PTNews
P r o p h e c y T o d a y N e w s
August 2022
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
Conform or be Eliminated
“As many as would not worship the image of the beast [shall] be killed.”
By Mike Wingfield
Historically, there have been many dominant global kingdoms. Each one has left its mark of cruelty and slavery on the pages of history. An examination of current events demonstrates that once again, we are being groomed, for the final time, to conform to the whelms of evil men, or face sudden elimination.
The history of the earth is a sad commentary on the depravity of man. The Bible declares, “for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22). Since the time of the global flood and the origins of the nations, the world has been in turmoil with no peace or rest. Our world has been a place of constant conflict and war because sinful men have been driven to conquer and rule for their own glory. The Bible uses the imagery of the restless sea to depict the violent conquests of ruthless dictators, who, like Satan, are filled with pride, and want to control all of mankind. The Bible says, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God to the wicked” (Isaiah 57:20-21).
These despots always hate God, His Word, and His people. They have no respect for biblical law, justice, morality, or mercy. Instead, they are liars, deceivers, thieves, sexual perverts, and murderers.
There is always a clear line of contrast between those who are good and those who are evil. Those who are good reflect the nature of God, thus they love people and want to serve them. The evil ones hate people who are not like them and want to murder or enslave their opponents to gratify themselves. Read 1 John 3:7-15.
The kind of power that sinful people want, grows out of a focus on being able to selfishly control other people to satisfy their own depraved desires. When the mother of two of Jesus’ disciples came to ask Him if her sons could have positions of power in Christ’s kingdom, listen to the answer Jesus gave to then. He said, “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28). God has a model of the style of leadership a person should exhibit at home (Ephesians 5:25-29), in the church (1 Peter 5:2-3), and in human government (Romans 13:1-7). God’s ideal leader is a person who has a servant’s heart toward God and those over whom he has been appointed to lead. His position of leadership must be one of submission to God because all authority belongs to God and flows from Him for His glory (Matthew 28:18).
The Bible uses the beautiful analogy of God being a shepherd over believers who are like sheep. It is God who owns all these sheep, rules over them, and leads the flock. He cares for His sheep and provides for them (Psalm 23:1-6). The shepherd many times entrusts his sheep to another shepherd. In Jesus’ teaching about the good shepherd in John 10, Jesus explained that a good shepherd always cares for the sheep. When an evil shepherd is placed over a flock that does not belong to him, he allows the sheep to be killed because he is only focusing upon himself. In sharp contrast, the good shepherd will sacrifice his life for the sheep (John 10:15-18). Because of the prominence and dominance of depravity in the human heart, this kind of godly leadership is rare.
The Bible teaches that the kingdoms of this world are like wild beasts. Both the prophet Daniel, in Daniel 7, and the apostle John, in the book of Revelation, referred to the wicked governments of men as being like wild beasts. In this analogy, they view the rule of oppressors as being unruly, fierce, vicious, cruel, wild, savage, and merciless. Like animals, they have no morals or conscience. They are simply driven by their lustful appetites.
According to the Bible, this is the kind of global government that will conclude human history before Christ comes to establish His righteous kingdom upon this earth for 1,000 years. The final kingdom of this world will be headed by the man the Bible calls the Antichrist. He will be one of the evilest men who have ever ruled on the planet. Satan will see to that! He will be Satan’s masterpiece and puppet. He will be the embodiment of Satan. He will be the personification of lawlessness and immorality. He is called, the wicked or lawless one in 2 Thessalonians 2:8.
The Bible says the Antichrist will “open his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven” (Revelation 13:6). The prophet Daniel wrote, “And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak [monstrous] things against the God of gods” (Daniel 11:36).
Revelation 13 gives many details about the origin, nature, and reign of the Antichrist. The Bible reveals this man will be empowered by the devil. Revelation 13:2 says, “and the dragon [Satan] gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” He will be against God (verse 6), and against the saints of God (verse 7). This will be a satanically inspired and empowered world order that will be godless in every way. In my opinion, we are witnessing the prelude to this global world system at this very moment. The transformation taking place in America is shaping this nation to be a part of this wicked global government.
