As we look at the total expanse of Scripture, the evidence of a parallel direction forward is in the mindset of the world and likewise in the plan of God. Both targets are that there will be a “one-world government,” a “New World Order.”

The world which chooses to deny God, even to ignore Him, intends to dominate the whole world with the elite being served by the less privileged persons. Yet, those cannot be many lest they cannot be controlled. It is described by the promoters of that “New World Order” as a glorious future for them. But not so much for those who are slaves to them, apparently.

God’s plan points toward the formation of that one-world government as a vehicle that brings the world and the Antichrist into final judgment. It brings into vivid clarity the truth that God does not allow any worldly evil to have a deciding input to the manner or timing of the development of events along the way. For example, in our very current events we see how God literally yanked out of the hands of the “One Worlders” their intent to bring into existence their vision. It shaped up this way:

When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, a very gleeful Henry Kissinger blurted openly, “He has been primed to lead us into a new world order!” At another time he said, “We hired him right out of law school.” That “priming” took on the most deceptive twist that had never been seen in presidential campaigns and terms of office in the history of the United States, as the evidence clearly shows.

As the end of his eight years in office approached, he muttered at the April 30, 2016, annual DC Correspondents’ Dinner, “All of you are looking great…the end of the Republic has never looked better!” While his supporters claimed otherwise, the integrity of the nation’s sovereignty was steadily grinding downward. He was sure that Hillary Clinton was headed for the oval office to replace him and thus complete the destruction of the nation, that one strongest opponent of that New World Order.

But God came on the scene and shut down that plan of the world to create a ruling class of their own making, that of the flesh and not of God. Psalm 75:6-8 tells of the event:

“For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge. He puts down one and exalts another. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red. It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down.”

Part of God’s move toward judgment of this evil generation seems to be pointed at bringing people to realize their sinfulness. When the Scripture speaks of a “falling away,” as in 2 Thessalonians 2, it is stated that it is that the lawless one may be revealed—a possibility that God allows, then follows it with a complete clearance for the path of evil by removing the “One who restrains” (evil), that is, the born-again believers who possess the Holy Spirit and the embodiment of righteous resistance to that evil. It is called the “rapture” or the snatching away of the Lord’s possessions from the path of evil.

Revelation 6 shows the opening of that first seal, and the one on the white horse comes forth, “conquering and to conquer.”

The prophet Ezekiel, in the end of Ezekiel 37, tells of God’s promise of an “everlasting covenant” with the Jewish people; and parallel to this, Daniel, in Daniel 9:27, writes of a seven-year covenant being imposed upon the Jews by many and joined by the man with a past legacy from Rome. Ezekiel then launches into the prophecy of the Gog and Magog invasion of Israel. After Ezekiel 38-39 are finished, we see another obstacle of the Antichrist’s progress of conquering the world is removed—the threat of Russia’s desire to rule the world, and also the goal of the Islamic faction to rule the world.

Note that while the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7) is going on, God’s inclusive plan to judge the world moves along in tandem. Next, we see in Revelation 9, the introduction of 200 million warriors from the “kings of the east.” They apparently are done away with in the judgment of God; and thus, China and the hordes of Asia and its Communistic threats to the world are eliminated, not to be mentioned as an obstacle to the Antichrist.

He continues to conquer as he moves behind the front of the “New World Order” and its one-world government—that seventh head of the Beast of Revelation. We find much of the concluding events of his advancement as he is supported by that second beast with the two little horns who promotes his efforts in Revelation 13.

Finally, in Revelation 17, we see this Antichrist, who intended to rule the world in a warfare with God from the beginning of his fall from favor in the ages before time began. In this chapter it describes his impatience of having to work his plan behind a world government, and he “pulls out all the stops” and takes over as the eighth head of the Beast—that is, he personifies the Beast, at last. Then the Lord God ends his existence, along with that second beast, the false prophet, by tossing them, bodily and alive, into the lake of fire to burn forever and ever.

Then, Jesus, the Christ, begins a thousand years of theocracy over the whole world, reigning with righteousness and justice. It is a time of proving that mankind, in their best efforts of self-governing, could not accomplish it without God, as they were planning to do. Again, God is glorified before the whole world.

But wait! What about Satan, who will have been cast out of heaven and from the presence of God once and for all time (see Revelation 12)?

When Satan, a disembodied spirit, is cast into the world, he must have a body to occupy. It could only be appropriate for him to enter the body of the Antichrist, a mortal being, until that person is cast into the lake of fire.  Satan, then, is bound in chains and held in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. Revelation 20 tells us He will then be released for a short time to pull together the multitude of people who still are in opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ and lead them against Him in a final battle for control of the world.

Righteousness reigns and evil is judged as the Lord of Lords crushes evil once and for all! The devil and his followers are cast into the lake of fire along with all of the unsaved from all time to burn forever and ever. That is the final judgment which God exercises over evil, the end of the pathway for His opposition over the ages.

The whole story abounds with “mysteries” which are so-called by the Scriptures. This writing attempts to show the broad picture along the way. Redemption of mankind, as many as are saved, and the restoration of Israel to an acceptance of their true Messiah are main-line actions of God opposite that of allowing evil to proceed towards the judgment He planned for it. In all of these things, God will have been glorified as the Lord of Lords and King of Kings of the universe.

