PTNews
PTNewsSeptember 2020
Published monthly
All Bible references are from the KJV
(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)
P.O. Box 13006, Roanoke, VA 24030-3006
Unmasking Socialism
Part Two
“The rich and the poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.”
By Mike Wingfield
This article is the second of a three-part series on the evils of socialism. Please read article one before you attempt to read this newsletter. In these articles, I will refer to socialism as practically being the same as Marxism or Communism. In principle there is very little difference in these political philosophies. Each of these political agendas originated with Karl Marx, an atheist Jewish German philosopher in the 19th century. The purpose of these articles is four fold: (1) to scrutinize and evaluate the principles of socialism under the lens of Scripture, (2) to help Americans understand the threat of socialism to our faith and freedoms, (3) to review the historical and prophetic impacts of socialism, and (4) to expose the mission and tactics of those who are seeking to destroy the constitutional government of the United States of America and transform our country into a socialist state that will become a puppet of the New World Order. Please share this newsletter with all of your family, churches, and friends. We need to get this truth to America before the election this November. Please join me in prayer that the Lord will use these articles to open the eyes of many Americans who have been deceived into believing that socialism is a good choice for our nation.
Americans need to realize that socialism is an evil plot in man’s attempt to oppressively enslave people, forcefully controlling every facet of their lives. It is man’s ultimate attempt at self-rule without any recognition of God’s authority. It is a socio-economic philosophy that views the world entirely through the physical, material realm. Socialism rejects the very existence of God and His sovereign rule over creation. As we approach the elections this November, it is most critical that Americans realize that socialism is being openly touted by Democrat political candidates who are seeking to control our American government and radically alter our way of life.
Their dreams are in direct opposition to the Bible, which clearly says that our God is, has been, and always will be sovereign over all of His creation. He has been in control since He spoke time, space, and matter into existence in the beginning (Genesis 1:1). He will remain in sovereign control of everything in the physical and spiritual world until the old heavens and earth pass away (Revelation 21:1), and the devil and his demons are cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10). Even after all of that, the God of the Bible will eternally rule over the new heaven and the new earth from His throne in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2). He will rule FOREVER!
One of the foundational teachings of the book of Daniel is the sovereignty of God over all world governments. This great prophetic book demonstrates in an amazing way that God is orchestrating all of the events among the affairs of men so that in the end “the God of heaven [will] set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people … and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44).
The key verse of the book of Daniel states, “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” (Daniel 4:17). Later, Daniel wrote, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and [God] doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:35)
“Ironically, man’s greatest effort to rid himself of the rule of God will not produce the freedom that he desires. Instead it will enslave him in the most fiendish, oppressive form of bondage. Rather than moving toward Utopia, man is hurtling toward the most horrible time of tribulation in world history.”
We have reached a critical point on God’s prophetic clock. The church, more than ever before, needs to wake up and proclaim the message of the book of Daniel. In his excellent commentary on the Book of Daniel, the late Renald Showers, a widely recognized Biblical scholar and former professor at Philadelphia College of the Bible, wrote, “Ironically, the more man tries to establish Utopia through self-rule the more his situation worsens. Instead of ruling the world in an orderly, meaningful way, he brings disorder, instability and chaos. …. Man reels from one crisis to another. The more he insists on going his own way, the more he batters and bloodies himself. However, instead of admitting that his rebellion against God is the cause of his problem, man stubbornly stands unbowed before the Lord of the universe. The more intense his predicament, the more entrenched is man’s determination to prove he can rule the world without God. Such firm resolve with the worsening world situation makes man susceptible to the claims of an ultimate man – a man who opposes God, who seems to have the ability necessary to solve the world’s problems and rule the world well without God, a man who claims to have attained deity and has supernatural powers which appear to support that claim, a man who eventually demands total devotion from the human race and is the ultimate expression of absolute dictatorship and ruthless self-rule.
