Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
Part of the genius of democracy is that it allows tolerance of divergent views, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, or freedom from religion. Democracy, as it is enshrined in our constitution, allows people who are of different persuasions, different belief systems and different ethnic backgrounds to come together in a general melting pot, with specific freedoms and liberties granted to all.
Here, in the land of the free, and the home of the brave, different cultures intersect each other, and in many cases, a hybrid is made when two or more of these cultures, with their traditions are synthesized. Thus, the American experiment in democracy has in many ways, afforded a home and shelter for peoples from any and every background.
It is this perspective, of guaranteeing freedoms and liberties to all, under the constitution, that has in a great measure, contributed to the prowess of the American democracy, and under its influence, and protections, many are able to thrive and live side by side with persons who may not be of the very same persuasion.
And it is for this reason, why, even though the laws of the Bible do not in any way endorse alternative lifestyles, yet those who choose to live contrary to the scriptural teachings are afforded the shelters in the constitution so that the maxim “live and let live” rings true in such situations.
Now, before we proceed we must be aware that the God originated form of theocracy we read of in the Bible is quite different to the man made theocracies which exist in the world today.
God’s theocracy, as it was offered to the Hebrews, engaged the freedom of choice, unlike some of the nations today, which enforce religious dogmas upon the people, even if the dogmas are against the will of people, or may violate a person’s conscience.
For instance, when the Hebrews, as a nation, were about to be incorporated under God’s theocracy, they were made an offer by God, and then persons could use their freedom of choice to submit or resist if they did not agree with the founding principles. Let’s read:
Exodus 19:3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus, shall you say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine.
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.
The word “If” engages their freedom of choice as a nation, so that they are free to reject God’s offer, if they choose not to. This is quite different to nations on our planet where a manmade form of theocracy bears sway. In the Taliban’s version of theocracy, “If” is nonexistent, for persons under their jurisdiction are given no choice in matters of conscience.
You either obey their voice and their commands, or you are beaten into submission, or worse yet you’re hanged or executed in public. And there are certain countries where you cannot preach Jesus, without very serious risk to life and property, and there are other countries where it is forbidden to read the Bible, or proselytize.
But here in America people of different persuasions could endeavor to convert others to their particular creed, and many in so doing have had success. This is all going to change in the not to distant future but we will deal with that aspect later.
Again, the freedom of speech is a major pillar of our democracy, because it allows persons to speak truth or to speak lies, once lies aren’t spoken to the Feds, courts, or under oath by some judicial body.
Democracy also grants to commentators, and news anchors freedoms to heckle, taunt, and say things about the government, which, in other countries, will be met with very stiff penalties, or even death.
There are journalists who are now languishing in the prisons of countries ruled by dictators who engage a man-made form of theocracy, and wherever anyone dares to oppose the government, or the dear leader in certain places, they go missing or are abducted or are punished for walking contrary to the theocracy.
Thus, the rulers of these nations are never held to account, as it is here in America, for they rule with an iron fist in their man-made form of theocracy.
Again, in our American democracy, social or media platforms have the very delicate, and quite often, difficult balancing acts on their hands, because on the one hand the freedom of speech allows persons to do Bible studies and to preach the gospel and yet it allows for persons to spread conspiracy theories.
In fact, one of the arguments put forward under the current investigations of the former president is that it is not unlawful in America to tell lies, for as they understand it, lying is permitted under the freedom of speech enshrined in the constitution, once it isn’t done in a court of law, or when being questioned by the Feds.
And sadly, many politicians use that freedom to tell lies way too often, in so much that lying is not only to be expected, it has now become an integral part of the job description. Advertisers also often use the freedom of speech to inflate facts or deflate adverse side effects, so that lying, under the constitution is now an integral part of the fabric of our democracy.
Thus, the social media platforms are in a bind as to what will be deemed conspiracies, and what will be considered truth, and then, the big question is, will they be justified in censoring one while allowing the other, and if so, will the tendency to differentiate be a violation of our democratic values.
Another big question is whether to allow both good and evil in the name of democracy, so as to preserve the freedoms that are enshrined in our constitution. In other words, should they permit good and evil to thrive side by side, and the next logical question will be: Without the moral compass of the Bible, who’ll decide or determine what is good or evil.
What general standards and reference points should be used in determining what is right from wrong, or in differentiating between good and evil? These are just a few of the sticking points that are indigenous to our democracy, and while we might endeavor to sort them out, the scriptures reveal where it all will be headed really soon.
