CAN IT HAPPEN?

As a main tenet of last week's blog "The End Of The Beginning", I stated that I believe we are living now in the final phase of the time period that leads up to the one-world rule of the Antichrist. Of course, that one-world government is NOT here yet, but the early "labor pains" are over and the beginning of the intense "labor pains" are upon us. ONE of the reasons I gave for that statement was, "The technology and mechanisms necessary to control the buying and selling activities of all humanity are in place right now." This is where I want to elaborate even more in this week's writing. (I strongly encourage you to stop here and read last week's blog, if you haven't already.)

Revelation 13:16 says this of the Antichrist (a real person in the end time), "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." These words were written over 2,000 years ago. They depict a future global system that controls who can buy and sell merchandise. (Revelation 13:17) This control will be enacted during the last three and one half years of the Great Seven-Year Tribulation. ". . .there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be." (Jesus' words in Matthew 24:21) I believe the Bible teaches that Jesus will evacuate His true followers (those who really know Him as Savior, Lord and coming King and who love and serve Him faithfully) prior to this Tribulation and remove them from this world to be with Him forever! But a large number of humanity will be here in this world during the rule of the Antichrist. It is important to say clearly that those who are not followers of Jesus when He comes to remove His true followers will not be evacuated and thus will suffer greatly in the Great Tribulation. THIS IS NOT A "SCARE" STATEMENT; IT IS THE "TRUE" STATEMENT OF SCRIPTURE!

Modern technology is astonishingly close to enabling the kind of total control revealed in The Book of Revelation, Chapter 13 These advancements are taking place at an unprecedented pace and surely have prophetic importance. Again, it is NOT my purpose to incite fear or exacerbate worry or unbelief. I don't intend to predict specific dates or even the order of events. I simply want to call attention to the current signs regarding end time technology and its advancements with a purpose to point us to the need for urgency to move from the technology itself to the mindset of embracing the fact of it! I see that this technology and the mechanisms are in existence right now, and are advancing quickly, never to go away! They are only going to become more sophisticated, and more rapidly than we may even realize. My concern, though is, are these technologies and mechanisms actually on the minds and in the preparedness of people. Have we become preconditioned into accepting these systems of surveillance, control and authority? Is our society slowly becoming accustomed to the possibility and even the probability of it happening? Are we in danger of accepting it as just the normal course of an advancing world?

Nearly nineteen hundred years after the Book of Revelation was written, its teaching of a global regime can seem to be incomprehensible! With nearly 200 "nations" in our world, how could "authority. . .over every tribe, language and nation" be given to ONE world leader? (Revelation 13:7) How is it possible that a mark on the right hand or forehead controls ALL OF THE WORLD'S COMMERCE? In the past, it was hard to fathom such things, even though the Word of God clearly declares these things will most assuredly take place. However, in the last several years, we have witnessed a tremendous surge in general knowledge and specific technology that reminds us of what the angel told Daniel, that at the end time "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." (Daniel 12:4) Great strides in knowledge are the new normal. What advancements and progress once took centuries, now occur in a few years, months, days or even hours! From the beginning of computers, to the internet, to artificial intelligence, technological developments are accelerating at breakneck speed!

Actually, this tremendous growth of technology is not occurring randomly. Those who sincerely study Biblical prophecy see it as fulfillment of prophecy. It appears that all things are falling into place in keeping with the teachings of Revelation! Ours is the only generation in history that has the ability to track the buying and selling activities of every person on earth, and even to keep record of everyone's behavior worldwide and in real time. Jesus taught regarding end time signs, "when you see these things, know that it (the end) is near, even at the doors!" (Mark 13:29)

According to Revelation 13:7, no one in the world under the rule of the Antichrist will escape his eyes or his search. We are very close to that technology. By the end of 2021, it has been reported from reliable sources, that over one billion surveillance cameras were installed worldwide. That is the equivalent of one camera per eight people living on the earth. Many of these cameras, officials say, are linked to Artificial Intelligence powered systems so that they can "identify faces, track movements and compile digital dossiers." For one example, China boasts its government's massive "Skynet" network of strategic cameras estimated at over 600 million units. In addition, their Social Credit System truly shows how a centralized authority can monitor actual compliance or dissent with policy or leaders. Western nations have developed the CCTV networks to watch people and their activities. We have been warned that Google monitors where people go, what they buy and who they associate with. With Artificial Intelligence Analytics, unusual behavior can be targeted and traced, facial recognition can happen even within a large crowd in just seconds of time. Cameras exist on streets in cities, towns, in and on buildings, and even in smarthome devices. Our smartphones, internet searches, nearly all social media platforms and even our own purchases are abundantly harvested for data purposes. It appears that certain agencies know more about you and me than we know about ourselves.

Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli media "expert", military historian, public intellectual, popular science writer and History professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem has said this: "Soon corporations and govern-ments will be able to systematically hack all the people. We humans should get used to the idea that we are no longer mysterious souls." He warns us that "the combination of biometric sensors and Artificial Intelligence will creat a digital dictatorship of total monitoring." He further predicts that a regime in the very near future will know where we are and what we do, but also even how we feel about political leaders. A few years ago this kind of intrusive monitoring was pure science fiction, but now is on our very door-step.

This technology is a perfect fit for the global system to be set up by the Antichrist. Revelation 13:15 says, the False Prophet (the assistant to the Antichrist) will cause all those who refuse to worship the image of the Antichrist to be killed; the stark reality being that dissenters will be identified and located throughout the world to receive the punishment of death.

A very modest prelude to this global monitoring instituted by the Antichrist, was that which was implemented during COVID-19. Some governments were able to track people and implement mandatory lockdowns, the wearing of masks, social distancing and enforce quarantines by way of their cellphones, use of cameras and other electronic monitoring devices. Global tracking of people is brought into place using the excuses of public safety, health, police protection, anti-terrorism, etc. The system put into place by the Antichrist will weaponize these expanded, intrusive monitoring and control mechanisms to the fullest extent.

End time characteristics will include a cashless society along with digital identifiers. A digital economy will of course aid in the control over the buying and selling activities by people during the reign of the Antichrist. To control all this activity, all commerce will become centralized and totally digital. We witness right now the emphasis on cashless transactions, credit and debit cards, online payments, bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies. Digital identification programs are being initiated worldwide, eventually giving every person a verifiable E-Identity linked to their financial accounts, medical records, and much more.

The Biden Administration championed the conversion of our current monetary structure to a digital one, planning to do away with the dollar, paper money and coins. The United Nations and World Economic Forum are navigating to the cashless society. What is promoted to be inclusion and convenience can be easily channeled to be exclusive and coercion. When money is just bytes in a cloud ledger, access to it can be turned on or off by a mere stroke of a single button on a keyboard. A digital identification could be very easily assigned as a requirement to log onto the worldwide web, purchase travel tickets, access personal or business tax records, medical records, and other financial records and transactions. This kind of digital control would be fully instrumental for the use of the Antichrist to enforce his special mark on the hand or forehead.

It is surely alarming that there is widespread embracing of the technologies identified in this blog. Here are a few examples:

1) Some governments, it is reported, are now testing ID payment systems that involve scanning hands, face or even eyes.

2) It is also reported that some companies have begun using microchips implanted into employees for the purpose of entering the buildings, rooms and for purchasing food at the cafeteria.

3) One company CEO brags about having "chip parties" where employees are voluntarily having small microchips inserted into their hand.

So, we see how entirely conceivable it is that one small implant, mark or tatoo could replace our wallet, purse, checkbooks, keys, ID cards, passports, LITERALLY EVERYTHING! Though the technology is available, IT IS NOT THE MARK OF THE ANTICHRIST! However, this existing technology actually shows us that the framework of control, intrusive monitoring and total surveillance is present in our world and becoming more acceptable by both persons and businesses. All that is lacking is a charismatic leader/dictator (the Antichrist) to get it fully implemented.

One last observation on this topic is in order. Revelation 13:14-16 tells of the False Prophet "causing" the earth's inhabitants to worship the Antichrist. This can only happen through very rapid mass communication; extremely high-speed internet and satellite networks. Projects such as SPACE X's STARLINK are now launching thousands of low-earth-orbit satellites to literally cover every part of the earth for mass communication. As of February 2025, over 7,000 Starlink Satellites are in orbit with specific plans now in existence to launch 40,000 more. No part of the earth will be left uncovered. No one can hide! A future global authority and tyrant will greatly benefit from the system of satellites in exercising full control over mankind.

Well, let's heed the warnings and take courage! All this dictator-led authority, monitoring, control and intrusive surveillance takes place during the Seven-Year Great Tribulation, following Jesus' evacuation of His true followers from this world to be with Him forever! You and I can be among His True Followers and be transported to heaven with Him before that Great Tribulation ever comes into being and before the Antichrist ever reigns over the one-world government. HOW? The answer is, RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST NOW AS SAVIOR AND LORD; ESTABLISH AND BUILD A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP OF FAITH IN HIM ALONE! "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified (pronounced innocent), and with the mouth one confesses and is saved! (Romans 10:9-10) "For God so loved the world (put your own name in place of the words "the world"), that He gave His only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him should not perish (for eternity in hell) but have eternal life (in heaven)"! (John 3:16) RECEIVE HIM NOW WHILE THERE IS TIME!