| HIGHLIGHTS OF DAWN | February 2012 |
The New World Order
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“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” |
IN THIS SCRIPTURE, THE Apostle Peter was looking down the long stream of time to the wonderful promises of God that foretold the blessing of the human family under a new world arrangement, styled the “new heavens and a new earth.” This new arrangement would be based on the principles of truth, righteousness, and justice, rather than on military power or oppression. He was speaking about the new social order and ecclesiastical rule that would be governed by the glorified Christ Jesus and the faithful members of his church. Together they would establish a New Covenant for earth’s people and would share in blessing all the families of the earth.
PROPHETIC GLIMPSES
Many centuries before Peter’s day, the Prophet Isaiah, who was writing under the direction of the Holy Spirit of God, described earth’s new day. “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.”—Isa. 35:1-4
Christ’s future kingdom will not only uplift earth’s people, but also bring blessings of perfection to the earth itself and return it to a worldwide Garden of Eden. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”—vss. 5-10
The prophet further wrote, “As the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.” (Isa. 66:22,23) Thus do we have a glimpse of the new ecclesiastical rule and reorganized social structure of the earth that will be administered under the leadership of our glorified Lord Jesus.
FORETOLD JUDGMENTS
Although there have been many noble attempts to improve the present social arrangements and to make them more equitable, they are based on the values and principles established by fallen man. The present world order consists of the political, financial, social, and ecclesiastical institutions upon which the world’s system has operated for centuries.
These arrangements must be set aside to make way for Christ’s future kingdom. Thus does Peter address the closing features of this present Gospel Age and indicate the time when God’s judgment would be made manifest to the watchers. “The present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” (II Pet. 3:7, New American Standard Bible) Further to this, he wrote, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth [social structure] and its works will be burned up.”—vss. 10,11, NASB
The Apostle Peter used symbolic terms to illustrate earth’s social fabric and the higher ecclesiastical elements that were to be dissolved during the end of this Gospel Age. The word “fire” denotes destruction, and points to the great day of divine judgment and wrath. This illustrates the present discontent and clamoring among the people that will ultimately terminate in anarchy. We may expect that the judgments of God will be manifest in every part of earth’s society, and will precede the establishment of Christ’s kingdom over earth’s affairs.
The Prophet Zephaniah has captured the true perspective of the divine program, and was moved by the Holy Spirit to write, “Wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” (Zeph. 3:8) It is made clear that God’s great day of judgment will be manifest throughout the world. It will be after this present Time of Trouble that God will turn to the people with the knowledge of his wonderful plan and purpose for their salvation. We read, “Then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.” (vs. 9) “When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”—Isa 26:9
THE PRESENT ORDER
In his letter to the church at Galatia, Paul refers to the present social order of earth as functioning under evil principles, and therefore needing to be replaced by God’s righteous rule. He told them, “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.” (Gal. 1:3,4) The apostle also speaks of this present world as being evil because Satan has been allowed to dominate the hearts of the people. We read, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (II Cor. 4:4) Therefore, we read, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he [Jesus] also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”—Heb. 2:14
Paul explains that divine judgment upon this old social order, known as “the day of the Lord,” would come upon the earth with spasms of trouble, and with periods of easement in between. He likened it to travail upon a woman who is about to give birth to her child. He wrote, “Of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”—I Thess. 5:1-5
A CHOSEN PEOPLE
In a typical sense, the nation of Israel, under the leadership of Moses and the Judges, is referred to as God’s kingdom. It is written, “He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.”—Ps. 78:70-72
From the scriptures, we again read, “Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him. And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king. And the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.”—I Chron. 29:23-25
GENTILE TIMES
Whenever the Israelites transgressed against the Lord, he chastised them, and eventually took away their special status as God’s chosen and typical kingdom. Zedekiah was the last reigning king of Israel from the lineage of David, and God removed the scepter of royal authority from him. Thus was the typical kingdom and power of God taken from them. “Thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.”—Ezek. 21:25-27
Pointing to the nation of Israel, Jesus proclaimed, “They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”—Luke 21:24
DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS
The Prophet Daniel spoke of the present world order as being under the arrangement and authority of “the divine right of kings.” The scriptural record reads, “Let his heart [Nebuchadnezzar] be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him. This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.”—Dan. 4:16,17
TIME OF THE END
Students of the Bible point to the year 1914 as marking the end of the seven times referred to in Daniel’s prophecy. This special time period began in 606 B.C. and ended in A.D. 1914, therefore lasting 2520 years. Prophetic time in the Bible is calculated on the basis of lunar years with 12 months of 30 days each, equaling 360 years. Multiplying 360 by seven times reveals that 2520 years is the full length of allotted Gentile power. During that long interval of time, the dominion of earth was given over to Gentile rule in accordance with the divine will, first to Babylon, after that to Medo-Persia, then to Greece and finally Rome.
The year 1914 dramatically marked the end of Gentile rule as indicated. Before that time, the powerful ruling houses of Europe and Asia, which were often characterized by selfishness and pride, were allowed by God for centuries to dominate the affairs of the people. World War I, which began in 1914, removed much of the old ruling structure, and began a series of spasms of trouble that yet continue. We have witnessed these violent convulsions in all parts of the world as indications that the disintegration of the old order is now taking place in accordance with the will of God.
UNREST IN AMERICA
Throughout much of the time since 1914, the people of America have enjoyed a sense of security from God’s judgments while many other nations in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere have endured much terror and bloodshed. While the United States was involved in both World Wars resulting in large numbers of military casualties, other countries have suffered terrible destruction and loss of civilian life. However, great changes have aroused the alarm of our leaders, and have altered the very fabric of our society. This has been true especially since the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City in September, 2001.
