How Will The Anti-Christ Gain Control Over The World?

Growing up and sitting through hours of preaching and seemingly unlimited discussions about “the last days”, there was always talk of the Anti-Christ, that someone who would rise up to rule the world and only through him would you be allowed to work, buy, sell and trade – more accurately described as surviving.

That was many years ago and during those many times I still had the same question. How can one person just one day command his will over the billions of people on this planet? From my perspective and lifestyle, it made little sense.

As we fast forward a few decades, we are catching glimpses of just how this might be accomplished. Presently the world is facing what is being called a pandemic. A disease of pandemic proportions is one that will spread throughout the world, potentially affecting every person living on earth. The present pandemic is the H1N1 virus or more commonly called the swine flu virus, some odd multi-viral strain that has mutated into one that can be contracted by humans.

At this stage we know little about the virus but deaths have occurred. The World Health Organization has issued a level 5 pandemic alert, (there are 6 levels) meaning a full blown pandemic is going to happen. What does this mean actually?

Of course we as susceptible humans don’t want to get sick and especially die and so we want to stop this dreaded disease. We are scared. We rely on the doctors to make us better. We also think that our government needs to protect us. And in this case the World Health Organization should play an important role, one some believe to be the lead role.

To better be equipped to deal with pandemics, WHO and countries have worked together to formulate plans. WHO has devised a general plan and check list that will help countries around the world deal with a pandemic. This plan points out some legal and human rights issues that might be at stake during a full-blown pandemic.

1.5.1 Legal issues
Rationale
During a pandemic, it may be necessary to overrule existing legislation or (individual) human rights. Examples are the enforcement of quarantine (overruling individual freedom of movement), use of privately owned buildings for hospitals, off-license use of drugs, compulsory vaccination or implementation of emergency shifts in essential services. These decisions need a legal framework to ensure transparent assessment and justification of the measures that are being considered, and to ensure coherence with
international legislation (International Health Regulations).

Essentially this is declaring martial law but if you read carefully you’ll see that this declaration is suggesting that this martial law needs to be implemented at a more local level, by local governments but certainly fully supported and encouraged by WHO.

Some of us, particularly here in the United States, having lived in a country that we choose to believe wouldn’t implement martial law, trampling over rights, in hopes of stopping an outbreak of the flu, will have a hard time believing this would happen.

Massachusetts, being only one of several states, just recently after hearing of this swine flu pandemic, rushed a bill through their legislature that would extend power to the “authorities” to do whatever is necessary to stop or limit the spread of disease.

(1) to require the owner or occupier of premises to permit entry into and investigation of the premises;
(2) to close, direct, and compel the evacuation of, or to decontaminate or cause to be decontaminated any building or facility, and to allow the reopening of the building or facility when the danger has ended;
(3) to decontaminate or cause to be decontaminated, or to destroy any material;
(4) to restrict or prohibit assemblages of persons;
(5) to require a health care facility to provide services or the use of its facility, or to transfer the management and supervision of the health care facility to the department or to a local public health authority;
(6) to control ingress to and egress from any stricken or threatened public area, and the movement of persons and materials within the area;
(7) to adopt and enforce measures to provide for the safe disposal of infectious waste and human remains, provided that religious, cultural, family, and individual beliefs of the deceased person shall be followed to the extent possible when disposing of human remains, whenever that may be done without endangering the public health;
(8) to procure, take immediate possession from any source, store, or distribute any anti-toxins, serums, vaccines, immunizing agents, antibiotics, and other pharmaceutical agents or medical supplies located within the commonwealth as may be necessary to respond to the emergency;
(9) to require in-state health care providers to assist in the performance of vaccination, treatment, examination, or testing of any individual as a condition of licensure, authorization, or the ability to continue to function as a health care provider in the commonwealth

Setting aside for a moment if you will, the idea that this legislation is intended to deal with a pandemic and consider if you can the implications onto free human beings. This bill is martial law, granting power to the government to control every aspect of your life. By declaring a pandemic, they can allow you to work, travel, move about, eat, sleep and everything in your life they can control. They will have been granted that authority.

