Warm hellos friends, brethren, co-workers, spiritual family, and scattered children of God, from my “mobile” office here in Milton, Wisconsin. My wife and I pray and hope this finds you all doing well, and that again your week has been blessed. We’re currently on a pastoral visit to several brethren in various states to the north, as well as visiting family as well. It’s been a few years since we have been back to Milton, where my wife and I lived and served many for 14 years. We’ll be in Mankato, Minnesota tomorrow to hold and webcast services to all.
It is hard to believe how quickly this year has gone! In just a little over 12 weeks, my wife and I will be in Orange Beach, welcoming many as they arrive for the Feast of Tabernacles!
You and I look forward to the time when this world will be a different place.
We are witnessing a world that has become unstable and in transition. Some have labeled the emergence of radical Islam and the impact on and conflict with non-Muslim nations and cultures as “a clash of cultures”. Many promoting radical Islam are determined to set up a Caliphate and want to implement Islam and control the world. The continuous threat of an international Virus is on the minds of many. The economies of the world’s leading nations are in deep trouble from over spending and attempting to support ever burgeoning entitlements and social programs. Some claim that secret societies and organizations are in control of events and the removal or setting up of national leaders. By creating turmoil, confusion and disorder, it provides an opportunity for those wielding this kind of power to take over and implement what is termed a “New World Order”.
I have on occasion read about the Illuminati, Council on Foreign Relations, Bilderbergs and other “secret societies” or gatherings. Indeed there are significant leaders and wealthy and influential individuals who are members of these societies. I do believe there are individuals in some of these groups that do have considerable influence. Money talks and “big money” has always had a big voice. But I would not go so far to say that the U.S. government is run by the Illuminati.
Various individuals have written about a coming “New World Order”. There may be competing forces out there hoping to gain control over the governments of the world or to set up a dictator or dictatorial system. Over the years we have all witnessed quite a spectacle in the debates among those vying to be selected as the nominee for President of the United States. Had the nominee already been chosen by one of these groups working behind the scenes? Who knows?
Books such as Brave New World, (a 1932 novel by Aldous Huxley), and Nineteen Eighty-Four, (a 1949 novel by George Orwell), describe a society promoted by the rulers as a utopia that becomes in reality a dictatorial nightmare!
Will a New World Order appear? In a sense yes. The answer is that the world is going to experience two!
First, there will be a New World Order that will be evil, bad, and ugly, and the opposite of Utopia. Satan will mastermind the formation of an international government and religious system referred to in the Bible in Revelation 13 as “the beast” and as “Babylon the great” (Revelation 17:5-7, 13). They will dominate “all the nations” and “the kings of the earth” and “the merchants of the earth” (Revelation 18:1-4). This government will persecute and make war against the saints and kill a number of them. (Revelation 13:7; 6:9-11) The religious power that influences this system will use deception and dictatorial control to demand allegiance to the beast (Revelation 13:13-17) This will not be a “New Order” but will be an end time resurrection of an ancient system that has its origins in ancient Babel and Babylon (Revelation 17:5; 18) and also Rome.
The prophecies of Daniel 2 and 7, and Revelation 13 and 17, describe an end time super power that will rise up from the ruins of the past revivals of the Roman Empire. We are told that “The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.” (Revelation 13:2) The dragon (or Satan) is the conspirator and the influence behind dictatorial governments opposed to God and His system.
Satan and his cohorts are allowed to influence human beings and human governments during this present age. He is termed “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2) Remember, the devil claimed he had control over the kingdoms of the world and offered power over them to Jesus during the 40 days temptation in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:8-9) Jesus did not deny his claim.
The prophet Daniel was made aware of powerful spirit entities that work behind the scenes in influencing certain nations of the world such Persia and Greece. (Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:20) The apostle Paul referred to the struggle with these demonic entities. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
The predictions of the prophet Daniel describe the time of the setting up of the government of God to supplant the governments and kingdoms of this earth. Daniel interpreted the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had of a great human-like image with a head of gold and terminating with the ten toes of the feet of iron and clay. The ten toes symbolized ten kingdoms or nations that would unite under the end time dictator labeled the beast. Daniel tells us, “And in the days of these kings, the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other peoples, but it shall crush and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:44)
These verses reveal that at the time described as the “latter days”, the God of heaven will shatter the existing kingdoms and governments on the earth represented by the various parts of the great image and the ten toes seen in the vision.
God will set up His kingdom to rule over the nations and people on the earth that continue on past this time of God’s intervention. He will also then restrain Satan the Devil who has deceived the nations and their leaders. (Revelation 20:1-3)
Jesus Christ, the “King of Kings,” will destroy that order (or rather disorder) and will replace it with a worldwide utopia – the glorious Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3; Ac 28:23; Revelation 11:15).
He loves His human creation and has our best interests at heart. His government will never be corrupted by violence or abuse of power but will finally produce a peaceful world where disease will be replaced with health, hunger will be banished by abundance, and everyone will be able to achieve his or her full potential.
So, indeed a New World is coming! We’ll be celebrating and focusing on this time during the upcoming Feast of Tabernacles in just a few weeks. I look forward to God’s upcoming fall Feast Days as well, and I know you do too!
Arms up friends! Our prayers and thoughts are with you daily. Please do pray for us as well.