Course Content
For some 60 years the "doomsday clock" has been ticking in Chicago, sponsored by the directors of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. They set it at seven minutes to midnight—midnight being a nuclear holocaust—back in 1947.
For some 60 years the "doomsday clock" has been ticking in Chicago, sponsored by the directors of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. They set it at seven minutes to midnight—midnight being a nuclear holocaust—back in 1947. Since then its hands have been moved forward and backward according to world tensions. According to The Bulletin Online, on Jan. 18 the clock was moved two minutes forward. It is now set at five minutes to midnight.
According to Max Hastings, editor of the Daily Mail, "The clock's hand is being advanced for the first time in four years" (Jan. 17, 2007). Many atomic scientists think that the world is now entering a very dangerous nuclear phase. Once that nuclear line is crossed and someone again uses an atomic device, it will make repetition almost inevitable.
In the wake of Iran 's feverish determination to achieve nuclear weapons, six Arab states have indicated a desire or intention to go nuclear. They are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. Nuclear proliferation could be on the verge of getting out of control, especially in the already dangerous Middle East.
Professor Colin Gray, in his book Another Bloody Century, wrote that "future warfare will see the use of weapons of mass destruction, including those of a nuclear variety." Many atomic scientists agree. To understand more about the dangerous world in which we are now living, request our free booklet Are We Living in the Time of the End? (Sources: The Bulletin Online, Daily Mail [London].)
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
