This is the last issue of World News and Prophecyas a stand-alone publication. Beginning in January 2012 we are moving World News and Prophecycontent to our sister publication, The Good News—replacing 16 black-and-white newsletter pages with 16 full-color magazine pages at a lower mailing cost. This upgrade will give a wider and more efficient circulation to articles covering today's news in the light of Bible prophecy.

The focus of this publication over its 13 years of coverage has always been on times to come. This last "Restoration" column will be no exception. I'd like to again point straight ahead to the future, which is the whole point.

World events continue to signal a significant shift in the power and influence of nations. The European financial crisis is moving the eurozone to a position closer to one described in Bible prophecy for the end-time power. To survive, the European project will have to include a political integration that transcends national sovereignty. For most nations this is unthinkable. However, the collapse of the eurozone is even more unthinkable. Watch for Europe to ultimately transform itself into a far greater power than its present form—though calamity may befall it first.

Turmoil in the Middle East slowly changes this volatile and critical region. Libya's Muammar Gaddafi was finally hunted down and killed in October. The next phase of the Egyptian revolution awaits an election and the emergence of new leadership. And then there's the potentially explosive situation in troubled Syria.

American troops are leaving Iraq by the end of 2011. Will this embolden Iran to meddle further in its internal affairs? The Palestinian issue continues to isolate Israel in world opinion. These various elements are swirling together, waiting to coalesce into a new phase of history.

All of this will impact our lives in the coming years. And you will continue to see a window on this developing world through the writing of our experienced staff. The Bible is our geopolitical guidebook that frames our view of the modern human condition. No other body of work has stood the test of time, providing a unique understanding of the world and the events that shape history. Without hesitation or apology, we base our analysis on the infallible Word of God.

Though this column will cease, its vision will not. The hope of restoration in a world of inequality and injustice will continue to form and shape all future articles. The Kingdom of God on this earth under the hand of Jesus Christ is the next great phase of God's plan. We look ahead, even though only through a dark and shadowy glass now, to the time when God will restore to this earth His loving government and rule. We deal in hope, not despair, and we see a bright future coming.

The idea of "restoration" is a worldview that opens onto a large sunlit landscape of life. It beckons us to higher thoughts. It challenges us to make our place in the world better, safer, with joy over God's blessings today and confidence in what's ultimately coming. This restoration is the indispensable key to experiencing a touch of excellence amidst the mediocrity of the present. You and I cannot come near our potential in this life without this key of understanding.

The aim in all our publications is to make the Kingdom of God live in your mind and heart. Our goal is to give understanding of this world and inspire you toward a better way of life. Stay with us, and let's finish this amazing journey together.