Where are we in the prophetic end-times timeline? Are the Rapture and the Tribulation right around the corner? Maybe, but it's hard to say since Jesus was very clear in Matthew 24:36 that nobody knows the day or the hour when events such as the Rapture will occur. Although, Jesus also said in Matthew 16:1-3 that we should be able to interpret the sign of the times, or we'll say the season. Many watchers, including me, believe we are in the season of Rapture and shortly thereafter the beginning of the Tribulation. So many events are occurring that is impossible to dismiss the signs for those who are willing to look.
My question for you in this series is simple. Are you prepared for Rapture, Survival, or Persecution?
If not, you are late getting started, but better now than never. In Matthew 24:37 Jesus warns that the Son of Man will come like it was in the days of Noah. There will not be any one-hour, one-day, or one-week warning. Certainly related to the Rapture, if you are not ready one second before it happens, you will miss it and your life will get dramatically worse, assuming you actually survive the immediate destruction resulting from the Rapture. But take heart, your Redeemer has already overcome the world! (John 16:33) Therefore, the most important question is, have you given life to Jesus by confessing your sins and asking him into your heart? If not, do it right now before you do anything else! Don't wait. Once you are right with Jesus, read on to get prepared.
Instead of trying to predict the timing of the Rapture and the Tribulation, I've been looking at the events inside the Tribulation that require some predecessor, coordination, or technology development to enable them to occur. This is Part 2 of a 3-part series where we are looking at logistically how ready the world is for these events to happen. If you haven't read Part 1, What's Next for Christians; Rapture, Prepping, or Persecution? - Part 1, let me suggest that you start there and then come back to Part 2. Also, special thanks to the huge number of people who have subscribed to my email list! You are the ones who received this article first. If you haven't subscribed be sure to do so now to get the email when Part 3 comes out.
Before we continue there are three important reminders I want to carry over from the first article. First, we know from the Bible that the Tribulation will be worse than anything happening now in the world and worse than anything that has ever happened to anyone who lived at any time during the history of humanity. That's not an exaggeration. Second, we know that the Tribulation will start after the Pre-Trib Rapture of the Church. If you have a question about that, I highly recommend you read the excellent article on Unsealed.org titled "The Pre-Trib Rapture Is Solid Biblical Truth. Here's Why." Finally, we must maintain our humility as we attempt to interpret prophecy predicting something that will occur in the future. While we know significantly more than we have in the past, we don't know with any level of certainty exactly HOW God will rollout the events ahead. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
The Tribulation, which will include the coming of the Antichrist, a one-world government, a one-world religion, a one-world currency, plagues, famines, the mark of the beast, death, and destruction will eventually begin and it will be horrible. It's not my plan, it's God's plan. To be honest, I wish there was an easier, less destructive way to redeem the world. That being said...not my will but yours, Lord!
As I suggested in a previous article, the Beginning of Sorrows has already begun. With the beginning of sorrows underway, Christians who are paying attention are inevitably led to the question, "What do I personally need to physically/mentally/spiritually prepare for whatever is next?" As I previously mentioned, I believe there are three options we can consider:
- Rapture
- Survival
- Persecution
From the first article, you will remember that we looked at the Gog and Magog War. In summary, events of the world do not suggest that the Gog and Magog War is imminent. Yes, it is close, but it is not happening tomorrow (as of the time this article was published). However, that could change at any time by some cataclysmic international event that causes two things. First, Israel must be elevated in some way through the acquisition of wealth or resources (or conversely some elevated to some dramatic level of hate/loathing) and equally important some critical level of political clout that drives the coalition countries insane with the jealous desire to obliterate Israel once and for all. Second, the U.S. must devolve to the point through catastrophe or choice that we are either unable or unwilling to defend Israel against this attack. In my opinion, the most likely reason for Israel to be elevated to world power status is the enormous natural gas deposits located within their control and the most like reason for the rapid decline of the U.S. is the Rapture of the Church.
In this article, we will look at the "One World" elements;
- One World Government
- One World Currency
- One World Religion
and here's the structure for how we will review the current status of these elements.
