Posted on 05/21/2007 6:59:42 AM PDT by Esther Ruth
Politics and Bible Prophecy
Why We Need One to Understand the Other
In Defense of the Faith
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor
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.
That was an amazing read.
Control the oil and you control the global economy. Muslims are working toward that goal.
Consider this.
If you are a Christian “in good standing” when the end times come .... you are going to be saved. If you are a Christian “in good standing” BEFORE the end times ... and die from some other cause ... you are going to be saved. In other words, if you are a Christian .... the end times DO NOT MATTER to your salvation.
I also consider it the HEIGHT of folly to believe that you, me or anyone else can alter God’s plan. Trying to influence when the Antichrist will appear or begin power or anything else that is part of the end times ASSUMES that an individual can force their will on God. A very dangerous concept to my mind.
In sort, get right with God and let him take care of everything else ... and don't worry about it.
It’s they “I know something you don’t know” syndrome.
I’m in good standing as are my kids and hubby. The rapture could come at noon and I wouldn’t care at all.
I’m sure there are lots of FReepers who will be getting together in heaven. It will be a joyous party!
She listened patiently and then said “So if I’m a Christian it doesn’t matter?
Out of the mouth of babes.....
You’re right.
Our children are the saints that we should be listening to.
Those that worry are only doing themselves an injustice. I put my trust in the covenant I have with Our Lord and let Him handle it.
bump
Got the same thing from my son when he was about 10 and I was correcting his table manners.
I pointed out that he would never get a nice girl to marry him if she was grossed out by the way he was eating.
He replied, “Mom, the Lord will come back long before I get married.”
Shot down again.
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."
Matthew 25:1-13
---------------------------------------------
The label "virgins"
presumably means they all
were "good" Christians, but
some are called "wise" and
some "foolish." Even among
the 'elect' something
will sort believers
based on how they have prepared.
The exact meaning
of this Bible quote
is difficult to figure,
however, something
about "keeping watch"
and "being prepared" is key,
rather than simply
just going along
and trusting that the "bridegroom"
will take all his brides...
Thank you for posting this article!
A good read, but I happen to believe that Christians will suffer under AntiChrist until Jesus does intervene, and that takes place just before God’s wrath is poured out on the unbelieving
That was great.
“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.”
BTTT
“[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)
Awesome.
bump
I get very confused with bible prophesy.
Many of the scriptures used to talk about the end times seen to relate directly to the fall of Jeruselem in approximately AD70.
I’m not sure that the majority of of Revelations are not dealing with the fall of Jeruselem rather than the end times. I hope the the tribulation was speaking of those times and the antichrist was Nero. Not arguing, just hoping.
I think the idea of a rapture does the Western Church a great diservice in preparing Christians for what will be expected of them when they are in the midst of the Tribulation.
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