What Shall Be the Signs of Christ's Return?
The Middle East crisis will lead to World War III. Antichrist will appear at the end of WWIII. A one-world government with a one-world religion will be established, the anti-Christian kingdom prophesied in chapter 13 of the book of Revelation. This one-world power will offer apparent peace and and prosperity to a world in chaos. The devil, Satan, will rule over his earthly kingdom for "a little season," so that he as God will stand in the holy place, showing himself that he is God, and he will deceive many with his signs and wonders.The goal of the New Jerusalem Covenant Project is to create the plan by which Antichrist can solve the Middle East crisis; Antichrist will use this crisis to stage his appearance in the world. Antichrist is supposed to appear at the end of the Middle East crisis (World War III). The prophetic reality of Daniel 9:24-27, Matthew 24:15 and Revelation 11:1-12 is that the new Temple will be built after World War III and will produce the Man of Sin. Thus, the Illuminati plans to destroy the Dome of the Rock during the World War III fighting so that their Antichrist can rebuild Solomon's Temple. This reality means that Arabs will retain control over the Temple Mount until the moment Antichrist comes to the world scene and seizes it for the Jews so his temple can be created. "Peace and safety" will be heralded, and the leaders of the major nations will be busy taking credit for their "brilliant" leadership that seemingly finally solved the deeply engrained religious strife in and around Jerusalem that has plagued mankind for the past 1,400 years.[David Bay, Cutting Edge Ministries]
It is possible that the first four seals have been opened, and we are about to experience death of 1/4 of the earth by war, scarcity, famine, diseases, plagues, etc. At the opening of the fifth seal, the persecution of Christians will intensify. The Lord tells us that, at the opening of the sixth seal, destruction will come upon the earth in the following forms: a great earthquake, sun turns black, moon turns blood red, stars fall to earth, sky rolls up like a scroll, and every mountain and island moves out of its place. This will be followed by 1/2 hour of silence in heaven before the seventh seal is opened.
The seventh seal in the Book of Revelation reveals itself as the seven trumpets, described as "the wrath of the Lamb." The first four trumpets will bring destruction upon the earth: 1/3 of the trees will be burned up and all the green grass will be burned (hail and fire mingled with blood); 1/3 of the sea will turn to blood, 1/3 of the sea creatures will die and 1/3 of the ships will be destroyed (great mountain burning with fire cast into the sea); 1/3 of the waters will be poisoned (great star falls from heaven); and 1/3 of the sun and moon and stars will be darkened.
At the sounding of the fifth trumpet, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit to rule over his one-world religion and government. Standing in the holy place, Jerusalem, he will show himself that he is God and will deceive many with his signs and wonders. During this five-month period, "then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
The deception of the devil must work out till the bitter end. Shortly before the end of this world, this final deception of the nations shall take place. The heathen nations shall be civilized and they shall become conscious of their power, and they shall, for a time, join forces with the beast and the false prophet to form one great world empire. Nevertheless, they shall remain pagan in every respect, and though they give their power to the beast for "one hour," for "a little season," this cannot possibly last. The heathen nations and the anti-Christian civilization will ultimately gather as separate forces for the last war, the battle of Armageddon.
This is the period of the sixth trumpet, when the heathen nations will join forces to form a 200-million-man army and kill 1/3 part of men. Once the second woe (the sixth trumpet) is past, the third woe (the seventh trumpet and the return of Christ) will come quickly. It will be upon this scene, when the heathen nations are gathered in battle and surrounding Jerusalem, that Christ will return to deliver up His people and to destroy by fire the devil's kingdom on earth.
The Day of the Lord will be a cloudy and dark day, and there will be a great earthquake and voices from heaven, and the temple of God will be opened in heaven; and there will be lightning, voices, thunder and great hail; the sun and moon will be darkened, the stars will fall from heaven, and heaven and earth will be shaken. God will pour out the seven vials of His wrath upon the earth; the last enemy to be destroyed will be Death, the great dragon, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan. The just will be resurrected for eternal life; the unjust will be resurrected for eternal damnation. And the Lord will create a new heaven and a new earth, and He will bring New Jerusalem down from heaven to earth, and He will reign with His people forever and ever.
