The Bible mentions a time when there will be a world leader with authority over the earth. He will be a powerful politician with great oratory skills, a man of authority that will rule over every aspect of human life. He will also be a religious leader that will demand worship from everybody, and control trade everywhere.
Revelation chapter 13 shares some details about this person, and elsewhere the Bible mentions information about this man by which he will be recognized once he made his appearance. More important for Christians though is the global atmosphere at the time of his rule, as it will indicate where are on God’s calendar.
We know this world leader will control trade to the point where no one will be able to buy or sell without his permission. We also know that he will sit in the temple to be worshipped as God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). For this level of control to happen there must be a global government.
Paul mentions that it will be a time of lawlessness. (This world leader will himself be a lawless person) Deception will also be rampant, according to 2 Thessalonians 2:7-11.
The above describes what the world will be like in the last days.
For Christians to determine where we are on God’s calendar, it is more important to watch developments in the world than trying to figure out who the antichrist is.
The European Union, United Nations, Interpol, World Court, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and many others, are forerunners of a global government. Global challenges such as climate change, world peace, elimination of poverty, world health, pollution, etc. suggest that solutions can only be found by a global government, as far too many differences exist between national governments. While these are noble causes, the virtues of a global government are questionable.
The United Nations accepted an agenda, known as Agenda 2030, as a blue print to prepare the way for a global government. This document is freely available and can be read online.
“This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. All countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan. We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind.” (Preamble to United Nations Agenda 2030)
A very suspicious and growing development is the “open borders” policy, simultaneously adopted by so many countries. Leaders of nations break the immigration laws of their own countries by opening their borders to anyone that files a refugee claim, instead of enforcing the laws that they themselves enacted. The result of mass uncontrolled immigration is violence and chaos everywhere as cultures clash.
For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:7,8
I believe the lawlessness that Paul spoke about includes God’s laws, which are broken everywhere. God’s laws concerning Himself, life, marriage, honesty and truthfulness, etc. are rejected and opposed by man made laws.
Technology with the potential to enable global control is already developed and implemented. Facial recognition has become so common that your smart-phone is probably equipped with it, and is used for identification purposes everywhere. “It makes life easier,” is the pitch, but there are wider applications that enable global surveillance, and, essentially, control over people and their movements. You have probably seen it at passport control, at your bank, and, of course, with surveillance cameras everywhere. Christians say they have nothing to hide, and it might be true, but the real purpose of surveillance is more sinister than that, as the article about China explains:
“The Communist Party’s plan is for every one of its 1.4 billion citizens to be at the whim of a dystopian social credit system, and it’s on track to be fully operational by the year 2020. An active pilot program has already seen millions of people each assigned a score out of 800 and either reap its benefits or suffer its consequences — depending on which end of the scale they sit.
Under the social credit scheme, points are lost and gained based on readings from a sophisticated network of 200 million surveillance cameras — a figure set to triple in 18 months.The program has been enabled by rapid advances in facial recognition, body scanning and geo-tracking.
The data is combined with information collected from individuals’ government records — including medical and educational — along with their financial and internet browsing histories. Overall scores can go up and down in “real time” dependant on the person’s behaviour but they can also be affected by people they associate with.
“If your best friend or your dad says something negative about the government, you’ll lose points too.” The mandatory “social credit” system was first announced in 2014 in a bid to reinforce the notion that “keeping trust is glorious and breaking trust is disgraceful,” according to a government document. “If people keep their promises they can go anywhere in the world,” he said. “If people break their promises they won’t be able to move an inch!
Under the system, those deemed to be “top citizens” are rewarded bonus points.
The benefits of being ranked on the higher end of the scale include waived deposits on hotels and rental cars, VIP treatment at airports, discounted loans, priority job applications and fast-tracking to the most prestigious universities.
Dandan, a young mother and marketing professional, is proud of her high score. If she keeps it up her infant son will be more likely to get into a top school. “China likes to experiment in this creative way … I think people in every country want a stable and safe society,” she said. “We need a social credit system. We hope we can help each other, love each other and help everyone to become prosperous.”
The world has moved beyond politics; the new debate is between globalism and nationalism; if you know this, you will better understand the decisions of your government. They are not inept, as some say, they just follow the plan.
It has just become possible to control who buys and sells. The stage is set. The world is doing what it has to do to wrap things up. Now it is the Bride’s turn to prepare herself, for the Groom is ready to take her home to His Father’s House.
