Articles from Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry are the most important content we produce. They’re the articles that we, as writers, build our own coverage around.

Over the last few years I’ve developed a sort of annual tradition of going back over Mr. Flurry’s material at the end of each calendar year. Collecting his articles gives a fascinating insight into his priorities. It’s a great way to review the most important stories of the last year and prepare for what is to come.

Here’s what you need to understand from 2021:

1) There is a spiritual reality behind America’s decline.

Just like 2020, this was the most common focus of Mr. Flurry’s articles. The radical changes in Britain and America cannot be hidden. The mainstream media try to hide it, but events like the shameful retreat from Afghanistan, America’s economic problems, and the election theft are becoming too big to hide.

You can get some good commentary on these stories, but only a few trace this radical transformation back to former President Barack Obama. And no one else understands the spiritual reality behind what is happening.

“This Isn’t Incompetence. This Is Treason!” was the title of Mr. Flurry’s coverage of the Afghanistan retreat. He wrote:

This has been the worst foreign-policy disaster in the nation’s history. This terrible defeat was a spectacle seen by the entire world—and they were watching intently! It will mar our history, perhaps for the rest of time.

Many people say it proves Joe Biden’s incompetence. But this catastrophe isn’t the result of bungling and bad judgment. It is a deliberate, planned effort to destroy America.

That article shows how the Bible reveals “the truth in a way that no one else can recognize. Everything is happening in a way that causes maximum destruction to this country!”

“Why Your World Is Changing So Suddenly” gives a rapid summary of how this spiritual reality is affecting every aspect of your life:

Our world has never changed so dramatically so rapidly. Leaders in politics, business, education and media are ignoring the law, violating freedoms, and enforcing radical policies on unwilling people. They are turning coronavirus, the environment, race and other issues into weapons for forcing through their agenda. This is already affecting all of us—but believe it or not, much worse is coming.

In this process, the true agenda of the radical elites is being unmasked. This is not incompetence. This is not a good-faith attempt to improve people’s lives. This is an intentional agenda from an evil motive to deliberately destroy what little good is left in our societies. Many of our leaders hate the principles that many of us cherish: free and fair elections; rule of law; honoring law enforcement; schools respecting parents and protecting the innocence of children; harmony among races; marriage and family; individual liberty; human dignity; freedom of thought, speech and religion.

You need to recognize the unseen reason why this is happening.

This spiritual dimension is perhaps most dramatically revealed in the election steal.

“Barack Obama Exposed” highlights recent statements from former director of intelligence John Ratcliffe showing how much Barack Obama knew about attempts to manufacture a false story about Trump-Russia collusion. The same statements show how much very senior people lied to cover it up. The level and extent of the deceit is shocking. Mr. Flurry wrote:

And as I have said before, these people are motivated not just by socialism and communism and hatred for America, but by something even more evil—and even more powerful.

Barack Obama and the other powerful radical elites who force others to submit to their will and who deny reality itself are absolutely dominated by the being who worships the will, is the father of lies, and who is a murderer from the beginning: Satan the devil.

“America Has No Helper,” from an earlier Trumpet issue, discussed earlier revelations, showing how many people were in on the attempt to bring down President Trump.

“America’s Broken Judgment” gives the Bible’s description of the U.S. court system—and how it is being used to tear down the nation, its families and its institutions.

Critical to understanding all of this is understanding the biblical reality about an evil spirit being working desperately against God’s plan for the world. Also published this year is a new booklet from Mr. Flurry exposing this evil being and showing how he can be overcome in your life. Overcoming Satan shows how this evil being has had so much success—and how you can draw on the power to resist him.

2) There is a spiritual reality behind Britain’s royal family.

The royal family has been a more unusual focus of Mr. Flurry’s coverage. There are few world news writers living in the U.S. who devote serious attention to Britain’s royal family—and those who do are probably gossip columnists.

But this was the focus of four articles from Mr. Flurry this year. The latest, “Threatening the Crown That Binds Britain,” explained the profound history of that throne—reaching back nearly 3,000 years:

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth ii in 1953 was filled with evidence of this inspiring biblical history. The choir sang “Zadok the Priest,” which describes the coronation of David’s son Solomon in 1 Kings 1:38-40. The ceremony was performed by priests who gave the Queen a Bible, which they called “the most valuable gift this world affords” and “the lively oracles of God.” They read to her God’s instructions to monarchs in Deuteronomy 17 and anointed her with holy oil, just as Moses anointed the first Levitical priest. She was crowned while seated over the stone of destiny, the very stone used by the patriarch Jacob during his vision of “the Lord God of Abraham” (Genesis 28:10-15).

This is why that throne was so important. It is also why it has been under attack morally and culturally, especially during Elizabeth’s reign for the last seven decades.