“Man is enslaved already by his man-centered mania, but his acceptance of the claims and rule of an ultimate man will trap him in the pinnacle of slavery. Ironically, man’s greatest effort to rid himself of the rule of God will not produce the freedom that he desires. Instead it will enslave him in the most fiendish, oppressive form of bondage. Rather than moving toward Utopia, man is hurtling toward the most horrible time of tribulation in world history. In light of the worsening world situation and man’s growing susceptibility to slavery of an ultimate man, there is urgency about the present time. Man desperately needs to change his course by recognizing the root of his predicament – his rejection of the rule of God in favor of self-rule. If there were ever a time when man needed to be confronted with the sovereign rule of God and the serious consequences of rejecting that rule, the time is now” (Renald E. Showers, The Most High God- A Commentary on the Book of Daniel, pp. XII-XIII).
For more than 100 years, evil men have attempted to force people into a form of slavery called socialism or communism. Socialism is the ultimate self-rule of atheistic human reasoning that believes mankind is evolving toward a utopia where there are no classes – no rich and no poor. Its deceptive aim is to fix mankind’s problems by taking from the rich and giving to the poor so that all will have equal economic opportunities. In order for this to happen, the masses must surrender themselves to the socialist leaders who claim they want to lead a revolution that will force their will upon society. People are encouraged to give authority to these leaders who claim they want to spread around the wealth so that all will be treated fairly.
History demonstrates that the leaders behind a socialist revolution do not really care about the poor of their society. They really are seeking to exert dictatorial power over their culture so they can manipulate people to get more power and wealth for themselves. Socialists want to control wealth so they can disperse it as they see fit, while filling their own pockets! They see themselves as “enlightened planners.”
In the United States, the present promoters of socialism think they are more enlightened than the designers of our constitution. Therefore, they despise the constitution and want to dispense of it so they can govern without any restrictions. The common people, in their eyes, are too foolish to know how to take care of themselves. The socialist agenda is to dumb us down so that we fit into that mold of being totally dependent upon government to sustain life. That is why their tool is big government. Big government must always have more taxes to pay for what the government does. Socialists tax gainfully-employed workers to give to those who will not work.
The roots of socialism trace their way back to the early 20th century in America. Calling themselves progressives, they created the Federal Reserve Board to regulate banking and credit, and to control the creation and flow of money. They created the Federal Trade Commission to oversee industry. They seek to control the trade unions to control labor. They
created Social Security and the welfare system to control wealth and make people dependent upon the federal government. Thus, the imminent call for socialism in America is nothing new. Almost 100 years ago they left their mark on the design of the U.S. dollar bill to demonstrate their dream of this New World Order. In a banner on the reverse, left side of the dollar bill is written in Latin, “NOVOS ORDO SECLORUM.” This is translated, “New Order of the Ages.” This bill was designed and released in 1935 under the leadership of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Clearly, socialists have been chipping away at our freedoms and planning to take control of our lives for more than a century. Their diabolical plan is to make people think the government will take care of us.
Socialists have consistently promoted an entitlement mentality. They want people to believe that it is not their personal responsibility to care for their own needs. They want us to believe that those who are rich owe us because they have more than they need. This is not what the Bible teaches. According to the Bible, the measure of wealth that a person enjoys should be acquired by his own labor, not from the labor of others. Proverbs 13:11 states, “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labor shall increase.” We have all heard the expression, “Easy come, easy go.” This simply means what when an unwise person receives a generous windfall, they have a tendency to not respect all of the hard work and discipline that was exerted to acquire that fortune. Therefore, the sudden acquired financial windfall is not appreciated or guarded by people. They are quick to foolishly spend their gain without forethought of the future. And, they expect more.
Socialism does not have a healthy Biblical view of work. Rather, it focuses upon spreading around the wealth from others who have worked and/or invested to acquire it. This ideology has become attractive in America because we now live in a culture where people do not want to work. People are focused upon pleasure, prosperity, and power. However, they do not want to work or discipline themselves to acquire these cravings or manage them wisely.