Jesus says the Father only knows the day and hour when the Son will return in the clouds of heaven. Yet Jesus gives us the signs to look for when the end of the age is approaching, and He tells us that the generation to see these signs shall not pass till all these things be done. It is possible that the last generation (70 years being a generation - Psalms 90:10) began in 1948 when Israel once again become a nation. On May 19, 2011, Obama jolted Israel by embracing the Palestinians' terms for drawing the borders between the two states, saying "a lasting peace that ends the conflict and resolves all claims is more urgent than ever." This peace agreement could mark the beginning of the final seven years before Christ returns, which means we could expect Him to return in 2018.
The seventh seal in the Book of Revelation reveals itself as the seven trumpets, described as "the wrath of the Lamb." The first four trumpets will bring destruction upon the earth: 1/3 of the trees will be burned up and all the green grass will be burned (hail and fire mingled with blood); 1/3 of the sea will turn to blood, 1/3 of the sea creatures will die and 1/3 of the ships will be destroyed (great mountain burning with fire cast into the sea); 1/3 of the waters will be poisoned (great star falls from heaven); and 1/3 of the sun and moon and stars will be darkened.
At the sounding of the fifth trumpet, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit to rule over his one-world religion and government. Standing in the holy place, Jerusalem, he will show himself that he is God and will deceive many with his signs and wonders. During this five-month period, "then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
The deception of the devil must work out till the bitter end. Shortly before the end of this world, this final deception of the nations shall take place. The heathen nations shall be civilized and they shall become conscious of their power, and they shall, for a time, join forces with the beast and the false prophet to form one great world empire. Nevertheless, they shall remain pagan in every respect, and though they give their power to the beast for "one hour," for "a little season," this cannot possibly last. The heathen nations and the anti-Christian civilization will ultimately gather as separate forces for the last war, the battle of Armageddon.
This is the period of the sixth trumpet, when the heathen nations will join forces to form a 200-million-man army and kill 1/3 part of men. Once the second woe (the sixth trumpet) is past, the third woe (the seventh trumpet and the return of Christ) will come quickly. It will be upon this scene, when the heathen nations are gathered in battle and surrounding Jerusalem, that Christ will return to deliver up His people and to destroy by fire the devil's kingdom on earth.
"And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined,
And will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them:
I will say, 'It is my people:' and they shall say, The Lord is my God."
(Zechariah 13:9)
Jesus says the Father only knows the day and hour when the Son will return in the clouds of heaven. Yet Jesus gives us the signs to look for when the end of the age is approaching, and He tells us that the generation to see these signs shall not pass till all these things be done. It is possible that the last generation (70 years being a generation - Psalms 90:10) began in 1948 when Israel once again become a nation. On May 19, 2011, Obama jolted Israel by embracing the Palestinians' terms for drawing the borders between the two states, saying "a lasting peace that ends the conflict and resolves all claims is more urgent than ever." This peace agreement could mark the beginning of the final seven years before Christ returns, which means we could expect Him to return in 2018.
Jesus Will Return to Deliver Up His People as the Nations Gather for the Battle of Armageddon
“The common enemy of humanity is man. In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill. All these dangers are caused by human intervention, and it is only through changed attitudes and behavior that they can be overcome. The real enemy then, is humanity itself." - Club of RomeWhat is uniting the nations of the world? The manufactured fear of global warming and a call for carbon taxes against the developed nations.
What has formed to fight this perceived global problem? The United Nations climate change conferences and climate control treaties. This 'green movement' is the new religion that will replace the monotheistic religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
What will be the cataclysmic event that ushers in the one-world government prophesied in the Bible? It will be the destruction of 1/3 of the earth.
The Lord tells us that destruction will come upon the earth in the following forms: a great earthquake, sun turns black, moon turns blood red, stars fall to earth, sky rolls up like a scroll, every mountain and island moves out of its place [the sixth seal], 1/3 of the trees are burned up and all the green grass is burned [hail and fire mingled with blood], 1/3 of the sea turns to blood and 1/3 of the sea creatures die and 1/3 of the ships are destroyed [great mountain burning with fire is cast into the sea], 1/3 of the waters are poisoned [great star falls from heaven], and 1/3 of the sun and moon and stars are darkened [the first four trumpets].
Will these events be caused by biological, chemical and nuclear weapons of war? Will these events be caused by attacks or the affects of natural disasters (earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, underwater landslides and other phenomenon) on nuclear power plants and deep-sea oil rigs? Will these events be caused by asteroids hitting the earth or EMP (electro magnetic pulse) threats and solar storms? The mystery is yet to be revealed.