When the Apostle John saw the entrance of the Antichrist onto the stage of history, he was symbolically described as a wild beast with seven heads, rising out of a tumultuous sea. Later, in Revelation 17:9-11, these seven heads are described as being symbolic of evil and ruthless kingdoms that rule over the world. John was told that five of these kingdoms were in the past. Using the first century as John’s reference point, that would indicate that these five global kingdoms were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. All these global empires had two major things in common: They all were vicious and cruel, and they all hated God and His people – Israel.
For example, the Assyrian Empire, which ruled the world from 900 B.C. to 600 B.C., was known for its brutality. This culture left behind art caved in stone that demonstrated just how evil they were. They mastered the art of ancient warfare. They bragged about their techniques of torturing and killing their enemies. They impaled people on wooden beams while they were still alive, holding it up over the wall of the city so that other people in the city could see their friends writhing in pain at the end of a stick. (See picture of the Assyrian relief on this page.) They would flay people while they were alive, while rubbing salt on their open wounds. They would amputate people’s limbs, ears, or noses while they were still alive. Finally, they would decapitate their victims and pile their heads at the gate of the city to terrorize anyone who would later visit the area.
The sixth head on the symbolic beast that represented the Antichrist’s kingdom was contemporary with the Apostle John – Rome. The seventh head was the kingdom that followed Rome. That was the Islamic Empire. It ruthlessly ruled the world from its inception in the later part of the 7th century until the end of World War 1 in 1917.
Finally, the last kingdom that will rule over the world, the one-world government of the Antichrist, is described by John as the revival of the seventh empire – Islam. It is not an accident that Islam is the most protected religion by the evil leaders in the West. Since 1979, with the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran, we have witnessed the revival of this religion that dominated the world by the edge of the sword for 14 centuries. We should not be surprised that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. The stage is set for the final confrontation of an evil global empire against the holy God of heaven.
The message of the imagery of the seven-headed beast is that the final kingdom of this world will be a composite of all the other evil, ruthless, and godless empires that preceded it. All these kingdoms forced their subjects to conform to their edicts or face elimination. We have many examples of this in the Bible. In the book of Daniel, the Jewish youth were cast into a fiery furnace for not bowing down to worship the Babylonian king when the music was played (Daniel 3). Daniel was cast into the lion’s den because he refused to stop praying to the God of heaven (Daniel 6).
Our world is preparing it citizens to follow the commands of evil governments, or face elimination. This has been the case in Muslim and Communist countries for years. However, now in America, we are experiencing great governmental restrictions that are being placed upon people because they will not follow the rules of the government concerning COVID-19. The U.S. government issued stern mandates that called for all citizens to wear a mask when in public and to receive a series of vaccinations and boosters. Some who refused theses mandates have been forced out of employment and faced many other life-changing restrictions. Recently, the Biden Administration has attempted to expel 260,000 American service members because of their refusal to take COVID vaccinations which are causing death and serious health issues in people around the world. This is only the beginning of more restrictions to come!
When a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court judges overturned the historic Roe versus Wade abortion decision, the lives of the conservative justices were threatened. Once again, the message is clear from the world, conform to our evil demands or be eliminated!
When the kingdom of the Antichrist becomes a reality, he will demand conformity in three areas. Let us examine each of these.
Political Conformity
First, he will demand political conformity. Like Islamic and Communist countries, the Antichrist will rule the world with an iron fist. Because his authority and power come from Satan (Revelation 13:2), he will have complete, unrestrained freedom to do as he pleases, and no one will be able to stop him. The nations and individuals who oppose his political power will be eliminated.
