March 31, 2021
But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels in heaven, but my father only.
(Matthew 24:36)
Thus far we have looked at six signs that the Bible points to as indications of the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ: the reestablishment of the nation of Israel, the notoriety of other nations which are adversarial to Israel, wars and rumors of wars, worldwide apostasy, natural disasters, and an increase in knowledge and travel.
We come now to the last of the seven signs—globalism. Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? (2) The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, (3) “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” (Psalm 2:1-3)
Globalism is the concept of the world working as one. While there are still over 190 sovereign nations in this world, yet increasingly it is becoming one world.
Globalization is characterized by at least four things.
First, there is urbanization. Our world, as recent as the late 1800s, was mostly rural. At present, there are sixteen mega-cities in the world with over ten million people, and another eight that have over 8 million souls. China and India in particular have moved masses of people from the land to the cities.
Second, there is the move toward one currency. We are already heading toward a cashless society. There are several countries where over 50% of the transactions are cashless. In the year 1900, there were 70 central banks in the world—now there are 170! Plus, there is the existence of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, about which most people know little to nothing.
Third, having one world religion has been a goal of many for decades. There is a constant move to align the major religions of this world. It is this author’s belief that the unified religion of the world will be a new religion, a blending of the humanistic and mystic. It will be a religion of tolerance, but will have no tolerance for those oppose it—those who believe and practice the written Word of God.
Finally, there is a desire for one government. This seems unlikely today in our fractured world, but events like the recent Chinese virus have brought nations closer together, working together. One does not wish for catastrophe, but it is when the entire world faces the same panic that it tends to coalesce.
Dear friend, we must be prepared for the coming of the Lord. Yes, He has promised to come for almost 2000 years. Yes, to many this seems like a pipe-dream, foolishness, some kind of crutch upon which feeble minds can lean.
But remember, Jesus promised to return. And the signs which the Bible predicted would point to His coming are all present and growing in our day. This is especially true of Israel, the focal point of world politics. Look at a map sometime and see that Israel is just a sliver of land set among her many enemies. Yet she survives, and she thrives. This is only because she is the “apple of God’s eye.”
Folks, when Jesus comes, it will systematic, sudden, and swift. We will talk about these things next time. For now, please take time to evaluate your spiritual state, and come to the Savior. He loves you and He patiently waits.