That’s pretty scary, yes, but it does answer my original question, one that I had a long time ago. How can one man, simply one day just gain full control over the world?

Of course I have no idea that this is at all a part of God’s plan for us and the world. What this does do is allow us to realize that what once might have seemed an insurmountable task, has become a reality. If people are frightened enough, they will concede a lot of things and look to someone to lead them to safety.

Tom Remington

Angry North Korea Vows Nuclear Missile Testing

A scary and angry North Korea is vowing to conduct nuclear missile testing unless the United Nations Security Council apologizes immediately for the denunciation of N. Korea’s April 5 missile test and recalls the sanctions levied against them.

North Korea, now seemingly just referred to as a nuclear power, test fired a ballistic missile in early April. The country faced mostly just rhetoric from the U.S. and U.N., condemning the testing. Some insisted the U.S. needed to shoot down any missiles that North Korea launched but the event came and went without incident.

What makes North Korea having nuclear weapons a difficult pill to swallow it that this country seems to be living in another world. The rulers are unpredictable and quick to anger. It appears the Obama administration has opted to deal with North Korea from a position very much unlike that of his predecessor.

Nuclear weapons in the hands of whacked out leaders cannot be a good thing.

Tom Remington

Egypt Orders The Killing Of All Its Pigs

“Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”

“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.”

With the potential for a world wide pandemic of swine flu, Egypt ordered the killing of all of its pigs in their land, some 300,000-350,000 of them. Egypt has no known cases of swine flu but neighboring Israel does.

The majority of Egypt’s citizenry are Muslim, who are forbidden to eat pork. It is estimated that about 10% of the population are of Christian faith and the pigs raised are for Christian consumption.

It has been determined that swine flu cannot be spread or contracted from eating pork, yet Egypt insists it will kill off all the pigs in an effort to thwart the disease and keep it on the other side of her borders.

This is not the first time something similar to this has been undertaken in Egypt. Last year President Mubarak ordered that all pig and chicken farms be moved away from populated areas to stop the spread of disease. Even though the order was given, it was never carried out.

In nearby Jordan, officials closed down the only five pig farms in that country due to what is being described as a violation of public health regulations.

Tom Remington

The White Horse of the Apocalypse

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This is part 2

Now I will continue on with my own interpretation concerning the current times we live in. Please take note that I could be wrong in my interpretation and there is a possibility none of the seals mentioned in Revelation have yet to be opened. The Bible is to be read and interpreted through prayer and be aware of false teachings by others. My interpretation is to incite thought and get people thinking of the current possibilities. Please ask God for guidance before taking everything I have written as truth.

First and foremost, we must compare Scripture with Scripture and allow verses to support each other. In Matthew 24:4-5 and Luke 21:8, you will see we have been warned to “take heed” (be warned) that you are not deceived. Many will come in Jesus’s name and deceive. I believe the White Horse represents truth. This is the Word of God. We are told in the last days God’s Word will reach to all corners of the Earth so ALL men will have heard the gospel. We are to take heed, and learn the truth.

To compare, in Revelation 19, we are told the rider on the horse is the Word of God and He is wearing many crowns. Notice also the color white represents purity and truth throughout the Bible, and that the White horseman was also given a crown. There are people who believe the first horseman represents evil or “the antichrist”. Personally I believe this to be false and lacking, and the White Horse represents truth and righteousness.

Today we have seen the gospel go far and wide. It has reached all nations, and the work of many missionaries putting themselves in harms way to bring truth to people who would never know the story of Jesus otherwise.

Again, a lot of people believe the White Horseman represents “the antichrist” who will go out and conquer and take on the image of God. Throughout all the other books of the Bible all references to a white horse have to do with “wisdom of righteousness”. Here is an interesting thought. Could the white horseman be sent to us from Heaven as the spirit of Elijah?

