American adults. (37)

Another contributing factor to the birthrate crisis is the fact that more people than ever before are homosexual. According to a report published by NBC News on July 3, 2022, one in five people belonging to Generation Z self-identify as LGBTQ. (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, or Questioning) (38) Those classified as Generation Z were born between 1997 and 2012. (39) Obviously, two men are not able to procreate, and two women cannot either, although they sometimes become pregnant through medical intervention. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that a large proportion of this population segment will never have children.

What does the future hold? If the propensity toward self-destructive behavior continues, humanity may not have much of a future at all. Our world is in crisis, and multiple indicators demonstrate that the planet we occupy is degrading by the day. This is a terrifying prospect for those who do not know our God. Thankfully, we know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has gone to prepare a place for His people. Thus, we look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Isaiah 65:17 declares, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” We are further told in Revelation 21:1-3, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” If you have not yet repented of your sins and dedicated your life to God, I urge you to do so now.

Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. We’ve been very busy, and because of this heavy workload, this newsletter is being published slightly later than usual. We apologize for the delay and thank you for your patience. If you have any prayer requests, we invite you to send them our way. Our team of intercessors gives each request individual attention. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Samuel David Meyer


This newsletter is made possible by the kind donations of our supporters. If you would like to help us, you may send your contribution to our postal address or donate online at http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/donate.


Acknowledgments

01. Dictionary.com, http://dictionary.com/browse/apocalypse.com.

02. World Food Programme, July 19, 2022, By World Food Programme, http://wfp.org.

03. Associated Press, July 7, 2022, By Associated Press, http://apnews.com.

04. World Food Programme, July 19, 2022, By World Food Programme, http://wfp.org.

05. The Guardian, July 6, 2022, By Lizzy Davies, http://theguardian.com.

06. The Wall Street Journal, July 22, 2022, By Kirk Maltais, http://wsj.com.

07. International Banker, July 19, 2022, By Samantha Barnes, http://internationalbanker.com.

08. Ibid.

09. Anadolu Agency, July 4, 2022, By Mohammed Dhaysane, http://aa.com.tr.

10. The Hill, July 12, 2022, By Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, http://thehill.com.

11. Gizmodo, July 30, 2022, By Angely Mercado, http://gizmodo.com.

12. The Providence Journal, July 29, 2022, By Linda Borg, http://providencejournal.com.

13. NBC New York, July 29, 2022, By NBC New York, http://nbcnewyork.com.

14. The Scientific American, February 15, 2022, By Chelsea Harvey, http://scientificamerican.com.

15. Ibid.

16. WFAA News, July 29, 2022, By Mairel Ruiz, http://wfaa.com.

17. Utah Division of Water Resources, http://water.utah.gov.

18. Los Angeles Times, June 20, 2022, By Ian James, http://latimes.com.

19. Ibid.

20. Ibid.

21. Utah Division of Water Resources, http://water.utah.gov.

22. Arizona Republic, June 8, 2022, By Joanna Allhands, http://azcentral.com.

23. The Hill, July 6, 2022, By Caroline Vakil, http://thehill.com.

24. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 28, 2022, http://cdc.gov.

25. The Washington Post, July 14, 2022, By David J. Lynch and Laura Reiley, http://washingtonpost.com.

26. Smithsonian Magazine, April 19, 2022, By Elizabeth Gamillo, http://smithsonianmag.com.

27. CNBC, June 5, 2022, By Andrea Miller, http://cnbc.com.

28. Ibid.

29. Time Magazine, December 14, 2022, By World Economic Forum, http://time.com.

30. Ibid.

31. Axios, July 29, 2022, By Julia Shapero, http://axios.com.

32. Associated Press, June 16, 2022, By Associated Press, http://apnews.com.

33. CBN News, August 1, 2022, By Caitlin Burke, http://cbn.com.

34. Los Angeles Times, July 19, 2022, By Melissa Gomez, http://latimes.com.

35. Ibid.

36. The Guardian, July 28, 2022, By John Semley, http://theguardian.com.

37. StudyFinds, July 27, 2022, By John Anderer, http://studyfinds.org.

38. NBC News, July 3, 2022, By Dante Chinni, http://nbcnews.com.

39. Ibid.


If you would like to submit a prayer request, you may send email to prayer@ltmmail.org or mail it to our postal address.

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