When the events that destroy 1/3 of the earth occur (the first four trumpets), the world will be in utter chaos. The devastated people of the world will embrace a one-world government that promises peace and security.
"Research points in the direction that an 'alien agenda' is on the government's table as one among many other options to ring in a one-world government and a one-world dictator. They want to create an 'outside threat' a fake alien invasion, so that the countries of this world will be willing to unite as one, to fight the 'threat' from outer space. If this succeeds, the Illuminati goal is completed. This is what the mass media is preparing us for; currently they are reporting on more UFO sightings than perhaps ever before." [Wes Penre, The Secret Order of the Illuminati (A Brief History of the Shadow Government), Illuminati-News.com, November 12, 1998 (Updated September 26, 2009)]However, the children of God will refuse to worship the one-world government, the beast that rises up from the earth and the sea; therefore, the world must rid itself of them. This war against the monotheistic religions cannot occur until the devil establishes his earthly throne in Jerusalem, showing himself that he is God. This occurs at the fifth trumpet, a five-month period before the sixth trumpet is sounded, when 1/3 of mankind is killed.
The "Iron Mountain Report" of 1963 discusses the transition from a war-time economy to a peace-time economy while keeping the masses under subjection and manufacturing a common enemy. A possible alien-threat scenario was envisioned in this report as a means to uniting the masses together against an alien invasion. Holograms and reports of 'UFO' sightings are being used to test the public's vulnerabilities and to manufacture belief in aliens. [cyrus1914, Project Bluebeam & Iron Mountain Report, truTV Message Board, October 31, 2010]
"And I [John] saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to Him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And He opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle. And on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter" [the sixth and seventh trumpets]. (Revelation 9:1-12)What event will lead to the abomination of desolation at the fifth trumpet; that is, the devil standing in the holy place, showing himself that he is God?
Almost every nation is experiencing a collapse of its economy, for which there can be only a global solution. The only solution will be a world currency, which will be the final step in establishing a one-world government. The developed nations have been discussing a world currency for the past year or so, so we are fast approaching the end of sovereign nations. The establishment of a world currency will lead to a world government, which will be a socialist / communist / totalitarian / dictatorial government whose leader will be the devil incarnate.
Those who refuse to worship the beast, the one-world government and religion, most likely will be among the third part of men killed by the 200-million-man army described in the book of Revelation (the sixth trumpet).
"And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." (Revelation (9:13-21)The union of all nations into a world government with a global currency and religion cannot possibly last. It will be only a matter of time before the heathen nations turn on the other nations under the control of the devil. Already we see military alliances between Russia and China, as well as other nations.
The following essay ("The Sixth Trumpet War of Revelation 9") presents a coalition of forces -- in particular, China, Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkey -- attacking Israel from the East at the sixth trumpet in a war before the battle of Armageddon. However, the war which begins at the sixth trumpet is the battle of Armageddon, when the heathen nations join forces to destroy Jerusalem. This coalition of forces, called Gog and Magog in the Bible, will prepare to attack the one-world government ruled from Jerusalem. It will be upon this scene, when the heathen nations are gathered in battle and surrounding Jerusalem, that Christ will return to deliver up His people.
"They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls." (Luke 21:12-19)Once the second woe (the sixth trumpet) is past, the third woe (the seventh trumpet and the return of Christ) comes quickly.
"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:20-28)
"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. (Revelation 11:3-13)It is at this point that Christ will return in the clouds of heaven to deliver up His people and to destroy by fire the devil's kingdom on earth.
The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:14-15)
"And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon His head, and His face was as it were the sun, and His feet as pillars of fire." (Revelation 10:1)It will be a cloudy and dark day, and there will be a great earthquake and voices from heaven, and the temple of God will be opened in heaven; and there will be lightning, voices, thunder and great hail; the sun and moon will be darkened, the stars will fall from heaven, and heaven and earth will be shaken. God will pour out the seven vials of His wrath upon the earth; the last enemy to be destroyed will be death, Satan. The just will be resurrected for eternal life; the unjust will be resurrected for eternal damnation. And the Lord will create a new heaven and a new earth, and He will bring New Jerusalem down from heaven to earth, and He will reign with His people forever and ever.
