Dear Associates, Students and Friends:

The year 2000 finds the world in the best economic condition it has ever been since the time of Solomon. Why do I select the time of "Solomon" as the example of world prosperity like we are now having at the start of this Time of the End? That is because Solomon was a "type of the Messiah" (Christ) and for his reign of 40 years, there was relative peace throughout the world [the word "Solomon" itself means "peace"]. For all practical purposes Solomon controlled the world in an economic (not merely a militaristic) sense, yet it must be acknowledged that Solomon had a strong military force at home and in his naval enterprises that prevented upstart tyrants from emerging on the world scene. The central characteristic that Solomon possessed (that the Scriptures state was given to him by God as a gift) was the power and ability to know how to deal with people and to make people do things for him as the king (and even as the emperor, as Solomon was likened in the world). But equally important, Solomon knew how to get ordinary people to do things for themselves and for others in order to benefit and to prosper the whole of the community. Communities should not fight one another to be supreme over others, but all communities should strive to help one another to accomplish the well being of all. It worked in Solomon’s time, and it will work for us.

This is the key to the understanding of how to reach world prosperity for us who live in modern times. For real abundance to come and to be perpetuated, there must be a central benevolent power to keep rebellious nations and peoples in check [like Israel was in the time of King Solomon], and that power or society must be one that the mainline people will accept and support with all their hearts because it is a benign power with the object of helping the people and all in the world to have a good and happy and prosperous life. When this psychological attitude is prevalent in any society, prosperity and good times will come to all who subscribe to that type of civilization. That happened in the time of Solomon, and Solomon was given the wisdom by God to adopt this principle as proper and he practiced it with a fervor. The majority of people in the world loved King Solomon. Other kings and princes over the earth sent their daughters to Solomon to be his wives [in marriage or treaty arrangements] in order to have peace and tranquility in the world. In other words, every kingdom on earth in the time of Solomon had a covenant relationship with each other through marriage and kinship with Solomon. He became the "father figure" in all government over the earth. And indeed, Christ Jesus will do the same when he returns. Like Solomon (but even better), Christ will become the King of all nations on this earth with many covenant alliances [devoted to the King, Christ] that will keep all nations in a type of "family relationship." This will result in universal peace throughout the whole earth.

But what about today? We do not yet have that kind of "father figure" or "membership in the same family" type of relationship with all nations on earth, but we do have something similar that God has allowed all of us at the End Time to enjoy for a short period before the holocaust of destruction and woe hits the world community as described in the Book of Revelation and other parts of the Holy Scriptures. We have the United States along with other strong democratic powers who are presently benign in their exercise of government to keep in control the other nefarious governments of the world who are in many ways a detriment to themselves and to the world at large by their wrong use of false religions and tyrannical societies to keep their people in servitude to them. People should understand that freedom from such false religions and secular societies is what can help to make the world a safer place to live, but also one that is prosperous and benevolent. God wants each of us who is living at the start of the End-Time generation on our doorstep to witness the kind of abundance and community spirit that can give all of us happier lives and a feeling of accomplishment in aiding ourselves, our communities, our nation, and yes, even the world.

I know what I am talking about. Remember some 15 months ago when I wrote an article showing that the coming Y2K event would be the most wonderful time to show a community spirit and to meet the problems at hand? All of you should read that report again (and those of you on the Internet can do so by simply clicking in to the article on the ASK Home Page). I told you the truth of what would happen, and I was correct (as I knew I would be). But much to my dismay, several people have told me that many (even who get our ASK material) refused to listen to me and went ahead with elaborate preparations for the immediate end of our civilization. They normally said: "I know Doctor Martin means well, but in this case he is wrong, there is going to be world catastrophe." But it was THEY who were wrong (as I said they would be).

God’s people who went in this wrong direction ought to be ashamed of themselves for participating in the teachings and practices of religious hucksters and false prophets. Listen, there may be a time when having an adequate supply of foods and other essentials would be wise, but in no case is this necessary on a grand scale for those in the western world for the next few years in advance of us. I am a historian who has studied the biblical prophecies for years, and let me tell you the truth, the chronology is NOT YET RIGHT for the full development of God’s judgments on the evil world. We still have a few years left before the events of the Book of Revelation have their fulfillment. But what should we prepare for NOW, and in the future? You need to send for my new Prophetic Report that will accompany the March issue of the Communicator. It is titled: "How to Prepare for the Future." If you want sound and strong biblical teaching (rather than the uninspired guesses and rantings of some sophisticated religious hucksters and false prophets who are prone to make monkeys out of those who believe them), then mark the enclosed coupon next to the title of this new research. You will be glad you did. The information can protect you and your family from the real threats that the future might hold, rather than the utter and complete nonsense that some of the religious "speculators" are teaching that scare you into buying hoards of foodstuffs, generators, batteries and, oh yes, lest I forget, boxes upon boxes of toilet tissue. For your instruction in matters like these, read again the article I wrote on Y2K some 15 months ago. What I said was that Y2K would actually be good for society and it would bring a time of community effort to benefit all, and it did. I knew what I was talking about.

Let me now make a point for future prophetic events that are just on the horizon. What happened with Y2K on New Year’s Day (with the unusual amount of communities working together in harmony so that chaos would not develop) is what is prophesied to happen to the people of Jerusalem in the not too distant future when God sends "a spirit of grace and supplication" (Zechariah 12:10). The truth is, we are going to see even more "community efforts" that will be good for all, and this will include the Jewish people and the Muslim people of Jerusalem and Palestine. When this NEW "spirit of grace and supplication" happens in Jerusalem it will result in Jewish people beginning to help (not only other Jewish people) but Arabs and other Muslims and Christians. They will have to change their ways (as all of us have to change ours), but when God sends a "spirit of grace and supplication" IT WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. It will be so good that people in Jordan, Syria and Egypt will be asking the Jews to come into their countries to help them in medical, scientific, agricultural and other economic matters. A great harmony is soon to start in the Middle East. It will last a short time before the Antichrist appears on the scene. This is prophesied in the Holy Scriptures.

This co-operation among peoples (with ourselves even leading the way) should begin as soon as possible. Instead of "fleeing to the mountains," hoarding food and other supplies to protect ourselves (with plenty of weapons to protect our "hoard"), we ought to behave as Sons and Daughters of God by telling the world what God the Father and His Firstborn Son, Christ Jesus, has in store for all. We are on the verge of the greatest time for teaching the Gospel in all history. This is not the time to retreat to the hills (or to flee to Tarshish like Jonah), it is the time to advance into all the world with the flag of freedom being carried (true Christian teaching) until we reach the geographical end of the world, like Christ commanded (Matthew 24:14). I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the financial offerings that you give to ASK to help us get out the Gospel to the world. Put your money into getting out the Gospel, NOT in hoarding it up for a flimsy and selfish future that will always end in disappointment. Enough said! Brethren, I love you all, and the Father and Christ love you more than ever. Put your trust in them. As ever,

Ernest L. Martin