- What does the Bible say about this element?
- What is the current status of this element, does it appear imminent?
- What are the likely predecessors for this element?
So let's get started!
One World Government
The existence of a One World Government is not specifically called out by name in the Bible. It is inferred from the scriptural reference. However, the references are explicit and the idea of a One World Government is easy to grasp.
What does the Bible say?
The description of the One World Government is inferred in Revelation 13. This section discusses the first beast and the bold emphasis is mine.
And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, Revelation 13:1-7 ESV (emphasis mine)
Here's a little background first. The "beast" referenced in the scripture above is the Antichrist. The dragon is Satan and there are several references that the dragon gave power and authority to the beast. There's also a reference to the One World Government that you can see in the passage below from Daniel 7. Again, the emphasis is mine.
I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. 17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’16 I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. 17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’
19 “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, 20 and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. 21 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be different from all the kingdoms,
and it shall devour the whole earth,
and trample it down, and break it to pieces. Daniel 7:16-23 ESV (emphasis mine)
By layering one on the other the references in Daniel 7 and Revelation 13, a picture of the One World Government begins to emerge.
What is the current status?
Believe it or not, the wheels have been in motion at the United Nations to create a One World Government since at least 1992 when they adopted their Agenda 21 policy. Agenda 21 (as in 21st Century) was a "non-binding" plan allegedly to protect the environment. It was accepted by 178 nations, including the United States. Signing for the U.S. in person was then-President George H.W. Bush. For me personally, President Bush (41) was the first person I ever remember who used the term "New World Order". The Agenda 21 concept evolved from a 1987 paper called "Our Common Future" that was published by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development and it was authored by Gro Harlem Brundtland, who was at one time a Vice President of the World Socialist Party. The paper first used the term "Sustainable Development", which sounds good at face value. However, after diving into the details one can see that the real purpose is not environmental, it is about power and control. Power and control to the global elite, transferred from the peasants. And if you are not an elite, you are a peasant.
The original Agenda 21 policy evolved several times and most recently it was modified and rebranded as Agenda 2030. In general, the policy points to the requirement for governments eventually to take control of all land and natural resource so that they can ensure social and economic justice through equal distribution of the land and resources. The essence of the proposal is not for equal opportunities, but equal outcomes. The 20th Century term for this was Communism, a word we seem to have forgotten. For example, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released a video in 2017 titled "8 Predictions for the World in 2030". The first prediction is "You'll own nothing and you'll be happy about it." The WEF was founded and is run by Klaus Schwab. For the past few months, Mr. Schwab has been publically and unabashedly calling for "The Great Reset" by trying to persuade the world that the reset is in everyone's best interest. He's also been trying to convince the world that the Great Reset is not some nefarious plan for world domination. Yeah...right.
What is The Great Reset? Simple, it is the effort to destroy the economies of the world so that the elites of the world can Build Back Better. Ever hear that phrase before? If so, perhaps that's because Joe Biden used it as his 2020 campaign slogan. However, the phrase Build Back Better was actually first used by the UN and it has been used in many of their promotions ever since.
What is the current status? Simple, the One World Government, New World Order, The Great Reset, Agenda 2030, whatever you want to call it is ready to go here and now. It just needs one more thing...
What are the likely predecessors?
From the beginning of Agenda 21 and through to the current Agenda 2030 and Great Reset scenarios the one thing that has always been consistent is the need for a triggered event to make it happen. Here's a description from the book "Agenda 21 for Dummies"
Implementation involves the creation of a perceived international emergency fueled by an economic and environmental crisis, control of the media, universal disarmament to entrust all weapons to a central authority, and the redistribution of resources and wealth. The result is a global society which accepts social justice as the right of all individuals to benefit equally from the resources provided by society and the environment, and the rights of personal freedom and private ownership no longer exist.
While COVID-19 was likely the intended trigger to launch the Great Reset, it doesn't seem to have been enough to scare the citizens of the world into submission. I personally think the event that will prompt the One World Government will be caused by something else. Did I hear someone say Rapture???