Behold He Cometh
"Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country." (Zechariah 8:7)"And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God." (Luke 13:29)
"And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 8:11)
By Herman Hoeksema (1886 - 1965)
Behold He Cometh © 1969 Reformed Free Publishing Association
The Devil Is Retrained from Uniting the World Powers Until Shortly Before the End of the Ages
The period of "a thousand years" referenced in the book of Revelation is to be applied to this entire dispensation until the time shortly before the Second Coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. This is because of the simple reason that the order of the book of Revelation is not chronological, but rather idealogical. Repeatedly, the book follows the development of the world to its very end from a certain point of view in order, and it then resumes the drawing of the same picture from a different viewpoint.
The "thousand year" time period of Revelation must be fulfilled before the devil can be permitted to deceive the nations which live on the "four corners of the earth." This reign of Christ with respect to the world is such that, almost until the very end, the devil shall be bound with respect to Gog and Magog so that he cannot deceive these nations and gather them for battle against the camp of the saints, the Church, the body of Christ, the True Israel of God.
In harmony with all Scripture, "Israel" is to be taken in the New Testament sense of the word. The vision of the restored Israel, of which Ezekiel chapter 38 and 39 speak, has been realized in the Church of the new dispensation. It is "the camp of the saints." It is "the beloved city." It is Christianity in its widest sense as it exists and develops in the new dispensation and as it corresponds to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. It is represented in the text as being situated in the center of the earth; and around it, on the four quarters of the earth, outside of the pale of history, are nations that remain pagan.
Gog and Magog are heathen nations in distinction from nominal Christendom. The nations of Gog and Magog, which are on the four corners of the earth, I would identify as the people (as a whole) who in the new dispensation never played a part in the history of the world, but which in our very day are waking up. I refer to the overwhelmingly strong non-Christian world: the nations of China and Japan, the great and strong multitudes in India; the followers of Confucius and Buddha and of Islam and Brahmanism; and the millions of Africa and of the islands of the sea. The elect also are gathered from these pagan nations into the Church; however, as nations they remain distinctly heathen.
The Christian nations are the historical powers, and Gog and Magog are hitherto apparently asleep. The devil, the prince of this world, is restrained from employing these forces against the Church, the beloved city, the camp of the saints, the new Israel of God. However, near the end of this dispensation, the devil shall be "loosed a little season" to gather the nations to battle against the Church before Christ returns in the clouds of heaven.
From Revelation chapter 17, we learn that the first result of the deceptive influence of the devil upon the heathen nations, Gog and Magog, is that they shall join into one great world power with the central anti-Christian kingdom. For "one hour," for "a little season," the world power shall realize its greatest ambition and a strictly universal empire shall be established, of which also the heathen but civilized nations form an integral part.
From a purely humanistic viewpoint, this future one-world power will be a glorious kingdom, and thoroughly humanistic it will surely be—religiously, scientifically, socially, industrially and politically. However, it will be anti-God, anti-Christ, and anti-Church; for the devil, named Satan, is the opponent, the adversary of Christ, and the adversary to the cause of God in the world.
The Devil is Securely Bound Until the End of the Ages With Respect to the Heathen Nations
During this present dispensation, the devil is bound in regard to the nations of Gog and Magog: in the vision of Revelation chapter 20, the angel overpowers the devil and securely binds him with the chain, casts him into the bottomless pit, locks the pit, and sets a seal upon him.
The devil, therefore, is very securely bound, and he is bound with respect to the heathen nations so that the gospel can be spread throughout the nations.
Scripture teaches that the devil is bound in such a way that he cannot marshal the heathen nations of Gog and Magog to battle against the Church, the beloved city, or, if you please, against the Christian nations. In this very period of his restraint, the devil may do many things, both among the nominally Christian nations and among the people who are called Gog and Magog: he may go about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, as he actually does. However, until near the end of this dispensation, he is prevented from deceiving the heathen nations so as to gather them to battle against the camp of the saints, the Church, the elect of God.
We can easily surmise what it would mean if these heathen nations were permitted to unite and marshal their tremendous forces against the nominally Christian nations: the Church would have no place in the world, no room for development. However, the devil is bound with respect to them until near the end of this dispensation.
The deception of the devil must work out till the bitter end. At the time near the end of this dispensation, under the influence of the so-called mission work of the anti-Christian unclean spirits, the heathen nations indeed shall be awakened out of their prolonged slumber, becoming conscious of their power and quickly adopting the anti-Christian civilization.
