Karl Barth said, “Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.”
We reserve a few minutes to discuss current trends that you’d expect from reading Bible prophecy.
We are futurists. We interpret all unfulfilled prophetic passages as future events in a literal, physical, apocalyptic, and global context.
Biometrics, Artificial Intelligence, cashless commerce, the manipulation of human DNA, global government, the exponential growth of human knowledge, and the rebirth of national Israel are End Times developments the Bible predicts.
All of these are increasingly trending in the news.
The global pandemic COVID19 and its variants are not one of the End Times plagues.
The pandemic does, however, have prophetic significance.
The Book of the Revelation describes the antichrist having authoritarian control over his citizens. I am thinking particularly of this passage:
Rev 13:16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,
Rev 13:17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
In the future Great Tribulation technology will access the global grid and determine a person’s level of participation in society. It will be possible to restrict purchases and participation.
The technology is ready for this digital dictatorship. One quick example. An article posted by Gizmodo was titled, Amazon’s Palm Reader Launches at First Non-Amazon Venue in Sneak Peek of Our Biometric-Based Future.
Whether it is a palm scanner or another biometric device, we are rapidly approaching a world in which our purchases and participation in society are tracked and can be controlled.
In the news you, hear about the unvaccinated and the anti-vaxxers. Our leaders are blaming them for the continuation of the pandemic. It is being called “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
Government is forcing compliance to mandates to be vaccinated or tested. You must show proof or suffer severe consequences.
An article titled, Biden Administration Outlines Process for Disciplining, Removing Unvaccinated Feds, reported that “Refusal to comply with the president’s vaccine mandate will be treated as violating a lawful order.” The article explains the enforcement process. “That process begins with a five-day counseling period, in which agencies should provide the noncompliant employee with information on the benefits of vaccination and how to get the vaccine.”
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2021/10/biden-administration-outlines-process-disciplining-removing-unvaccinated-feds/185793/
I think in communist countries they call that reeducation.
Government response to COVID19 and its variants is authoritarian, threatening to punish dissenters by restricting their purchasing and participation in society.
It sounds like life in the future Great Tribulation.
Here’s a headline: Sydney’s unvaccinated warned of social isolation when COVID19 lockdown ends.
Excerpts:
Sydney residents who are not vaccinated against COVID19 risk being barred from various social activities even when they are freed from stay-at-home orders in December, New South Wales state Premier warned on Tuesday. People who choose not to be vaccinated could be barred entry to shops, restaurants and entertainment venues even after the state lifts all restrictions against them. “Life for the unvaccinated will be very difficult indefinitely,” said the Premier.
https://news.trust.org/item/20210928025122-5mqe6/
Another article suggested three ways to pressure the unvaccinated: Make them pay for mandatory weekly testing, increase their healthcare costs, and prohibit them from visiting hospitals and care facilities.
Real Clear Politics reported that Australian police are going door-to-door, asking folks if they have plans to protest or if they know of anyone who does.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2021/09/23/australia_police_goes_door_to_door_are_you_aware_of_any_planned_protests_or_events_coming_up.html
I’m sure that there are multiple opinions among us regarding the vaccines and the mandates. I am concentrating on the dystopian strategies our leaders are openly adopting.
Digital dictatorship that controls citizens to comply or suffer the loss of fundamental rights is something you’d expect from reading the Bible.
We believe the resurrection and rapture of the church are imminent. It could happen any moment; nothing needs to happen before it. It will happen before the Great Tribulation.
Jesus will return in the clouds.
He will raise the dead in Christ.
He will transform the bodies of living believers to glorified, resurrection bodies.
We will all join Him in Heaven while the earth endures one final seven-year campaign of severe evangelism.
Are you ready for the rapture? If not, Get ready; Stay ready; Keep looking up.
Ready or not, Jesus is coming!