One World Currency
The existence of a One World Currency, like the One World Government, is inferred from the text. However, the inference is not vague or exaggerated. The One World Currency would be required to accomplish what comes next.
What does the Bible say?
The scripture that infers the One World Currency is the introduction of the Mark of the Beast in Revelation 13. We'll discuss the mark more in my next article. For now, let's focus on buying and selling.
Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. Revelation 13:16-17 ESV
If possessing the Mark of the Beast is required to buy or sell, then the mark has the ability to support financial transactions that are linked to your personal account. That implies digital currency; no more paper. If everyone in the world converts from paper currency to digital currency at the same time, logic suggests that everyone around the world will use the same currency.
What is the current status?
The current status is everything is lined up to implement a 100% digital currency economy within short order. For years credit and debit cards have been the primary payment mechanism for most transactions in many countries. More recently, the emergence of mobile payment systems by Apple, Google, and many others are advancing the idea of "touchless payments". Credit and debit cards are essentially digital currency. Consumers and companies love it because they are fast and efficient. Plus the COVID-19 panic is encouraging people to avoid cash whenever possible because cash could allegedly convey the virus from one person to another.
In other financial areas, Bitcoin and similar digital currencies have sprung up around the world. While the overall number of people using digital, non-governmental currencies for payment is relatively small, most people are at least familiar with the concept.
So how big is the transition from cash to all digital? Personally, I believe the One World Currency will come into existence before the Mark of the Beast using some sort of digital or mobile payment card. However, it will still be a huge change. No matter how preconditioned people are to the idea of digital currency like Bitcoin and digital spending like credit cards, logistically it will be a very bumpy transition.
What are the likely predecessors?
So what's the big deal with transitioning to an all-digital, One World Currency? Credit and mobile payments are so easy. Why not expand their use? True, it would be more efficient on one hand to make all currencies digital, but that's not the primary motivation for the global elite. Their motivation is power and control, possessing sufficient control over the citizens of the world to eventually force them into slavery. When the Antichrist comes, he will come to rule the world. The One World Currency will allow the Antichrist to enslave the world by allowing him, through the One World Government, to track and monitor every single transaction you make. Imagine the ability to track something even something as small as buying a piece of Super Bubble bubble gum for $0.25. Let's say the Antichrist decides (hypothetically) that everyone who buys Super Bubble is a heretic and they need to be sent to a prison camp. With a One World Currency, that's simply a data query for the One World Government. Run a report to show everyone in the world who purchased Super Bubble. Easy. Hope you like your new living quarters!
One thing the COVID-19 crisis has done is to force the people running the governments around the world to show their true colors. Lockdowns and oppression have been implemented everywhere and the citizens are becoming wary and even less trusting of governments than usual. In "normal" times a move to quickly implement an all-digital, One World Currency would likely receive considerable pushback from citizens everyone. It's unlikely such a transition could be done in less than 10 years, but the Antichrist/Satan doesn't have 10 years. He needs it to happen quickly, within a year or less.
So what could motivate the citizens of the world to drop their objections and quickly embrace a One World Currency? The same reason as always, a worldwide catastrophe. I'm guessing this worldwide catastrophe will be far more devastating than COVID-19. The catastrophe will need to produce worldwide destruction and disruption. It could be a world war, or it could be something else. Whatever it is, it will be something that scares the citizens of the world so much that they are willing to trade their freedom for the illusion of security. Could it be the Rapture of the Church?
One World Religion
As with the other "One Worlds," the existence of a One World Religion is inferred from scripture, but again this is not a stretch to make this inference.
What does the Bible say?
The existence of a One World Religion is prophecized in Revelation 17.