Man-made forms of government are deeply flawed in one way or the next, whether they be democratic or theocratic in nature, for wherever God, and the laws He has given us to live by are made subjective to national biases, preferences or clamors from the popular majorities, those forms of governments will eventually crumble.
This fact won’t be uniquely indigenous to American democracy, for as a nation, we are just scheduled to follow the pattern of “rise and fall” which has been historically documented in every man-made form of government. To be more precise, every nation that has come upon the face of the earth, where God is not the center has failed and will fail sooner or later. Let’s read:
Daniel 2:31 Thou, O king, saw and you beheld a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things: and as iron that breaks all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
We are beginning to see very troubling signs of the demise of our democracy and according to the Bible some wise soul will have the lights go on in his/ her head, and will come to the conclusion that America needs to turn back to God, for the problems we are facing each and every day are not only exponentially increasing, they are becoming more insurmountable every day.
Several undeniable pointers tell us that we are now reaching a climax in our democracy, and one of the sure signs is an increasing intransigency of congress. When it is the case that the beacon of democracy is losing the ability to govern itself, then the dictator forms of man- made theocracy would begin to look more attractive or at the very least, would be seen as the option of last resort.
Again, the forever wars and rumors of wars signal to us that the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, pointing to a looming theocracy are just about to be fulfilled. In fact, almost every prophecy, pointing to the last days of earth’s history, is now converging on our doorsteps and it won’t be long before theocracy of the man-made sort, will emerge in America.
In American democracy we have government by the people, and for the people, a system, which on the surface may savor of the best of intentions. But John the Revelator, describes America as a lamblike beast which essentially means that initially, the nation will be a thriving democracy, but is later scheduled to be changed into a despotic theocracy.
Now, if “We the People” begin to clamor for good, and righteousness, that is all well and good, but if the “People” begin to clamor for evil as is defined in the Bible, then the gradual, and ultimate dissolution of our American democracy would ensue, and will pave the way for a man-made theocratic form of government.
To put it more plainly, wherever the majority of any people, is made to guide, and dictate the laws, and principles of any nation, where God is not honored, it will just be a matter of time before the majorities will make demands that will put them on a collision course with God. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 8: 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20 That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.
22 And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.
Matthew 27:17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said unto them, which of the two will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25 Then answered all the people and said His blood be on us, and on our children.
26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Let us reiterate again, before proceeding; wherever you have the guiding principle of a “government by the people, for the people whether it be democratic or theocratic “We the people” would sooner or later make demands that are diabolically opposed to God and righteousness, and that is because of inherent, fallen human nature.
This is actually the fundamental flaw in democracy, where majority rule bears sway. In other words, if in our democracy God is relegated to a subjective role, then the clamors of fallen human nature inevitably, will gain the ascendency, and will be pitted against God’s revealed will.
History is witness to this fact and it is now sweeping America like a tornado, as the majority of “We the people” clamor for more alternative marriages and lifestyles, which the Bible proscribes. Twenty years ago this was not the case but as the majority of “We the people” approved of, or demanded it, politicians and the judicial branch were goaded under pressure to acquiesce.
It will not only be about marriage, “We the people” will soon begin to clamor for the national day of rest and this in turn would pave the way for us to move from a democracy to a manmade form of theocracy. This is what the Scripture is warning us of, even as it looms larger on the horizon.
In other words, we are approaching a crossroads in our democracy where a “Dear leader” will emerge, who will, under the guise of man-made theocracy, seek to institute, and enforce laws which essentially eliminate the God of heaven from the minds of all would-be subscribers.
When John beheld in vision a lamblike beast coming up out of the earth, he was being shown America, a nation that arose in apparent obscurity. The nation arose out of a sparsely populated area, and rose to prominence amongst the nations of the earth, in so much that when America sneezes the world catches a cold, as the saying goes.
As the pilgrim fathers fled persecution and religious bigotry from Europe and other countries, they then determined that America will be built upon different principles, other than those which governed other oppressive regimes and because of this set purpose, the following was written down in stone, as it were.
[Declaration of Independence] We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Later on, the first amendment was added so as to offer protections to persons who might have quite different views on religion. This in turn allowed for Catholics, Muslims, and Witches to live on the same street, with the freedom to worship, and practice in accordance with their particular convictions. Let’s read:
The first Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and petition the government for a redress of grievances.