In other words, the heathen nations shall be civilized and they shall become conscious of their power; and they shall, for a time, join forces with the beast and the false prophet to form one great world empire. Nevertheless, they shall remain pagan in every respect, and though they give their power to the beast for "one hour," for "a little season," this cannot possibly last.
The True Israel of God Shall Experience Great Tribulation Before Christ Returns
This future one-world power (as described in Revelation, chapter 13), this kingdom of man under Satan, shall be complete: it shall be a kingdom which has sway over all the universe, over all men, over all the powers of creation. It shall be a kingdom in which man worships his own work and in which the devil is lord supreme.
This world power to come shall lay down the rules for religious life in particular: it shall tell all men how they must worship and what they must worship. It shall be a new system of thought and religion, with a new creed, universal in its scope and, at the same time, with a new god. That new god will be the devil incarnate, the great world power, whom all shall admire and worship and for whom all shall erect an image in order that they may worship the same.
At this time to come, there still shall be saints of the Most High on earth: the remnant of the seed of the woman still shall be there; they shall not yet be taken to heaven. And, of course, they will refuse to go along with all this beautiful and worldwide movement. They will refuse to adopt the philosophy; they will refuse to wonder at its great signs; they will refuse to adopt its religion; they will refuse to worship the beast and the dragon.
The Church will refuse to worship the beast; therefore, the saints cannot be tolerated, and they must be discovered so that this great universal kingdom of the devil may be rid of them. It is certain that the difference between the followers of antichrist and the followers of Christ shall be there and that this difference shall be very obvious. The false prophet, the power of false science and philosophy and religion, shall see to it that the distinction is very public and evident to all so that only his followers may share in the blessings of this great kingdom.
Just as only the followers of Christ shall share in the blessings of the kingdom of God, so also the followers of antichrist only shall reap the benefits of this universal world kingdom. The rest, who do not have the "mark of the beast," shall be excluded and boycotted in every respect.
All things shall be under the control of this great and universal world power: the very necessities of life shall be in its power. It can surely allow or prevent buying and selling according to its good pleasure. The saints of Christ who do not worship the image, and who refuse to receive the mark of the beast, shall not be able to do business; they shall not be able to buy or to sell. They shall not be able to live along with this great society. They shall not be able to buy the necessities of life. They shall be outcasts, mocked at, held in derision, thrust aside, ousted from society, and killed.
Those shall be terrible days. They shall be more terrible than any form of persecution that the children of God have ever experienced. There shall be no place for them on earth. So terrible shall those days be that many shall fall who appeared to be children of the Most High, and the very elect would not be able to resist were it not for the fact that the days shall be shortened.
The Final War Will Be Between the Nominally Christian World and the Heathen Nations
The future combined one-world power of the nominally Christian nations and heathen nations cannot last, because ultimately the ten kings shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire (Revelation 17:16). Therefore, shortly before the end of this world, the devil's final deception of the nations shall take place.
The heathen nations and the nominally Christian world will ultimately gather as separate forces for the last war, which will be a world war in the strictest sense of the word.
Looking upon the nominally Christian world, which in fact will be an anti-Christian civilization, the heathen nations shall do as the nations of the old dispensation did with respect to Jerusalem; that is, they shall say: "Let us go up to Jerusalem; let Zion be defiled; let our eye look upon Zion!" And again the Lord will use the hostile spirit of the heathen nations to destroy the anti-Christian power and eat the flesh of the great whore.
In Revelation chapters 16 and 17, there mention is made of ten kings who as yet have received no kingdom, but shall receive power as kings for one hour with the beast: their dominion shall last but "one hour" with the beast; that is, "a little season." In Revelation chapter 20, the reference is evidently to the same going forth of the devil to the nations, the kings of the whole world that live on the four quarters of the earth, to deceive them and gather them for battle.
It is especially Gog and Magog that look upon all Christendom, no matter how apostate, as the beloved city, even as the heathen nations in the old dispensation considered earthly Jerusalem to be the city of God no matter how apostate and wicked it had become. The nations of Gog and Magog, in compassing about and coming to battle against Christendom in its widest sense, certainly intend to destroy "the beloved city," the cause of Christ, and to make paganism supreme in the world. In this, they reveal their wickedness and become ripe for the judgment. God nevertheless uses them to inflict His judgments upon the anti-Christian world.
