Politics, the New World Order and Bible Prophecy-Why We Need One to Understand the Other
Pastor Dale Morgan
Politics, the New World Order and Bible Prophecy-Why We Need One to
Understand the Other*
By: Jack Kinsella
According to the Bible, the administration of the coming antichrist will
rest on three separate pillars of power.
In order for the antichrist to accomplish all that the Bible predicts
within the seven-year time frame allotted, he will have to seize
absolute control of a global religious system, a global government, and
a global economy.
The Prophet Daniel and the Apostles John and Paul all reference his
control of a global government. Daniel 9:26 identifies him as a 'prince'
of the people who destroyed Daniel's 'city and sanctuary' and provides
an iron-clad time frame for his reign of terror.
These can only be Jerusalem and the Temple. Daniel was a Jewish captive
of the Babylonian Empire during the period in which he wrote the Book
that bears his name.
The context in which Daniel 9:26 is presented leaves no other
alternative explanation.
"Seventy weeks are determined upon THY people and upon THY holy city, to
finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make
reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness,
and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy."
(Daniel 9:24)
Daniel's people were the Jews, and Daniel's holy city is Jerusalem.
"And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not
for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy
the city and the sanctuary . . ." (Daniel 9:26)
The only Jewish sanctuary in the 'city' of Jerusalem is the Temple. Both
were destroyed by the Romans in AD 70 -- some five hundred years after
Daniel.
"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the
midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to
cease. . ." (Daniel 9:27)
The Jews divide time by seven year periods, (weeks-shabuwa) similarly to
the way we divide time using the Greek system of decades (ten years).
Paul picks up on Daniel 9:27's theme, saying of the antichrist that he;
"as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."
(2nd Thessalonians 2:4)
And John says "power was given him [the antichrist] over all kindreds,
and tongues, and nations." (Revelation 13:7)
Revelation 13:11 introduces a second member of the antichrist's
government: "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and
he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon."
This second beast has "two horns like a lamb" (symbolizing Christianity)
but he speaks "as a dragon" symbolizing Satan. In context, the passage
infers that his religion will be a counterfeit form of Christianity -- a
theme also outlined by Paul.
"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness
in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth,
that they might be saved." (2nd Thessalonians 2:7-8)
Finally, the Apostle John makes it clear that the antichrist will have
unprecedented control over what can only be a completely centralized
global economy.
"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,
to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that
no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the
beast, or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:16-17)
Most folks who study the prophecy of the Mark of the Beast miss the
relevancy of what it has to teach the Church Age.
Everybody is looking out for the Mark of the Beast. The Mark of the
Beast is a mid-Tribulation event. The Church won't be here, so we
needn't be fear it.
For the Mark of the Beast to fit John's prophecy, there must first be a
'Beast', and then there needs be a 'Mark'. What IS relevant is the fact
that, for the very first time in all of recorded history, the kind of
centralized, global economic control described by John is not only
technically possible, it is a foregone conclusion.
The elimination of cold cash and its replacement with electronic money
via smart cards and rechargable ATM cards makes logical sense. Without
cash, drug dealers, terrorist financiers, burglars, tax evaders and so
forth would immediately go out of business.
What is significant isn't that the Mark of the Beast is here -- it
isn't. But the technology foreseen by the Apostle John in AD 87 is.
The antichrist only has seven years in which to accomplish all that the
Bible outlines. That doesn't leave enough time for him to construct all
the necessary religious, economic and political infrastructure necessary
from scratch.
The infrastructure necessary did not exist even ten years ago. Today,
the global economy is one step from being universally cashless. The UN
is trying to insinuate itself into position as a functional global
government.
Of course, the UN is too feckless to be trusted with that kind of power,
but the world is well-aware of the need for some kind of global system
of governance.
The UN has already created the essential infrastructure, such as the
World Bank, World Trade Organization, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNFOR, etc., all
of which are now too well-entrenched to abandon.
The UN itself is destined to join the League of Nations on the trash
heap of history. But the existing infrastructure must survive.
The EU recognizes that fact, and is well on the way to constructing a
parallel organization capable of assuming control of existing programs
when the UN's bloated and corrupt administration implodes.
Daniel clearly identifies a revived form of the Roman Empire as the seat
of the antichrist's political government. So it is no coincidence that
the EU is already constructed as a global government-in-waiting.
What has yet to be fully developed is a centralized global religious
system that meets John's specifications. But even that eventuality is
under construction.
The United Nations has established a World Council of Religious Leaders.
