Unleashing the Beast

290 / U NLEASHING THE B EAST

I am convinced that God is trying to dispatch a message, not just to the leaders and rank-and-file of our nation, but specifically to the body of believers in America. He is trying to get our attention. Furthermore, I believe there is Biblical evidence of what the Lord is saying to this nation and to the nations of the world through the tragedy and ramifications of 9/11. Soon after the attacks my friend, Bill Cloud, pointed out to me that there was, within the Bible, a passage with 9/11 overtones. After reading the entire passage (Isaiah 30:1 25) I was persuaded that September 11, 2001, was a dramatic wake-up call for America and for the church. Beyond that, it was an invitation to look more closely at the political and cultural trends in our society and, possibly, a foreshadowing of Islam's role in the end times. Furthermore, a considerable portion of Isaiah 30 can be viewed prophetically; and I believe it actually points to 9/ 11 as a key element in understanding how the end of the age may unfold. F OR THE T IME TO C OME Understand, first of all, that some passages of prophetic Scripture can be interpreted as having dual applications. For instance, the Lord identifies Israel in Hosea 11:1 as His son whom He calls "out of Egypt"—referring obviously to Israel's exodus from the land of the Pharaohs. Yet, we see that Matthew quotes this passage when referring to the return of Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus from Egypt following Herod's death (Matthew 2:15). Thus, some prophetic passages may apply to more than one