Mr. Flurry talked about one of these attacks in “The Real Rift Caused by the Royal Couple”:

In March, cbs aired an interview that Oprah Winfrey held with Harry, the duke of Sussex who has quit his royal duties, and his wife, Meghan Markle. A storm of media coverage followed, but almost everyone overlooked one of the most important effects of this interview: It drove a wedge in the middle of one of the greatest partnerships in history.

Britain and America have done great things by working together. Winston Churchill dedicated much of his life to building a special relationship between America and Britain. They fought together in World War i and won the war. The same occurred in World War ii. Had Britain been left to itself, it could not have won!

When these nations are divided, both are less secure. The Oprah interview contributed to that.

The royal family once brought the gift of unity; now it is being used as a tool of division.

“What Happens When Queen Elizabeth Dies?” shows how successful the attack on this family has been. The Queen “has been a remarkable example of class, duty and service to her people,” wrote Mr. Flurry. “Sadly, she represents an era in British history that is virtually gone.”

“The Queen’s death could further weaken and dissolve the already fading ties that once formed the greatest empire in history, the British Empire,” he warned. “Believe it or not, that Empire was specifically prophesied in the Bible!”

But the reason this throne is under attack is because of its spiritual dimension. The royal family sat on the throne of David. Luke 1:30-32 tell us that Jesus Christ will be given that same throne. In his article “What Does the Key of David Unlock?” Mr. Flurry wrote:

That is an extraordinary message with a family theme. It is about Jesus Christ receiving an eternal throne that is named after a human being named David! That alone shows you what an exalted place human beings have in God’s eternal plan.

Notice further: “And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (verse 33). Christ is about to rule Earth and expand the Kingdom of God forever. He will rule over human beings from that throne of David. This verse contains a majestic vision when you understand it! It is talking about an endless process of bringing human beings into the eternal Kingdom of God. This already begins to show us the spectacular understanding this key of David unlocks.

That key opens up a fantastic vision of hope, which is intimately connected with this throne.

3) Europe is about to be hijacked.

Just like last year, Mr. Flurry has a unique focus on Germany. In his article “America’s Greatest Enemy,” he warned: “America’s greatest enemy is not the Taliban, Iran, Russia or China. It is the Holy Roman Empire! We fought it as recently as World War ii, yet we don’t recognize this empire in its modern form.”

This was a big year for German leadership. Angela Merkel came just 10 days short of becoming the longest ruling postwar chancellor. Now she’s gone, and an unstable, untested coalition governs in her place.

Mr. Flurry warned, “Watch German Politics!” in the run-up to the elections that unseated her. “A new strong German leader is one of the key Bible prophecies for the end time,” he wrote. “We should watch closely for such a man to emerge from this political mess.”

Germany’s dire need for strong leadership was further exposed during America’s pullout of Afghanistan, as Mr. Flurry wrote in his article “Europe Is About to Be Hijacked.”

“Europe’s leaders were shocked by America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan,” he wrote. “The U.S. exposed its willingness to abandon our friends and allies. It proved, in fact, that we will not even help our own people!”

“Europe is in a precarious state and is on the cusp of radical change,” he wrote. The precarious state of both Europe and German politics “is going to produce a magnificent opportunity for somebody to assume power through deceit and flatteries. We must closely follow German politics. Europe truly is up for grabs.”

4) There is great hope.

If I only partially summarize Mr. Flurry’s articles, I risk leaving you with a dismal picture. Events in America are actually worse than almost everyone realizes. It’s not just bad decisions—the nation’s top leaders are working to bring the country down. And they’re backed by invisible, demonic armies. But this isn’t all America has to worry about; foreign powers are rapidly rising, many of which are more dangerous than America realizes.

But this leaves out an essential element of all of Mr. Flurry’s articles: hope.

Mr. Flurry’s articles on the political situation in America contain both a short- and a long-term hope. In “America Has No Helper,” Mr. Flurry wrote:

To understand the political turmoil engulfing this nation, you must know the prophecy of 2 Kings 14:26-27.

This passage is part of the Bible called the former prophets. It is history, but it is also prophecy for our day, particularly for America: “For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.”

“Israel” refers prophetically to America and Britain. The modern descendants of ancient Israel include these two nations, as well as the State of Israel and other nations (request a free copy of The United States and Britain in Prophecy, by Herbert W. Armstrong, for proof). There are people working to blot out the very name of Israel—and sadly, many of them are within America!

But Donald Trump is fulfilling the role of an end-time “Jeroboam,” and God has used him to save America, temporarily, from these enemies (read “Saving America From the Radical Left—Temporarily”).

This passage tells us that God has a plan for Israel—a plan that includes the whole world. God will not allow Britain and America to be wiped out. He will soon save them from their present peril.