Under the umbrella of the "Millennium Peace Summit's slogan of "Building
an Integrated Framework for Peace" it claims:
"The objective of this Council is to serve as a resource to the United
Nations and its agencies around the world, nation states and other
international organizations, offering the collective wisdom and
resources of the faith traditions toward the resolution of critical
global problems."
The Council has identified "religious fundamentalism" as the principle
obstacle to peace and is actively working towards a kinder, gentler,
more inclusive global religious system that can accommodate all the
world's religions under one banner.
The world is currently embroiled in a conflict that pits fundamentalist
Islam against fundamentalist Judaism and fundamentalist Christianity.
One of Islam's fundamental doctrines holds that any part of "Dar al
Islam" (the Zone of Islam) is a permanent condition. Once an area has
been conquered by Islam, any loss is only temporary.
Indeed, Osama bin Laden justified the Madrid bombing in 2003 as
retaliation for the Islamic loss of Andalusia to the Spanish -- in 1492!
And at the core of the global fundamentalist religious war is the issue
of ownership of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
Jewish fundamentalism holds that Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, (once
part of Dar al Islam) is Israel's eternal capital by Divine Decree. And
fundamentalist Christian theology supports Israel's claim to Jerusalem
as Divine.
Fundamentalist Islam cannot recognize Israel's existence without
admitting the Koran is false. Fundamentalist Judaism cannot countenance
the surrender Jerusalem or the Temple without conceding the Bible is not
true. Neither can fundamentalist Christianity.
Iran has threatened to destroy Israel as a fundamental religious duty.
To survive, Israel must destroy Iran's nuclear capability before it is
used to destroy them. And no US president that abandoned Israel would
survive immediate impeachment.
Mainstream Christianity, Judaism and Islam combined, represent about
half of the world's population. But of that number, only a fraction are
genuine fundamentalists.
The outbreak of a nuclear conflict over such religious fundamentals
would result in an immediate and global call for the abolition of
religious fundamentalism -- a call that would be loudly echoed by the
'mainstream' from all three faiths.
To accomplish that, all religions would have to be brought under a
central authority -- some kind of global council that could serve as
both watchdog and moral authority. Such a council already exists.
What remains unfulfilled is the global will to cede authority over to
it. For now.
What does it all mean?
As I've noted on plenty of previous occasions, the Church Age draws to a
close with the Rapture before the onset of the Tribulation Period.
It is not the role of Christians to be looking for the antichrist. It is
our job to be looking for the return of Jesus Christ, and using that
information to lead others to Christ while there is still time.
Admittedly, the Omega Letter spends at least as much time examining
current events, in particular, political events, as it does on Bible
doctrine. I get a lot of grief over that.
"Why don't you stick to the Bible and leave politics alone?" is a common
refrain, especially from non-Christians, not to mention from liberals of
all religious persuasions.
The Bible's outline of the Tribulation is all about politics. The
antichrist is a political leader. The signs pointing to the nearness of
the Tribulation Period are far more political than they are doctrinal.
The politics of government. The politics of economics. The politics of
religion. It takes injecting all three into the Big Picture in order to
see it coming together.
The Bible examines the political, religious and religious worldviews as
they will exist during a single generation, somewhere in time, to the
exclusion of all previous generations. Those ARE the signs of the times.
I am not looking for the coming of the antichrist. When it comes to his
identity, I am both ignorant and apathetic -- I don't know and I don't
care. I don't expect to be here when he comes on the scene.
Instead, I am looking for the signs of the return of Christ for His
Church. It is much like looking at a calendar. If the calendar says
tomorrow is Thanksgiving, then one knows that Christmas is just around
the corner.
Jesus said; "when these things BEGIN to come to pass, then look up, and
lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28)
I get as tired of politics as anybody else does. I often get as
discouraged and depressed by all the bad news as you do. But Jesus
outlined these signs for a different reason. The fact that He said this
is how things would be, and that today, this is how things are, proves
that He is indeed God, He is still in control, and all things continue
according to His Plan. If we trust Jesus, we have nothing to fear.
In a nutshell, what it means its this. At some point before the last
puzzle piece falls into place,
"[T]he Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1st Thessalonians 4:16-17)
The signs of the times are indeed disturbing. To an unbeliever, they are
undoubtedly terrifying.
But the message all this chaos and confusion sends to the Church is not
one of fear. It is intended as a source of comfort. As Paul wrote in
conclusion to the "Rapture Chapter,"
"Wherefore, comfort one another with these words." (1st Thessalonians 4:18)
Be comforted. It's only bad if you don't know Jesus.