The Bible places a very high value upon work. When God created Adam, he placed him in a beautiful garden and put him to work. Genesis 2:15 states, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” That is work! Many years later, when God gave Israel His divine law, He commanded them, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work…” (Exodus 20:8-9). Please notice that they were to work six days and to rest one day.
While describing the days of the approaching millennial earthly kingdom, God’s perfect plan will require each person to work for his own personal needs. While describing this period of time, God days, “And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands” (Isaiah 65:21-22).
When we enter into our final eternal home in the New Jerusalem of the New Earth, we will work. The Bible says, “his servants shall serve him” (Revelation 22:3). That will involve some kind of service or work.
God has created us and saved us to work. Read Ephesians 2:10. In God’s economy, work is an honorable calling. God expects us to work hard and to enjoy the fruit of our labor as a gift from Him (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19). The Bible teaches that God controls our wealth and poverty for His eternal purposes (Ecclesiastes 7:14). The Bible teaches that people are not to steal from the labor of others. The Apostle Paul told believers, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth” (Ephesians 4:28). In God’s economy, it is not His will that we take wealth from others, but that we freely give to those who have genuine needs. We are not expected to give to those who refuse to work.
The Apostle Paul, during his missionary journeys, was very careful to not walk in a disorderly way among the brethren. By his own testimony, he worked day and night as a tentmaker (2 Thessalonians 3:6-8). He did this as an example to the believers, saying, “[We made] ourselves an [example] unto you to follow us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread” (2 Thessalonians 3:9-12). Paul described these freeloaders as being “disorderly.” The Greek word here speaks of those who were deviating from the God-ordained order or rule. Obviously, this speaks out against the very foundational principles of socialism.
The Bible repeatedly speaks against laziness. The Bible exhorts us to be like the ant, which is diligent, resourceful, and productive (Proverbs 6:6-11). Proverbs 21:25, 26 says, “The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labor. He coveteth greedily all the day long.” Proverbs 19:15 declares, “Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.” This was one of the great sins of Sodom. The Bible says that Sodom was guilty of “abundance of idleness” (Ezekiel 16:49). In these texts, the Bible is clearly condemning the essence of socialism. Socialism is a system that promotes those who have little wealth to covet others who have greater wealth and applaud a system that steals the wealth of the rich. It does not promote work, but it promotes the desire to selfishly and forcefully take away from those who have wealth to spread it around to others who in many cases refuse to work. Jesus has warned, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).
Socialism is based upon the idea that it is evil to be rich or poor. It claims that all people should equally enjoy the wealth that is available in a culture. The Bible does not condemn a person for being poor or rich. The Bible declares, “The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all” (Proverbs 22:2). It is very humbling to realize that each of us have the measure of wealth that God has determined we should have. Only the foolish, godless man thinks, “My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:17). The Bible repeatedly teaches that it is God Who gives us the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
The Bible warns us to not work to get rich. “Labor not to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven” (Proverbs 23:4, 5). Those who labor to be rich seem to not quite ever have enough. The obsessive desire to be rich causes a person to develop an elusive passion that is never satisfied. Everyone should know that we all have no power over life’s circumstances. Our settings and opportunities are a gift from God. 1 Timothy 6:6-10 warns us against the pitfalls of having a lot of possessions. It is much better to have a godly character than to have great riches (1 Timothy 6:11). True riches do not consist in what man has, but in who he is. God gives us wealth so that we can glorify Him, invest in what He is doing, and to help those who are truly in need of our help (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
It is also not shameful to be poor. God has made most people poor. Moses reminded Israel that they needed to give to those who were in need, “For the poor shall never cease out of the land” (Deuteronomy 15:11). Jesus reminded His disciples, “you have the poor always with you” (Matthew 26:11). Therefore, according to the Bible, it is a foolish attempt to alter society so that there will be no poverty. This is a fact of life that will not go away until God’s kingdom comes upon this earth. Man’s utopia will never happen!