However, our first passage made reference to a king of fierce countenance, who would come upon the stage of action, at some point in time in the history of the world and after digging through the annals of world history, we discover that Daniel was referring to the pagan, and then papal Roman empire, which arose after the divisions of the Macedonian empire under Alexander the great became weak.
Thus, when papal Rome came upon the world stage, it gradually introduced religious dogmas, and edicts that would over time, force the individuals under its jurisdiction to worship God according to the laws of state.
The use of force in getting individuals to comply is particularly mentioned in Daniel and in Revelation, and therefore, the questions is: “Will our beloved American democracy devolve into a despotic form of theocracy, which would mirror the king of fierce countenance, mentioned in the book of Daniel?”
The short answer is absolutely yes, and we are now sitting on the very edge of what the Bible predicts. As we have shown from the Scriptures on several occasions, the incessant, and increasing troubles of our world will soon drive all the nations of earth to address the issue of worship, and in this last effort, America is scheduled to take the lead. Let’s read:
Revelation 13: 11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.
12 And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
[Maranatha pp 190] When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism; When, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.
Each prophecy pointing forward to the times spoken of in Daniel, and in the Revelation is currently being fulfilled, and therefore, there is only one more shoe to drop, which is the inevitable transition from our democracy to a theocracy, as predicted in the Bible by which a national Sunday law legislation would be revived, invoked, and enforced.
In the following passages, every individual can read for himself or herself the clear word of God pointing us to the imminent fulfillment thereof. These signs will lead up to the issue of worship, and without a doubt, they are currently being fulfilled, even as we speak. Let’s read:
Luke 21:10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
11 And great earthquakes shall be in different places and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Therefore, the time is now and the place is here, for the inhabitants of earth will soon come to realize a grim truth, that it is God and God alone, who puts a restraining order on invisible forces of darkness with the sole purpose that any, and every person who is willing, may find salvation, pardon and shelter in the person of Christ.
But the bad news is that God’s restraining order has already begun to be lifted, and the sure result would be the fulfillment of end-time prophecies, with the increasing frequency, and intensity spoken of in the Bible, as a woman travails in her labor pains. Several passages of scripture confirm what is being said and we must let the Bible speak for itself. Let’s read:
Psalms 127:1 Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman awake but in vain.
Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
The following reading, with pertinent explanation is of critical importance as we seek to understand the train of events that will ultimately lead us up to the point of addressing the issue of worship nationally. Pay close attention to those triggering mechanisms that are mentioned, and then reflect on the state of our world currently, and be honest with yourselves. Let’s read:
[The Great Controversy pp 589>590] Satan delights in war; for it excites the worst passions of the soul, and then sweeps into eternity its victims steeped in vice and blood. It is his object to incite the nations to war against one another; for he can thus divert the minds of people from the work of preparation to stand in the day of God.
Satan works through the elements also to garner his harvest of unprepared souls. He has studied the secrets of the laboratories of nature, and he uses all his power to control the elements as far as God allows. While appearing to the children of men as a great physician who can heal all their maladies, he will bring disease and disaster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation.
Even now he is at work, in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power. He sweeps away the ripening harvest, and famine and distress follow. He imparts to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish by the pestilence. These visitations are to become more and more frequent and disastrous.
Destruction will be upon both man and beast. It will be declared that men are offending God by the violation of the Sunday-sabbath, that this sin has brought calamities which will not cease until Sunday observance shall be strictly enforced. And that those who present the claims of the fourth commandment, thus destroying reverence for Sunday, are troublers of the people, preventing their restoration to divine favor and temporal prosperity.
Our dear friends, God is still in the business of saving to the uttermost, those who desire to be saved. The door of mercy is still open, so that all who will hear His voice, may find pardon and peace in the midst of the increasing storm.
It is now, while mercy still lingers, that you and I are to make it right with God, meaning, that if we were formerly sitting on the fence of indecision, or if we were formerly playing in the river on the bank, now is the time for concrete decisions, in favor of Jesus, His truth, His salvation His Sabbath and His law.
Repentance will involve and include a turning away from cherished sin, and if there are known besetting evils lurking within the domain of the heart, they must be rutted out by the word of God and by His Spirit, so that a oneness and likeness to Christ may become our reality.
In harmony with this appeal, we implore you to seek for repentance and baptism where applicable, for it is a solemn truth that we speak, the close of earth’s probation will come suddenly, at a time when most of earth’s peoples are not expecting it. Let’s read:
Hebrews 3: 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts…..
God Bless!