In the past 10 years, Michael Snyder has risen from relative anonymity to economic authority.

He was an unheralded lawyer living in Washington who felt that God had more in store for him, so he started “The Economic Collapse Blog” and began writing about the economy and current events. He believes God has blessed his writing and allowed the blog to continue growing, and says it now receives more than 1 million pageviews a month. He’s become a regular guest on The Jim Bakker Show for all things economy, and frequently weighs in on current financial events.

Beginning today, however, our viewers have the chance to hear a lot more of Snyder’s keen analysis. He and his wife, Meranda, have launched a new show on The PTL Television Network.

“The Watch: With Michael and Meranda Snyder” will focus on Biblical prophecies and living in the last days, with a markedly more spiritual tone than his blog. Don’t worry, though. Snyder still expects to deliver the same news and analysis that people have come to expect from him.

Snyder recently sat down with The Jim Bakker Show news team to discuss his goals for the show, how it all came together and the importance of faith and hope in the end times.

The first part of his Q&A appears below.

Q: You and your wife have a new show on the PTL Television Network. Can you talk about how that came together and what you have planned for your viewers?

A: Yeah, it’s called “The Watch: With Michael and Meranda Snyder.” For a long time, my wife and I had been wanting to do some more with video. I’d made some YouTube videos years ago, which actually got a lot of views, but I kind of got away from it because I’m so focused on our websites and what we’re doing. I’ve been writing a new book, which is coming out very shortly. But it had been on our heart to do something more with video because you can reach so many people through video. We just kind of let it sit because we were so busy.

But then, Pastor Jim (Bakker) was really fired up about the idea of getting us on PTL Network and my information. I thought that was a really good idea and I was so honored that he wanted to do that, and I immediately thought I should get my wife involved in this. We have these great discussions all the time, why not share them with the world? And we’re doing this new show.

It’s going to be a lot more focused on Bible prophecy and the last days and things like that. Now, it’s still going to be very heavy news and information — the kind of stuff that people are used to getting on “The Economic Collapse Blog” and our other websites. It’s going to be more directly focused toward a Christian audience and more directly on spiritual things. And it’s going to be a way for us to speak directly and communicate directly to the people. I think this is such a critical time, as I believe that things are going to start moving a lot more rapidly as this year moves along and moving forward. This will be a way to have a voice to speak to people.

We’ve got kind of two halves to our message. One is a warning about what’s coming. To be a watchman on the wall and to tell people this is what we’re moving into. But, also, a message of hope. Because when things go crazy, people are going to be freaking out. They’re going to be giving into depression, despair. Some people are going to be angry and upset. But people are going to be looking for a rock in the storm. We want to deliver a message of hope. That people can get through what’s coming, that there is hope, that God is in control, He has a plan, and for people to understand what God is doing even in the midst of this.

My wife and I believe the greatest chapters of our lives are still ahead of us. We believe the greatest harvest of souls the world has ever seen is coming. The greatest move of God. And that God is going to do some absolutely unprecedented things. But we don’t believe that is necessarily going to be through man-made organizations. In fact, we think much of the institutional churches are in great danger of missing what God is going to be doing in these last days. Because they’re not proclaiming the warning message. They don’t want to hear about what’s coming. They don’t want to upset people. They don’t want to offend people. The watered-down, lukewarm religion that we call evangelical Christianity — that’s not going to make it in the times that are coming.

God is raising up a remnant. Yeah, there are some churches that are doing a great job. But, to a large degree, it’s happening outside of the institutional church. You’ve got home groups, you’ve got little fellowships here and there. You’ve got people scattered around the country. And God is doing extraordinary things, but it’s not within the confines of the denominations or organizations that man has created. And that’s a shame. I hope that they’ll wake up and be part of what God is moving, but like so many times throughout history, a lot of times tradition sets in, man-made religion sets in and God has to kind of do an end run around that. And it appears that’s what is happening now.

Q: The tagline on your blog is “Are you prepared for the coming economic collapse and the next Great Depression?” Obviously, there are some Bible verses that suggest economic troubles in the last days. For example, wheat gets very expensive. Are there any specific other scriptures that indicate, to you, that an economic collapse is an element of the last days? Any that really stick with you?

A: You mention the seals in Revelation where the food becomes so expensive, that’s reference to it there. But I actually believe, and this is a little different than some people, but I believe that America is going to fall before we even get to the Great Tribulation.

What’s coming to America, economic collapse is only a part of it. Now, “The Economic Collapse Blog” focuses a lot on the economic aspect of things, but in addition to economic collapse I believe that we’re going to see governmental shakings, civil unrest. Basically, society melting down. I believe at the same time, (we will see) natural disasters on a level that we haven’t seen since the days of Noah and plagues and outbreaks. Basically, so many things coming at us from hundreds of different directions.