The Bible says that in God’s economy, “the rich and the poor meet together” (Proverbs 22:2). This simply means that the rich and the poor are both dependent upon each other. The poor do not have enough wealth to create work. Therefore, the poor are dependent upon the wealthy for employment. However, the rich need to have workers to help them reclaim a profit upon their investment. Both the rich and the poor should respect one another and realize that without the other they would be helpless. The poor would not have an income to provide for their family, while the rich would not have a profit without those who work for them. Jesus’ parable of the servants and their talents in Matthew 25:14-30 certainly illustrates the principle of God’s economy as previously mentioned. This system is called capitalism.
The Bible does not confront the rich man for being a capitalist, but for his unfair practice of taking advantage of his employees by not paying them a fair wage. In ancient Israel, God commanded His people that those who worked for them were to be treated with dignity, and fairly (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14, 15; and Malachi 3:5). In James 5:1-6, the Bible condemns the unfair and godless employer for living in luxury, while cheating his laborers and not caring for them who have made him a profit. Here, the Bible reminds the capitalist that he will answer to God for the way he has treated his employees. While commenting on this passage in James, the late Spiros Zodhiates, a Greek scholar and well-known Bible conference speaker, states, “The problem that confronts the rich capitalist here is not one of economics, but of morality. … There seems always to have been an employer and an employee. There must have been an original capitalist who put his capital to work for him, and in order to do that he had to hire servants or laborers. The existence of these two groups of people does not seem to be condemned by the Word of God. What is condemned, however, is the exploitation of the worker by the employer and vice versa. Because the primary target here is the employer, it does not mean that he is necessarily the only one at fault in the dispute which exists in our management-labor relationships. The loafing worker is condemned just as much. There is an established principle of justice and respect for the rights of each other. The employer should not forget that the employee is entitled to a decent wage, and the employee should recognize the right of the employer to make a reasonable profit. The one should not steal from the other. If each one recognized and defended the rights of the other as much as his own, what a wonderful relationship there would be between these two groups whose co-operation is so essential to the production of that which is necessary for the sustenance of life. …
“Man’s eyes are easily dazzled by the glare of abundance and the easy possibility of what rightfully belongs to another. Oh, if we could only understand the importance and indispensability of our interdependence in the world in which we live! Without the cooperation of the two, the capitalist and the laborer, there would have been no harvest for either. It is clearly stated here that the fields belonged to the capitalist. But what good is a field without cultivation? It is only a burden. And, what good is a laborer if there is no field to cultivate? The capitalist and the laborer are so inseparable that only in their union and mutual respect can there be success for both” (Spiro Zodhiates, The Behavior of Belief – An exposition of James Based upon the Original Greek Text, Part Three, pp. 64, 65).
The ideas promoted within socialism are incompatible and irreconcilable with the Bible. God has created man with certain freedoms and personal responsibilities. Human government’s role is not to usurp these freedoms and responsibilities. Government has been ordained by God to protect people within their society so they can freely worship and serve God, and provide for their families. We are to pray for those in authority over us that they will uphold the laws of God so that “we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:2).
The Bible has warned us that the last days will be dangerous because “men shall be lovers of their own selves” (2 Timothy 3:2). The character of these dangerous self-lovers is described in great detail in the context of 2 Timothy 3:1-7. Reading this text is like watching the news about developments in our nation at this very hour. Man’s toxic love for self is bringing America to the brink of destruction.
God calls for government to exercise its authority to maintain law and order. Read Romans 13:1-4. God has called government to “execute wrath upon him that doeth evil” (Romans 13:4). It is tragic to note that America has drifted so far from God and His truth that many of our leaders do not know what is good or evil. In many cases they have made evil good and good evil. The ancient prophet of Israel, Isaiah, sounded out a warning that needs to be proclaimed at this hour in America, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil … Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” (Isaiah 5:20, 23) In this context, God has warned that he will severely judge those who rule in this way “because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 5:24).
The real problem in our world’s economy is not the system called capitalism. The real problem is the human heart. In reality, the wicked leaders of socialism are also guilty of injustices just like those who abuse the system of capitalism because of their greed. The only hope for our world is not a better political-economic system, but a perfect king with a perfect law. That is why our world will continue to reap tragic results until the kingdom of God comes and Jesus rules over the nations.