The Antichrist will surround himself with a military might that will swear total allegiance to him. At the very beginning of the Tribulation, he will appear on a white horse, which is exactly the way in which the Islamic authorities proclaim their messiah will arrive on earth. The Apostle John wrote, “… and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer” (Revelation 6:2). This simply means that his political authority will be exercised by his military prowess. Daniel tells us that he will honor “the God of forces” [military might] (Daniel 11:38). His military might will enable him to increase in power and to eventually rule over the world (Daniel 11:39; Revelation 13:4, 7).
Religious Conformity
Secondly, the Antichrist will demand religious conformity. The arrogant pride of the Antichrist will lead him to view himself as a god (Daniel 11:36). He will enthrone himself as God in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem at the mid-point of the Tribulation (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Thus, he and his false prophet will demand that everyone on the planet must worship him (Revelation 13:12-15). If people refuse to worship him, they must be killed (Revelation 13:15). Once again, conform or be eliminated!
In the West, and in Communist countries in the East, religious conformity would not be demanded. The West has exercised an illegitimate approach to human government that currently does not recognize or honor the God of the Bible. This is also the position of both Socialism and Communism. These political philosophies took root in the firm belief of atheism. Therefore, the Antichrist will not come from the western or Communist societies.
However, in the East, there is a group of nations that believe their political power grows out of their religious authority. These are the nations that are practicing a militant form of Islam – like the one established by their founding prophet, Muhammed. The nation of Iran is a perfect example of this kind of marriage between political power and religious authority.
In Iran, those who openly refuse to conform to the religious/political authorities are quickly eliminated. Throughout the Islamic world, one of the official emblems is the sword of Allah. This sword appears on many of their flags and other documents. (See the picture above of the flag of Saudi Arabia with the sword of Allah on it.)
Economic Conformity
Finally, the Antichrist will demand economic conformity. Once he gains control of the entire world at the mid-point of the Tribulation, he will introduce his economic plan that will be forced upon every person on earth. Each person must show his submission to the Antichrist’s political and religious authority by receiving the numerical value of his name – 666 (Revelation 13:16-18). Once again, those who refuse to conform to his edict, will be eliminated. The method used to eliminate them will be beheading (Revelation 20:4). This has been a repeated practice in the Islamic world for centuries.
There is only one religion that is protected by the liberal politicians in the West – Islam. The liberal culture in America and the West hate Biblical Christianity. Anyone can say whatever they want to say about the Bible, Christ, or the church. However, if someone speaks out against the Koran, Muhammed, or Allah, they are openly condemned and charged with a hate crime. Why this clear contradiction? The answer is simple – they hate the God of the Bible. Islam and the liberal West have one thing in common – they both hate Christianity. Jesus’ warning given to His disciples only minutes before He went to the cross explains why the world embraces Islamic terrorists but rejects peaceful Christians. Jesus told His disciples they would be hated because the world hates Him. Furthermore, He stated, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19).
The world openly embraces anyone who hates Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Therefore, when the Muslim antichrist appears on the scene, they will receive him and worship him. Anyone who does not conform to his claim to deity and his exercise of complete global authority must be eliminated.
True believers in Jesus Christ give total allegiance only to Him. The Bible is their only source of total authority. Therefore, they will conform only to the way and will of God. They realize that standing with God is standing on the side of life and that which is good. They will be determined to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). As God said to Israel in the days of Moses, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Evil leaders always set themselves up as God. They are in rebellion against Him and adopt the ways of Satan. Like Satan, they are focused upon their pride and their agenda. The Bible says, “The wicked through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4).
The wicked have chosen the path of death. As believers, we are exhorted not follow in their path. The Bible has warned us, “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. … The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble” (Proverbs 4:14, 19).
Today, we hear foolish people speak about their rights and their choices. We do have freedom, but we must always honor the standards and commandments of God. We live in a foolish culture that believes there are no absolutes. They believe everything is subjective. Whatever a person decides is right is that path they will take. The Bible warns us, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). We live in a world created by God. It is a world of absolutes.