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. Revelation 17:1-6 ESV (emphasis mine)
and also:
And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 17:15-18 ESV (emphasis mine)
and in Revelation 13:
Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. Revelation 13:11 ESV
According to end-times scholars, the identity of the "great prostitute", the "woman arrayed in purple and scarlet", and "mystery Babylon" is understood to be the One World Religion. The leader of the One World Religion is also referred to as the false prophet. We know from verses 15 and 18 that there are peoples and multitude and nations and languages, that the woman will have dominion over kings and therefore over every citizen on earth. Interestingly, we know that the beast will hate the prostitute and that ultimately he will destroy her. Note that the references to the woman, Babylon, prostitute have a dual meaning as both the One World Religion and the individual who leads it. The prostitute is destroyed by the beast after he miraculously returns from the dead and he claims himself to be God. This happens around the time of the abomination of desolation that Jesus described in Matthew 24:15 and Daniel 9:27.
What is the current status?
The effort to promote a One World Religion has been ongoing for a least a decade, or at least since Pope Frances was elected to the Papacy on March 13, 2013. Many end-times scholars interpret the Roman Catholic church to be at the of the One World Region and they expect that whoever is pope at the time will become the False Prophet. Pope Frances sure has made and done some unusual things compared to his predecessors. Geoffrey Grider at Now The End Begins has published many stories about the Catholic Church. If you want to learn more about what the Catholic Church and Pope Frances have done since his election in 2013 I would recommend you check out his site. Geoffrey refers to the combination of religions as "Chrislam", which seems appropriate so I'll adopt that as well.
How about this. Here are two examples of real attempts to combine the three monotheistic regions of the world. One of the first was the building in Berlin back in 2014 of a Christlam temple worldwide. More recently, Pope Frances announced that the Vatican Interfaith Council will open a new Christlam headquarters in 2022. Here's a current example of the Pope getting together with a grand imam for the UN International Day of Human Fraternity in February 2021.
In my opinion, the emergence of a One World Religion is queued up and ready to go. All it needs is that one push to get it started.
What are the likely predecessors?
While I hate to sound like a broken record, it is clear that the primary motivation for the citizens of the world to accept a One World Religion will be something that causes massive destruction and disruption. What would scare the people so much that they would forego whatever "religion" they might nominally belong to join up with a One World Religion?
I'll say it one last time. In my opinion, nothing but the Rapture of the Church could enable this to happen.
Summary
As we finish the second of my three-part series, let me add just a little more food for thought. In 2020, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a former Vatican insider, wrote two open letters to then-President Donald Trump. In the letters, he warned President Trump of the coming of a global conspiracy against God and humanity. The letter is both a fascinating and frightening look into what he foresees coming to the world from his knowledge gained in service at the Vatican. In his October 25, 2020 letter, which you can read here, he pleads with President Trump to stand strong as children of the Light again the globalist enemy who has Satan on their side.
Mr. President, you are well aware that, in this crucial hour, the United States of America is considered the defending wall against which the war declared by the advocates of globalism has been unleashed. Archbishop Carlos Maria Vigano
Click the link to this article if you want to learn more. Also, if you are concerned that the existence of the two letters is a hoax, you can see references to them here on Wikipedia. While Wikipedia can be a questionable reference many times, it does appear that the Archbishop did in fact write these two letters.
So, let me ask you this question. Considering where we are and the events that are happening all around the world do you think there's anything that could prevent the Great Reset and the coming globalization and enslavement of humanity? The current of society is flowing strongly in that direction and it's only going to get faster with the Biden administration in office. Here's a summary of the things the Biden "accomplished" in the first week. Which if any of these actions moves us further away from the Great Reset? No, I don't think so either.
Finally, the original purpose of this series was to consider which we prioritize preparing for first; Rapture, Survival, or Persecution. In the spirit of "plan for the worst, hope for the best" right now I would say that my priority is planning for survival and hoping for Rapture. There are so many signs and clues coming out right now that scream RAPTURE that it seems impossible that the Lord would wait anytime past May 2021. However, humility reminds me that His ways are higher than our ways. Therefore our interpretation can easily be misguided. The only solution is prayer.
In the last article, we will look at the coming of the Antichrist and the Mark of the Beast. Be sure to subscribe to the email list so you will be notified when the next article is published.
What do you think about what you have read? Add your comments below.
Thanks for reading and God Bless!!!
Update, continue reading Part 3 here:
Part 3 - What's Next for Christians; Rapture, Prepping, or Persecution?