The final result of this anti-Christian influence will be that the heathen nations will unite their forces for war against the nominally Christian world, the last war that shall ever be fought on earth (the battle of Armageddon). However, they will never touch the camp of the saints: the people of God shall look for the coming redemption, which shall then be very near. It will be upon this final scene of confusion and iniquity that the Lord will appear in judgment to destroy His enemies and to give His saints the victory forever.
Conclusion
The devil is in the world already: he works in the world; he has made many bold attempts already to reach his culmination; and his final manifestation will be the consummation of a long process of development. In the devil's last attempt to oppose God’s plan, he simply will realize his own kingdom, or he will attempt to realize it, and boldly set it up.
The devil, to whom the kingdoms of the world belong, shall succeed in combining all his kingdoms under one head and inspiring them all with the same principle. All the signs of the times point to such a tremendous global power, to such a league of the nations that has control over all things, to such a unity of all religion in which man is exalted and the Christ of the Scriptures is blasphemed.
The dragon's power and authority itself is limited: it is well that we bear this in mind, for it is to our comfort. It assures us from the outset that the power and authority of this anti-Christian kingdom, however great, is not unlimited and that Christ, who has all power, is mightier than antichrist.
Why are we given a complete picture of the anti-Christian Kingdom in the book of Revelation? So that we might clearly recognize it when it is revealed. And what then must we do when we see it is come? Must we oppose it. You may ask, "Must we fight it with the sword?" That, of course, is completely impossible. It will come. It must come. And to oppose its coming is entirely vain. Its coming is irresistible. And the battle is not one of the sword.
Here is the patience and the faith of the saints, that in all these times they remain faithful and refuse to deny the Christ and that they wait for the day of His coming.
God created a world that should glorify Him and be consecrated to Him, but that world tore itself loose from Him and refused to glorify Him. Man now has developed the kingdom of the world without God, and God allows this kingdom of the world to develop to its full extent.
Although man has fallen away from Him, God nevertheless allows man to exercise dominion over the earthly creation and to bring to light all the hidden powers and talents of creation to their fullest degree. In this kingdom we have the anti-Christian beasts described in the book of Revelation, which represent the highest development of the sovereignty of man apart from God, and under the devil they shall develop all the powers of creation without God.
The final manifestation of the anti-Christian kingdom to come is the climax of the development of the man of sin: it is the kingdom of man, of the creature, without God, without the seven. And therefore his number is 666, the number of man indeed. You may see him rise before your very eyes in the world of today. Hence, we must watch and pray that we may not fall into temptation. We must be faithful unto the end.
Ziggy Eichhorst of Newswatch Magazine Presents Don't Fight the New World Order:
It is not our calling to resist the coming kingdom of antichrist, for that is impossible. We cannot prevent its coming; however, we must watch and be prepared. Here is the patience of the saints; here is wisdom. We must know how it will come so that we may recognize its coming and be faithful even unto the end.God grant that we may be found watching in that day so that we may not be allured by all the beauty and fascination and by the Christian appearance, strength and stability of this world kingdom to come. Let us not be allured by the signs and wonders of the false prophet, but let us remain faithful even unto the very end so that no one may take our crowns.
And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, He said:
"As for these things which ye behold, the days will come,
In the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
And they asked Him, saying,
'Master, but when shall these things be? And what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?'
And He said:
"Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;
And the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified:
For these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by."
Then said He unto them:
"Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences."
"And fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you,
Delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends;
And some of you shall they cause to be put to death. and ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls."
"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains;
And let them which are in the midst of it depart out;
And let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled."
--Luke 21:5-22
"And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
Until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot;
They did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom
It rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." --Luke 17:26-30
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” --John 16:33
"I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." --Matthew 28:20
The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. --Psalms 118:14
Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation;
On Thee do I wait all the day. --Psalms 25:5
It is our duty and our privilege to wait upon the Lord
In service, in worship, in expectancy, and in trust all the days of our lives.
Our faith will be tried faith, and if it be of the true kind,
It will bear continued trial without yielding.
We shall not grow weary of waiting upon God
If we remember how long and how graciously He once waited for us.
--Charles Haddon Spurgeon
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you;
In both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets,
And of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
Walking after their own lusts, And saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming?
