Among the many spiritual battles impacting this physical world is the conflict between globalism and nationalism, which reveals our closeness to the end of the age. While the influence of globalism has been an obvious trend for many years, the progress of those with a global vision has been accelerating and thus promises to make even more significant advances in the coming year.
All of this sets the stage for the global government of the Antichrist when “authority will be given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation” (Revelation 13:7 NKJV).
The drive toward more centralized global authority is relentless and there are some very logical reasons why globalization makes sense. Globalization offers economic benefits such as increasing global trade and investment which expands prosperity. And there is a vision for peace between the nations that should be achievable if the world could just work together more. Of course it would take a powerful global authority to make that happen.
The world’s ruling elite are becoming more united in their vision of a global government as the solution for what ails mankind. And as humanists generally deny but wholeheartedly practice, the end justifies the means. They have fabricated a climate change crisis to force the world to work together and have more control over the population.
There is nothing like a good crisis to make changes that move us closer to more global governmental power. The intense political correctness associated with the climate change “settled science” reveals that powerful spiritual forces are behind it.
The ugly downside to globalization is the idea that more centralized authority is a good thing. It appeals to a humanist worldview that believes we can solve any problem mankind faces through collective human effort apart from God. This spirit of independence from God is idolatry and was the very same attitude that was prevalent at the Tower of Babel when God scattered the people by confusing their languages (Genesis 11).
While progressive humanist visionaries believe more centralized authority makes government more efficient, the exact opposite is actually realized. The failure of powerful centralized governments is an obvious lesson of history. That is why we have the cliché truism that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Yet the world’s humanists persist in thinking they are more “evolved” and thus smarter than all who have gone before them really believing they are the ones who can make centralized government work better.
It should be obvious that in this fallen world, a more localized government works better than a centralized authority. A smaller, more distributed government that is closer to the people it serves is better able to respond to the needs of the people.
There are geographic, demographic, and cultural differences between groups of people that gives them different needs. Centralized authorities can’t even see these needs much less think imposing a solution that works in one place will have universal success.
Among the things that have made the United States exceptional has been our Constitution that provides for a division of centralized powers with checks and balances on authority. And there was the principle of States rights that distributed governmental power more locally.
The trend however has been to give more power to the federal government and even the checks and balances have been breaking down giving the president more authority than allowed for by the Constitution. This yielding of authority foreshadows the spirit that will bring the Antichrist to power; “these are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast” (Revelation 17:13).
Change is in the air in the United States. Gone is the Constitutional idea that the government exists to serve the people. Instead, the people exist to serve the collective. As the growing spirit of antichrist causes local governments to yield their authority to higher governmental authorities, so too are the people willing to yield their freedoms in return for more security. These are the times that Scripture tells us about:
“For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
The spirit of Antichrist spurring on the growing globalization is at its core rebellion against the order God has established. This spirit is what is behind the move to open the borders to unfettered immigration. If the world is to come together as one global family, there can be no national borders. God is in control and He established national boundaries for a reason.
“He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwelling” (Acts 17:26).
The growing desire for people in the world to yield their God-given freedoms and authority is irrational and reveals that spiritual warfare has to be at work. God is giving mankind over to a debased mind so that evil can run it’s natural course.
“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us’” (Psalm 2:2-3).
The trajectory of this world is distressing to those who bother to consider the ramifications of the dramatic changes that are afoot. Rather than wasting time trying to fight against these changes, followers of Christ will honor God more by helping people disturbed by the world’s trends to see that God’s Word offers comfort to mankind in these times.
The path of this world was foretold from ancient times and is necessary for God to prepare the world for Jesus Christ to be the ultimate central ruling authority for which mankind longs.
All indications are that this world doesn’t have long to wait for the millennial kingdom. The stage is rapidly being set for the terrible time of the Tribulation that precedes the return of Christ. But as individuals in this Age of Grace, we don’t have to wait for Jesus to return to experience His peace in our lives right now.
All who yield their lives to Jesus recognizing Him as Savior and Lord will experience an abundant life in the here and now. And we also have the Blessed Hope of being translated into our glorified, eternal bodies when God concludes the current Age of Grace prior to the Tribulation. Even so, come soon Lord Jesus!