Nuggets from Countdown to the Second Coming—A Man for All Reasons (Part 2)

While guaranteed by today’s “prophets” that we are in the “greatest revival ever,” the church is sinking deeper into the last-days apostasy foretold by Christ and His apostles. The church has long been invaded by worldliness. Now the world has entered in a new form: New Age “spirituality.” More than 40 years ago, A. W. Tozer preached that, rather than “revival,” the church desperately needed reformation. Conditions are now far worse, making his prophetic warning even more apropos today:

It is my considered opinion that under the present circumstances we do not want revival at all. A widespread revival of the kind of Christianity we know today in America might prove to be a moral tragedy from which we would not recover in a hundred years.

Yet the prospects of a humanistic world peace grow ever brighter. In spite of ethnic conflicts, Islam’s continuing slaughter of non-Muslims in Israel, Sudan, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, and elsewhere, the ever-present danger of war in the Middle East, and worldwide terrorism, man is still determined to solve his problems without God and is convinced that he can do so. “Peace and safety” is the swelling cry. It is the greatest of delusions, the deceptive calm before the storm. Mankind is about to reap the full wrath of God for its rejection of His Son, who Himself is poised to return in vengeance. Surely the signs that herald the Second Coming are already casting their shadows to signal that our generation is living in the last of the last days.

When each of the events that we have considered stands alone, its value as a “last-days sign” may not seem too impressive. But when we see the convergence of all these events within the same time frame—and particularly the swiftness of recent developments in Eastern Europe and internationally as well—pieces of the puzzle begin to fit together.

The door seems to be opening to a global unification of nations and thus global peace. If the entire world is united, then we may be certain that the Antichrist will not rule over only a small part of it. So we move another step closer to understanding that the only sensible interpretation is a literal one of John’s declaration concerning the Antichrist:

…and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation:13:7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
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According to the Bible, the Antichrist will exercise his power ruthlessly, destroying three nations (Daniel:7:8I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
See All...), devouring and breaking in pieces (7:19). It certainly won’t be a worldwide “rainbow gathering.” Yet his kingdom will also have the elements of a voluntary association and democracy at first, and he will be worshiped, which certainly indicates some affection and trust. The exact picture remains a mystery.