For since the fathers fell asleep, All things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.'
For this they willingly are ignorant of,
That by the Word of God the heavens were of old,
And the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word are kept in store,
Reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,
That one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness;
But is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
But that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night;
In the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
And the elements shall melt with fervent heat,
The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,
What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,
Wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things,
Be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;
Even as our beloved brother Paul also,
According to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things;
In which are some things hard to be understood,
Which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest,
As they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before,
Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
--2 Peter, Chapter 3
And as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples saith unto Him,
Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
And Jesus answering said unto him,
"Seest thou these great buildings?
There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
And as He sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple,
Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately,
Tell us, when shall these things be?
And what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
And Jesus answering them began to say,
"Take heed lest any man deceive you:
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled:
For such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
And there shall be earthquakes in divers places,
And there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
But take heed to yourselves:
For they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten:
And ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up,
Take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate:
But whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye:
For it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son;
And children shall rise up against their parents,
And shall cause them to be put to death.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake:
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
Standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,)
Then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house,
Neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:
And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.
But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.
For in those days shall be affliction,
Such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved:
But for the elect's sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days.
And then if any man shall say to you,
'Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there;' believe him not:
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise,
And shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds,
From the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Now learn a parable of the fig tree;
When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man,
No, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey,
Who left his house, and gave authority to his servants,
And to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Watch ye therefore:
For ye know not when the master of the house cometh,
At even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
And what I say unto you I say unto all, 'Watch'."
--Mark Chapter 13
And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." --Matthew 24:4-13
"Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." --Matthew 24:34
"And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end." --Luke 1:33
"As for these things which ye behold, the days will come,
In the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
And they asked Him, saying,
'Master, but when shall these things be? And what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?'
And He said:
"Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ;
And the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified:
For these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by."
Then said He unto them:
"Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences."
"And fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you,
Delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends;
And some of you shall they cause to be put to death. and ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls."
"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains;
And let them which are in the midst of it depart out;
And let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled."
--Luke 21:5-22
"And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
Until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot;
They did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom
It rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." --Luke 17:26-30
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” --John 16:33
"I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." --Matthew 28:20
The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. --Psalms 118:14
Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation;
On Thee do I wait all the day. --Psalms 25:5
It is our duty and our privilege to wait upon the Lord
In service, in worship, in expectancy, and in trust all the days of our lives.
Our faith will be tried faith, and if it be of the true kind,
It will bear continued trial without yielding.
We shall not grow weary of waiting upon God
If we remember how long and how graciously He once waited for us.
--Charles Haddon Spurgeon
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you;
In both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets,
And of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
Walking after their own lusts, And saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming?
For since the fathers fell asleep, All things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.'
For this they willingly are ignorant of,
That by the Word of God the heavens were of old,
And the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word are kept in store,
Reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing,
That one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness;
But is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
But that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night;
In the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
And the elements shall melt with fervent heat,
The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved,
What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,
Wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Therefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things,
Be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;
Even as our beloved brother Paul also,
According to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things;
In which are some things hard to be understood,
Which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest,
As they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before,
Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
--2 Peter, Chapter 3
And as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples saith unto Him,
Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
And Jesus answering said unto him,
"Seest thou these great buildings?
There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
And as He sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple,
Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately,
Tell us, when shall these things be?
And what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
And Jesus answering them began to say,
"Take heed lest any man deceive you:
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled:
For such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
And there shall be earthquakes in divers places,
And there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
But take heed to yourselves:
For they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten:
And ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up,
Take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate:
But whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye:
For it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son;
And children shall rise up against their parents,
And shall cause them to be put to death.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake:
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
Standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,)
Then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house,
Neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:
And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.
But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.
For in those days shall be affliction,
Such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved:
But for the elect's sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days.
And then if any man shall say to you,
'Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there;' believe him not:
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise,
And shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds,
From the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Now learn a parable of the fig tree;
When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man,
No, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey,
Who left his house, and gave authority to his servants,
And to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
Watch ye therefore:
For ye know not when the master of the house cometh,
At even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
And what I say unto you I say unto all, 'Watch'."
--Mark Chapter 13
And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." --Matthew 24:4-13
"Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." --Matthew 24:34
"And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end." --Luke 1:33
