10    The Bible and the Future of the World 

is the great famine spoken of by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son 

(Luke 15:14). The famine precedes the unification of all Christians in one 

Catholic Church. 

    They are in the desert, meaning that they lack material goods and have 

spiritually moved away from love of material things. They have been 

listening to Jesus' teaching for three days. This signifies that the people have 

been seeking Jesus and His teaching for a short time. The three days 

represents time of the 2000th anniversary of Jesus' ministry (A.D.  2015 to 

2019). Jesus' ministry lasted about 3  years. 

    When the disciples express doubt that they can feed such a crowd, it 

means that some leaders of the Church will doubt that they can provide for 

the spiritual and material needs of so many people who are in need. Yet 

with Jesus' help, it shall be done. 

    When the crowd has eaten, there are seven baskets full of left over pieces. 

The seven full baskets mean that, after the Church has provided amply for 

the spiritual and material needs of the people of the world, the Church will 

be full and will have seven parts. Notice that in providing for the needs of 

the people of the world the Church is not diminished, but is increased. Seven 

baskets full of pieces of bread and fish is more than 7 loaves and a few small 

fish. See how this miracle which Jesus gave us was a living prophecy of the 

future of the Church. 

    The Church begins this time period with seven parts (the loaves) plus a 

few small parts (the small fish), showing a lack of complete unity. At the end 

of this time, there are only seven parts (the seven baskets), signifying greater 

unity in the Church. At that time, all Christians will be united in one Church 

which will have seven parts. In feeding the people's material and spiritual 

needs, the Church will discover the unity which Jesus prayed for (John 

17:20 23). And in realizing that unity, the Church will obtain the conversion 

of many sinners, even of those outside the Church. 

    The events of this time period occur during the Forty Years (A.D. 2000 to 

2039/2040). First there will be a widespread famine (occurring in the mid 

2010's, but perhaps beginning sooner). The people will also be hungry for 

spiritual food. 

    Jesus died on Friday, April 7th, in the year A.D. 19, at the beginning of 

Passover. The date by the Jewish calendar was the 14th day of the month of 

Nisan in the year 3779. The 2000th anniversary of the death of Jesus Christ 

on the Cross for our salvation is April 19th,  A.D.  2019, by the Christian 

(Gregorian) calendar. April 19th, 2019 is the 14th of Nisan, 5779 by the 

Jewish calendar. That day is both Good Friday for Christians and a day 

when Jewish Passover falls on a Friday, just as in the year that Jesus died.