But unless they turn to Him, that saving will be temporary. Yet the fact that God has a plan for this world—and that He is deeply involved in all the events around us—contains an even greater hope. God is working out a purpose that contains more hope and joy than anyone can possibly grasp.

I’ve not found a way to do a scientific count, but it seems to me that we’ve had more hope-filled articles from Mr. Flurry this year than in any year in the past. As times get dark, this hope becomes all the more critical.

This world has developed a warped, negative view of Britain’s and America’s history. But in his article “A Positive Vision of Empire” Mr. Flurry showed what an empire, done right, can do for the world:

We are living in the final days before this magnificent Empire of God is established! God is about to break all these other empires to pieces. We can thank God for that! Watch world events, and you quickly realize you wouldn’t want anything other than this outcome!

The history of empires and nations teaches us that men cannot rule over men. Only God can rule justly. He is about to establish His Empire in place of the governments of this world. And He is right now preparing an organized government of leaders who will rule as He guides and directs.

When that Empire is established, it will bring beauty to this world and to the universe that is truly breathtaking!

In “A Day of Hope” he described how the Feast of Trumpets—a holy day on God’s calendar—points people to the beginning of this event.

“The Ultimate Plan of God” is a mind-stretching article that challenges you to comprehend the immense scale of the future God has in store for mankind. It begins:

The gospel is the good news of the coming Family, or Kingdom, of God. God is a Family. The Bible teaches that every human being who has ever lived will have the opportunity to receive salvation and be born into the Family of God—most of them, after a resurrection that is yet to come.

But there is a mind-shattering truth we need to understand, and have not understood. Three scriptures strongly indicate that after God completes His Work on Earth—and everybody who obeys God and will become a Spirit being has become one—He will repeat what He has done here, at least to some degree, throughout all the universe!

Despite the dark news in the world, some bright events can remind us of this hope. Reminders of this staggering hope can come from the dust on Earth. As Mr. Flurry was focusing on biblical prophecies about a modern Jeroboam ii, archaeologists announced the discovery of a bulla, or seal, from this king. In “A Tiny Artifact Proclaims a Powerfully Encouraging Message,” Mr. Flurry wrote:

I don’t believe the timing of this announcement was a coincidence.

Faith is “the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). My faith is in God’s Word—not in a tiny 2,500-year-old artifact. However, such a discovery can be an inspiring miracle that God often gives to those who believe His message. That encourages us to build even more faith. As our faith grows, so do the miracles. Then our Bible comes alive as never before!

The oval-shaped bulla is small: roughly 3/4 inch tall and 1 inch wide. Though tiny, it packs a powerful message!

Repeated finds in archaeology have confirmed the accuracy of biblical events. Many of these were unearthed by Jerusalem archaeologist Eilat Mazar, who died on May 25. Mr. Flurry paid tribute to her in his article “Remembering the World’s Most Important Archaeologist.” Though, as Mr. Flurry said, “we will sorely miss her profound love of Jerusalem archaeology,” her life’s work contains much that is worth celebrating:

Although she did not regard herself as personally religious, her sense of intellectual and scientific honesty and inquiry led Dr. Mazar to use the Bible as a crucial, historically accurate document. This led her to some of the most powerful and sensational archaeological discoveries ever!

It’s not just the dust of Jerusalem that confirms the Bible’s accuracy. nasa’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars on February 18. In his article “Mars Landing: A Preview of Your Incredible Potential!” Mr. Flurry describes how the rover soon began “sending back some of the best pictures, video and even audio that we have ever had from that planet. The mission also includes test-flying a remote helicopter and gathering rock and soil samples that scientists hope to bring back to Earth later this decade. This truly is an amazing and stunning achievement!”

What the scientists found matches exactly what the Bible describes: “the overwhelming reality, confirmed by the work of this rover, is that this planet is dead and in a state of decay.” But “Here is a most exciting truth, revealed in your Bible: The condition of these planets is closely linked with your incredible human potential!” As he explained in that article, it’s a potential we desperately need to understand:

This world is about to enter a very dark age. Actually, you could say Earth has been in the dark ages throughout man’s history. God is letting the trauma intensify until we finally realize how inept we really are.

In this convulsing world, we need our universe dream. We need to see the stupendous possibility and the eternal majesty God is offering human beings.

People are intrigued and inspired by the Mars landings. But most will have only a few fleeting moments of inspiration, then the hope will fade. Please don’t let this happen to you. Your potential beyond those pictures is breathtaking and inspiring beyond anything you have ever known. See those Mars pictures for what they truly are: a window into the greatest hope you can ever imagine! Nothing can stimulate our imagination like comprehending our universe potential!