Large numbers of restless people have been taking to the streets of America in an effort to vent their pent-up discontent and frustrations. During the month of September, 2011, an anti-corporate protest movement known as the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) demonstration was launched in New York City. Since that time, the protest movement has evolved into a populist force that is sweeping this nation, as well as other parts of the world. The movement continues to grow, and appears to be gaining momentum in many ways. Attempts have been made to keep the protests under control, but observers point to the possibility that a full-scale revolution may erupt on the streets of America.
What started as a few hundred independent activists who had gathered in Wall Street’s financial district to protest the financial establishment, has become a national force to be reckoned with. Soon afterward, a few dozen of the protestors formed the resolve to extend their demonstration by camping out in Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park, which became their home for several weeks until they were evicted by the police. However, their intent is to continue their protest in the future.
Thus Manhattan’s financial district has become the very embodiment of longstanding progressive hopes for Americans, especially those who have been hit the hardest by the economic crisis that developed in America during 2007. This number of discontents includes the jobless, those who are in debt, the under-employed, those who have had their homes foreclosed, and those who feel abandoned and are generally insecure. They have been directing their outrage at the oligarchs of our society who they believe have perverted our democratic politics, and have created gross inequality in our country. The demonstrations have spread rapidly to other cities including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. among many others in this country and elsewhere.
IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROTEST
At the time of this writing, there is a clampdown on these Occupy Wall Street (OWS) demonstrations. However, analysts who are watching these events, fear that the ultimate purpose of the demonstrations may be to bring about a revolution that would eventually overthrow the United States government, and to replace it by a dictatorial form of global government, styled “The New World Order.”
Many of the protestors are not aware of the full implications of what they are involved in. They are simply attempting to voice their legitimate concerns and are taking advantage of their right to protest. Most of these people want to change the system by publicly expressing their sense of injustice as their money, and future hopes, are being eroded away.
Historians, and others who study historical trends, point to the demonstrations as perhaps being part of a long-term plan to establish a worldwide Socialist government. They say that a similar plan was conceived even before the American Revolution. In 1776, a secret occult society was organized called the Illuminati for the purpose of advancing the concept of a new world order. The group consisted of an international banking elite, as well as political, cultural, and religious leaders. They point out that this group also had connections that led up to the violent scenes of the French Revolution.
The strategy of the Illuminati was “order out of chaos,” and some are now saying that it is likely the same strategy being used by those who are controlling the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. The Illuminati symbol, an Egyptian pyramid, can be seen on the back of any United States dollar bill. Below the base of the pyramid are the Latin words, Novus Ordo Seclorum, which means “New Order of the Ages” or new world order. Looking at the base of the pyramid are the masses of the people represented under this new world order, which observers say is the American middle class. In the middle of the pyramid there is the All-Seeing Eye which represents those have been Illumined, thus the term “Illuminati.”
Since the protest movement began in New York’s financial district in the fall of 2011, the spirit of unrest and change that was inspired by events in the Middle East earlier in the year has gained momentum. It has spread throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
Within a very short period of time dozens of large and small cities throughout all fifty states in America became involved in the demonstrations in one way or another. Protesters were willing to endure rain, cold, snow, pepper spray, tear gas, arrests, beatings, and evictions to voice their concerns. One observer reported, “The participants represented a horizontal, autonomous, leaderless group with roots in anarchist thought. They are revolutionaries in the best sense of the term. They have tapped into the rising feeling among many Americans that economic opportunity has been squashed by corporate greed and the influence of the very rich in politics.”
We are witnesses to the reality that wealth disparity is extreme. Jobs are harder to find, and those that pay good living wages and benefits are disappearing. Ordinary people are increasingly being marginalized, exploited, and left on their own to survive, sink, or swim. In many cases, college students are being entrapped in debt, with no hope for the future. Super rich financiers and corrupt politicians conspire to grab everything for themselves, and find new ways to obtain even more wealth and power. Freedom is an endangered species. Growing poverty, homelessness, hunger, and despair are increasing. Federal, state, and local officials plan budget cuts while deprivation is rarely discussed.
One protester summed up the situation by saying, “you cannot evict an idea whose time has come.” It is long overdue after decades of social injustice. Protesters sense that a powerful and diverse civic movement for social justice is on the ascent. They say, we are the 99% who are being left out, and we are here to reclaim our democracy.
STORED TREASURE
The anger expressed by some of the protesters and noted by one particular observer, point to a class of the super rich who continue to use their privileged advantages with little or no concern for the less fortunate. In some instances, the rich and powerful have won their good fortune at the cost of the oppressed working class who are being denied their rights.
The Apostle James has addressed this very matter, where we read, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.”—James 5:1-6, NASB
This text of scripture indicates the degree of distress and despair that God will allow to come upon earth’s proud and selfish institutions during the closing years of this Gospel Age. The judgment is here directed against those who have hoarded treasures to protect themselves from the great time of trouble they see coming upon the world. They will apparently be targets of jealousy and hatred by the masses of discontented who have come to voice their disapproval and outrage at the institutions of selfishness and pride that are now being exposed in the world of high finance.
THE NEW HEAVENS AND EARTH
As seen in previous passages of scripture where God’s prophets foretell earth’s future arrangement under Christ, John the Revelator provides another glimpse of the new world order now being prepared by our loving and eternal Heavenly Father. “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”—Rev. 21:1-5