It’s kind of what John Paul Jackson described when he described the perfect storm. I believe we’re coming to those days, and ultimately war is coming to America. And I believe America is going to fall, and that will set the stage for the rise of the 10-horned, one-world government and subsequently the antichrist to come on the scene. So, that’s a different perspective than a lot of people.

In my opinion, we’re going to be here a little bit longer than a lot of people believe. So this economic collapse, which has been happening for a long time — it’s not just something that’s future, but it has been happening, it’s happening right now, it continues to happen — is one element of this perfect storm that is arising.

Now, in terms of the fall of the United States and economic problems and all of these things I’ve described, there are dozens of men and women of God all over the United States — all over the world — that have seen these things coming to America in the last days. I believe God still speaks. Of course, there are false prophets out there, people who are just loosey-goosey, but there are also men and women of God who have track records, who have solid, who are proven. And when so many of them say the exact same thing, it’s not just one or two but you’ve got a multitude of voices all saying ‘This is coming to America.’ This is something I’ve studied over time. I’m a lawyer, I want to look at these things and study them in a systematic way. And when they all say that this is coming to America, well, economic collapse is one of those things that they have been given by God. That’s something that I take very seriously.

Now, when you look at the scripture, many Bible prophecy experts will agree that ‘Well, it looks like America is not the dominant player on the scene down the road.’ Because we’ve got the one-world government. We’ve got the antichrist. So something has to shift. Something has to change. Now, some people believe a U.S. president will be the antichrist or that America will be a big part of this one-world government. I take a differing view, based on the totality of what I’ve learned and researched and what these men and women of God have received over the years.

I believe America is going to completely fall, and it’s going to be dramatic. I believe the judgment of God has actually started, actually, but it’s going to get much, much worse. And what’s coming to America is going to be even worse than what most people imagine the great tribulation will be like. But it won’t be the tribulation.

Now, a lot of people will be saying it’s the tribulation. It will become very trendy to say ‘The tribulation has started!’ But, no, it won’t have started. It’s just the fall of America. And it’s going to be horrible. But after that comes the tribulation, I believe. So my perspective is a little bit different.

Q: You say that you want your new show to give people hope, and that God has a plan in the midst of all of these horrible things you feel will be happening. But it can be easy for people to get hung up on the idea of horrible things happening and lose hope. So, what do you say to those people, in order to give them that hope?

A: It is a challenge. But I felt, especially with my new book, God was saying ‘I want you to inspire people.’ I was like ‘Inspire them? I’m telling them that they’re going to have to go through the tribulation.’ Because not only do we have to go through the judgment on America, but then we’re going through the tribulation?

But in the midst of all the chaos and darkness, yeah, people are living for the pleasures of this world. Accumulating things, money, all these things, the standard of living we enjoy today. It’s going to be very traumatic for them. But if they’re living for the kingdom, if they’re living for winning souls, if they’re living for things that are eternal, the things that God says really matter? Well, the times ahead can be the greatest adventure that anyone ever dreamed.

Like I said, I believe we’re going to see the greatest harvest of souls the church has ever seen. So, in terms of bringing people into the kingdom. Because when the shaking comes, the purpose of the shaking is to turn people to God. And I believe that’s going to happen, tremendously.

So, if people want to live during the time of the Apostles, they want to bring in the multitudes and see the power of the Holy Spirit, signs, wonders, miracles, all of it, we’re truly going to be living in Biblical times. We look back through history and the greatest heroes that we admire rose during times of great crisis. It will be an opportunity for heroes to arise, to do great exploits, to do amazing things for God and truly love others, take care of others. To make a difference.

So many people may not feel like their daily lives are making a difference today. There’s going to be such (an opportunity) to make a difference. To stand up and to be the people that God created us to be.

I believe we’re going to write the end of the Book of Acts. We’re going to be the generation that finally gets things right, and we’re going to go through all these things that are written about in the Book of Revelation. And God’s going to make us into the kind of bride that his son deserves.

It’s going to be a very challenging time to be alive, but incredibly exciting too — if you value the things that are eternal and are in the kingdom of God.

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Check back for Part 2 of this exclusive Q&A in the coming days. Snyder talks about the stock market, oil prices and recent economic events — and what they mean for you and your family.

Snyder also delivered the evening service at the 2016 Prophetic Conference on Thursday evening, and focused on the remnant he discussed in the Q&A. If you missed the event, it’s available on the 2016 Prophetic Conference DVD Set. The set also contains evening services delivered by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, Joel Richardson and Hubie Synn, as well as all of The Jim Bakker Show tapings that were recorded during the conference.