The Bible says that before Jesus comes back, two things will happen. First, there will be great apostasy. This means that Christians will fall away from the truth of God. Second, the Antichrist will be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3), and he will dominate the world. Both apostasy and the Antichrist must happen before Jesus returns.
We see signs of apostasy, as many Christians are teaching false doctrines, promoting false prophecies, and some are abandoning the faith. But we do not yet see the Antichrist. The Bible tells us what the Antichrist will be like, and he is not yet revealed. Therefore, we know that the day of the Lord has not yet come.
There will be a global government before Jesus comes back. The arrival of the Antichrist will be preceded by the establishment of a global government, and the Antichrist will precede the return of Christ.
The Bible says that this global government will create political unity all over the world (Daniel 7:23). This government will have a common religion (Revelation 13:8). It will promote worldwide economic unity (Revelation 13:16-17).
When the final global government is revealed, Jesus’ return is imminent.
Peace and Safety
The desire for peace and safety drives the push toward global government.
The League of Nations was formed in the aftermath of World War I as an early attempt at global government. The nations were tired of war, and they thought a global government could stop war and bring peace. This didn’t work, and disagreements soon overwhelmed the world again. World War II broke out. After WWII, a stronger global government was formed, called the United Nations. People currently trust the UN to maintain peace around the world.
People not only want peace, they want safety. They want safety from terrorists, safety from crime, safety from climate change, safety from disease, and safety from other threats. Globalization is seen as a way to stay safe.
The problem is, peace and safety can only come from God, not come from human government. The Bible warns us that the peace and safety offered by the final global government will be a mirage. “For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3). “They” refers to unbelievers. At the end of the age the world will unite in a global government, pursuing peace and safety. But when this dream is achieved and the Antichrist rules over all, the kingdom of God will shatter this global government. Sudden destruction will come upon the world as the Day of the Lord dawns.
Tower of Babel
There was once a global government. After the flood, Nimrod united the world to build the Tower of Babel. They all spoke the same language had the same ideology. “And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them” (Genesis 11:6). Shocking advances in dark spirituality and evil technology were being made at Babylon. The limit to their progress was only their own imagination.
God didn’t like this “progress,” because it was apart from his Spirit and contrary to his word. So God scattered their language. He gave them different languages so they couldn’t understand each other. They were forced to stop their building project and disunite. They left Babylon and went all over the world, establishing different nations.
Today, the nations of the world are uniting again. They are trying to recover what was lost at Babel. They are able to speak the same language and have a common goal. As it was at the Tower of Babel, the limit to their progress seems to be only the human imagination. But God will bring an end to humanity’s globalization through the arrival of his Son which will manifest his kingdom all over the world and destroy every other kingdom.
Our Response
We must understand what the Bible says about this final global government and be prepared to face it. Why? Because the Bible says Christians will be the final enemies of this global government. This government will persecute the people of God (Daniel 7:21). It will make war against them (Revelation 13:7). There is a path to victory, and it is by the Holy Spirit.
God’s people have often been the enemies of governments. They were persecuted in ancient Egypt. In Persia, God’s people were sentenced to death. But God gives supernatural victory to his people.
We are blessed to be living in the United States when we have freedom to worship Jesus. We should never take our freedom for granted, because most Christians today don’t have such freedom. Today, throughout the Muslim world, Christians are persecuted, and they are being arrested throughout China and India. God has given us the privilege of religious liberty for a reason.
Freedom gives us the opportunity to spiritually prepare.
The Limits of Obeying the Government
We should try to obey the government as much as possible. But when the government tells us to do something that contradicts the Bible, we must disobey. When the government told Peter and the other apostles to stop preaching, they disobeyed that law because God said they should share the gospel. “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). We must be ready to disobey a government when it tells us to do things that are contrary to the Bible.
When the government orders people to get a mark in their bodies in order to buy and sell, we will have to refuse. Even if life gets uncomfortable, and even if everyone in the world is getting such a mark, we must not. God will take care of us. The Bible says that all who take the mark will go into hell (Revelation 14:9-11). Discomfort in this world is better than spending an eternity in hellfire.
At the end of the age God’s people will overcome through the grace of Jesus Christ and practical operations of his power. Safety is only going to be found in the bride of Christ. All over the world, God will have a faithful remnant of people who are obeying the word of God and refusing to follow the vain religious teachings of men. Just like Noah had to build an ark to be ready for the flood, we must do our part to build up the true church of Jesus Christ so we can be safe in the end times. God is raising up his bride all over the world. We want to be a part of it.
God will protect his people. He will be a shield over them to guide them and protect them (Isaiah 4:2-6). As they gather together in faithful assemblies all over the world, God will be their covering.
Don’t be afraid. God is our shield. He is our protection. Greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world. Jesus did not pray that God would take us out of the world, but that he would protect us from Satan (John 17:15). God is going to answer the prayer of his Son. He will keep his people safe. And even if some Christians die (and they will), they can rejoice because their names are written in heaven. They will go to be with Jesus which is far better than anything else.
“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).
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