That is why we need to pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). The king is coming!
Next month, I will continue to unmask socialism. In part three, I will expose one of socialism’s chief aims – the removal of all personal property. I will also address some of their deceptive tactics to lure American’s into the trap of slavery, called socialism.
The Kingdom of the Antichrist
With incredible accuracy, we are watching the formation of the kingdom of the Antichrist in the Middle East. In the prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation, we are told that 10 contemporary kings will form an alliance with the Antichrist to form his evil empire that will rule the world during the Tribulation Period. We are watching the transformation of the Middle East as Islamic nations step forward to join the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in acceptance of the Abraham Accord with Israel. Therefore, in light of the prophetic Scriptures, we must ask, “Are we watching the formation of the kingdom of the Antichrist?” Let us briefly examine the evidence.
A major part of the content of the book of Daniel is given over to the revelation and explanation of the “times of the Gentiles.” In the book, we are given a detailed identification of the Gentile kingdoms that will complete human history and will be eventually consumed by the kingdom of God. Then, the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ, will return to earth and rule over the world from Jerusalem, Israel (Isaiah 2:1-4).
In Daniel 2, Daniel interprets a dream of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. In this dream, the king sees a statue that identifies the future of the Gentile kingdoms. They are identified as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. In the final kingdom at the end of time, the statue’s 10 toes are identified as 10 contemporary kings that will be destroyed by the kingdom of God. Daniel 2:44, says, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed…”
Several years later, Daniel had a dream. This dream also identified the future Gentile kingdoms. In this dream these kingdoms were symbolically depicted as wild animals. The last kingdom is symbolically depicted as a composite beast (Daniel 7:7), which had 10 horns, followed by a little horn that is interpreted to be the Antichrist (Daniel 7:8). Later in Daniel 7, an interpretation is given of these images. In verse 24, it explains that the 10 horns (who are 10 kings) will precede the little horn (the Antichrist). We are also told that the Antichrist will “subdue” or humiliate three of these kings (Daniel 7:24).
The Apostle John was given a revelation of these end-time powers 600 years later when he wrote the book of Revelation. In Revelation 13:1, John perfectly describes the composite beast in Daniel 7:7, 8. However, John adds a new element of description concerning this final kingdom of the Antichrist – it has 7 heads. Later, in Revelation 17, he explains the symbolism behind this revelation about the end-time kingdom of the Antichrist. In Revelation 17:9-10, these 7 heads symbolically represent 7 mountains or kingdoms. These 7 heads of the beast represent an expanded and complete view of Gentile history. John says, “five are fallen” (verse 10). Historically, that would be Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. Please note that all of these kingdoms invaded the land of Israel. The sixth head, is described as the one that is – Rome. Then, John spoke about the seventh kingdom and said, “the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space” (verse 10). The Islamic empire, eventually headed by the Ottoman Turkish Empire, historically followed Rome and controlled the land of Israel for more than 400 years. Finally, John surprises us by explaining that there will be a revival of the seventh head (Islamic Empire) (verse 11). So, the kingdom of the Antichrist will be an Islamic Empire.
This kingdom will be controlled by the harlot [false religion], as described in Revelation 17-18. This religion is Islam, which already controls many kings of the earth.
Then, John turns to describe the 10 horns of the kingdom of the Antichrist. He says that the 10 horns are “ten kings which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast [the Antichrist]. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of Kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:12-14).
The Biblical picture is clear. Arab Muslims claim that they are descendants of Ishmael. Therefore, we are witnessing the conclusion to a conflict that began in Genesis 16. In the end, 10 contemporary kings will join the Antichrist in his war against the Lamb – Jesus Christ. So, it seems legitimate to me that we should be watching and wondering if what we see happening with the Persian Gulf Arab states is a fulfillment of all of this. If it is, the Antichrist is standing in the shadows of the Middle East and is getting ready to make his move. Before all of that happens, we will be raptured into the presence of our blessed Lord. Get ready for the shout that will take us out!