When we construct a building or wall, we must use a square and level to keep things plumb with gravity. Gravity is an unforgiving absolute. If a contractor does not follow the laws of gravity, whatever he has constructed will eventually collapse due to forces of gravity. Gravity does not change or adapt itself to a culture. It is a physical absolute.
Electricity is another physical absolute. An electrician must use the best metals to conduct electrical current. The wire he uses must be properly insulated, grounded, and connected to the source of electrical current. If he fails to follow these rules, it could result in no electricity, poor electrical current, or an electrical system that is prone to injury or even the death of those who have trusted in his work.
God has created a world with physical, moral, intellectual, and spiritual absolutes. All these absolutes are based upon the righteous and holy nature of God. Who God is, and what He has said and done are perfect. Speaking of God, the Bible declares, “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
When a person comes to Christ for salvation, he must order his steps according to the way and will of God. He will not follow the sinful culture, or the evil commands of his government. The Bible gives us the following commandment, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). The renewing of the mind comes when we search the Scriptures to discover who God is and know the path of life He has set before us. We must be determined to not just know Him, but to also obey Him. Our faith is far more than an intellectual pursuit. It is a passion to have a relationship with Him, to obey Him and to become like Him.
We are living in a water-shed era. The world order that came into being as a result of World War I is rapidly fading off of the scene. Prior to WWI, the East had dominated the world for millennia of time since the collapse of the Roman Empire. After WWI, the West became the dominant force in the world. It took about 30 years for the U.S. to raise to the top of the political heap to assume the leadership in the West. Now, all of this is rapidly changing. The western powers are collapsing from within.
A New-World Order is coming. But is it new? As we examine the pages of history, it appears that our world is reverting to the same style of evil government that has been its pattern in the past. The New World Order is really an Old-World Order that is ruled by tyrannical governments that enslave their people and rule with an uncompromising power that threatens all who oppose it. This is exactly what the Bible has predicted will take place.
According to the Bible, the conflict of the last days will return to the powers in the East that surround Israel. The current attempts to appease the radical Islamic leadership of Iran is a perfect example of where we are on the timetable of end-time events. The United Nations has turned a blind eye to the nuclear ambitions of Iran. While they might not openly admit it, it might be because most of the nations within the U.N. hate the God of the Bible, and therefore they hate Israel. According to the Bible, the enemies of Israel are also the enemies of God (Psalm 83:1-5). It is a known fact that the one nation that is condemned more than any other within the U.N. is the little nation of Israel. They are constantly reprimanded for defending themselves against Islamic aggression. It is as if they are saying, “Let your enemies destroy you!” Israel is the nation they all love to hate! It seems apparent that most of the world would rejoice if Iran were to eliminate the Jewish nation.
Oh, that Jesus would come today! Be ready for the shout that will take us out!
and what we see in our nation, we are beyond turning back. When God gives up on a wicked culture, He removes the work of the Holy Spirit in the consciences of the wicked and they are left to the demise of their own foolish and wicked desires. As evidence, I point to the militant demand for the acceptance of all forms of sexually deviant lifestyles. We are also witnessing riots and protests in rebellion against the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse the federal government’s control over abortion. These events and others clearly demonstrate the wickedness that has permeated this nation. Some people today are like the militant homosexuals who surrounded the house of Lot and demanded that he release the two young men [who were really angels of God] so they could sexually abuse them throughout the night (
When a person comes to Christ for salvation, he must repent of his sins. His enemy is his own sin nature, the world system, and Satan. Those who walk with God will always be at war with these three entities. This is the daily struggle of the Christian life. 
Abraham knew that His God would provide for him, and He was not concerned about the choice Lot would make. Lot chose the well-watered plains, which did not require trusting God for rain. Lot was also drawn toward the wealth and pleasures of the cities of the plain. We know from extra biblical records that these five cities were along the caravan route of the ancient world and provided a variety of wealth not available in the hill country where Abraham w
The biblical record from Genesis to Revelation gives testimony that God has used His powerful creation as a tool of retribution and judgment upon the wicked who strive with Him (