Where is the beginning of these things?

It appears to have been at the time of the Restoration of the nation of Israel on May 14, 1948, nearly 72 years ago. In Luke 21:28, while in the midst of a preview of what is to come in the form of judgment, Jesus said,

“When you see these things begin to happen, look up, for your redemption draws near.”

Increasingly, since that date a few decades ago, end-time signs and prophecies have been revealed to verify the truth of the Lord’s predictions. Witness the astounding revolution in public sexual expressions. That prophecy of a “falling away” from lawfulness and moral integrity is turning mankind into a pitiful, confused and frustrated population. There is an increasingly marked rejection and rebellion against the voice of Almighty God.

The Creator is not to be ruled by His creation.

Contact email:  andwegetmercy@gmail.com

After birth, what comes next in our physical lives? Growing up, of course. It is automatic—hunger, feeding, body development toward maturity. It is parallel in the spiritual life, too.

Peter writes in his first epistle, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). At the end of that first chapter of the letter, he writes, “…having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.”

Why the emphasis on the Word of God? Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes from hearing the Word of God. It is our faith, then, that must “grow” toward maturity. (I say “toward” instead of “into” because the development of one’s faith is ongoing until it becomes sight. It is an interesting development that as one grows in faith, it seems that attention to the level of our faith becomes unimportant, and realization of God’s faithfulness becomes the most important issue of our spiritual lives. That seems to be the prominent thought in 1 Timothy 2:13: “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”

However, the writer of the Book of Hebrews discusses the matter of maturity having to do with moving onward from “milk of the Word” to a maturity that comes to the believer as he remains obedient. It swings on the issue of application of the principles of faith into one’s life:

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).

A couple of thoughts are worthy of consideration more fully. “By reason of use,” what does that mean in common terms? Basically, it means “believing the promises of God and stepping out on that belief.” Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Thus, a belief that is confirmed by the Word of God and affirmed by the Spirit of God within you is locked in and only awaits its fulfillment in reality.

Secondly, that discernment between good and evil and being made available by that choice of Adam and Eve in the Garden, is embedded in the conscience of mankind. It is the foundation for all decisions man makes in regard to his moral integrity, or lack of it.

This is where those who believe one can lose his salvation by some act of disobedience. That is a delightful plight Satan revels in, for he is one who “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking those whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). No one is saved by his own ability to achieve what is acceptable by God for righteousness in His kingdom. Self-achievement amounts to a total rejection of the power of God to keep that which He has purchased by the price of His blood on the cross of Calvary. Peter writes in his epistle, 1 Peter 1:5, that believers are “kept by the power of God unto salvation.” If that is a lie, then there is no hope for any kind of redemption from our sinful existence. But God is faithful, He cannot deny Himself.

It is extremely important that the issue of assurance of salvation be settled in order to move on to a fullness of life in Christ. The Apostle John wrote, in 1 John 5:11-13, that a believer can know that he is saved, and thus is able to stand on the promises of Christ:

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”

Note how this passage points one forward to a life of trust in the promises of God and not reverting to a belief that Jesus has departed from them for some reason they cannot name but “feel like” they are no longer saved. Look at verses 14-15 following those quoted above. They continue the context of those preceding them, that one’s prayers based on those truths have confidence in being answered. It is paramount that the whole counsel of God be considered on any issue of interpretation of the Scriptures.

The Lord has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you!” (Hebrews 13:5b).

All deviations from a right relationship with the Lord can be traced to having looked away from the truth. Therefore, the relentless adherence to the Word of God is the key to growth in spiritual life. For example, the psalmist wrote, “How can a young man cleanse his way?” and answers his own question with, “By taking heed according to Your Word. Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!” And then he gives a clue as to how to be sure we can do it: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:9-11). As it has long been noted, “sin will keep you from God’s Word, or God’s Word will keep you from sin.”

Note how Jesus quoted the written Word of God to rebuke Satan in that encounter of temptation He had with that evil deceiver, as reported in Matthew 4:1-11.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11-14 that God has ordained specially prepared individuals who are to teach believers the truths needed to overcome the Adversary and live a victorious life: “He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.”

Note the next two verses, “But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16)

Finally, look at Philippians 2:12b-13 for a very vital aspect of “growing up” in Christ:

“…Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

That term, “work out,” can be a troublesome thought because of man’s desire to do “something” to accomplish his salvation. Note that it reads “your own salvation,” something you already have. Then, why mention “with fear and trembling?” Perhaps a look at Proverbs 10:9-10 will help: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Because our choices can turn us away from God’s pathway for us, a healthy concern for those choices to be guided by His wisdom, that “fear of God,” the reverence and respect for His holy character and His attribute of justice, His wisdom is totally necessary to partake of that working of God in us.

By means of the new Spirit He has given the born-again believer, the Lord works in the obedient believer to accomplish God’s will in his life. That is truly “amazing grace”!

One other caution the Scriptures repeat is to beware of false prophets and teachers. The policy of the Bereans whom Luke wrote of in Acts 17:11 again points us to the Word of God for verification of the truth: “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” That is, does the considered presentation fit into the whole counsel of God without contradiction?

Peter gives one last directive at the end of his second epistle: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Contact email:  andwegetmercy@gmail.com