According to Malachi 4:5-6, describing the end of days, he says”

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1:17 it says:

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias (Elijah), to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

John the Baptist in Matthew 11:14

And if ye will receive it, this is Elias (Elijah), which was for to come.

In Matthew 17:12 it says:

But I say unto you, That Elias (Elijah) is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

It is quite possible the White Horse is the Spirit of Elijah calling people to the “wisdom of righteousness” according to the “Lord’s Command” similar to nearly 2,000 years ago. Regardless, the white horseman is more than likely “The Word”.

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This is part 2

Abbas Refuses To Recognize Israel As A State

The ongoing struggle for peace in the Middle East continues to hit solid road blocks. Newly elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recognizes that until the Palestinians and other regional Arab countries are willing to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist, there is not much hope for negotiating for two separate states as the new Obama administration is asking for.

The New York Times reports that Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, flat out rejected any acknowledgment of Israel as a state.

“I do not accept it,” Mr. Abbas said in a speech in Ramallah, in the West Bank. “It is not my job to give a description of the state. Name yourself the Hebrew Socialist Republic — it is none of my business,” he added, according to Reuters.

Netanyahu claims that he and his cabinet have yet to finalize their foreign policy. In the meantime, the Palestinians and other supporters are demanding that Israel recognize a sovereign state of Palestine but yet they are not willing to do the same in return.

Peace, peace and there is no peace.

Tom Remington

Russia Will Test Fire 5 New Ballistic Missiles

Russia announced that it will test fire at least 5 new ballistic missiles this years. A new intercontinental ballistic missile system has some issues with reliability. If this initial test firings prove productive, Russia will subsequently seek to do more testing.

The submarine-launched Bulava missile has a reported maximum range of about 6,200 miles and capacity for up to six individually targeted nuclear warheads. It has been hailed as a key future component of Russia’s nuclear forces, although mixed results in testing have tempered enthusiasm.

Tom Remington

Israel Now Numbers 7,411,000 People And Growing

When the State of Israel was established in 1948, there were approximately 806,000 people who lived there, with barely one lone city with a population over 100,000. Today there are 14 cities with at least 100,000 people residing in them and of those 14 cities, 5 have populations in excess of 200,000.

With a population still growing, Israel now is the home to 7,411,000 and 75.5% of those people are Jewish. Arabs make up just over 20% of the population and the remainder is a mixture, mostly those not registered as Jews.

Last year’s growth rate was 1.8%, growing an estimated 125,000 citizens.

Israel is about to celebrate its 61 birthday of independence.

Tom Remington

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Intro)

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The Book of Revelation in the Bible contains many mysteries, including the prophecy by John of the seven seals which will be opened in the last days here on Earth. Some think the Book of Revelation is all allegory with very literal meaning. What the seven seals reveals is prophecy of a series of events that will lead up to the creation of God’s Kingdom.

The Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation while exiled on the island of Patmos off the Southwest coast of Turkey in the Aegean Sea. The Island was used as a Roman penal colony in the first century. God had chosen the Apostle John to record what people today call the Apocalypse. This is all contained in the Book of Revelation.

Now, let me clarify a few things before we get started. The reason I am writing this is so we can look at what’s happening today and see if maybe there are some comparisons. Most people have heard of the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These 4 Horsemen are simply the releasing of the first four seals which lead up to the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation will be a time when “The Antichrist” will reign over the world. It will be a time of great struggle, the most ever since the beginning of mankind.

So what are the 4 Horsemen and what exactly is released? I will write out a list below and then continue to explain them further on.

1) A White Horse – Revelation 6:2, I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

2) A Red Horse – Revelation 6:3-4, And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

3) A Black Horse – Revelation 6:5-6, And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

4) A Pale Horse – Revelation 6:7-8, And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

— Great Tribulation Begins —

5) Seal #5: Souls Under the Altar: Revelation 6:9-11. And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

6) Seal #6: Celestial Signs: Revelation 6:12-17. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

7) Seal #7: The Sealing of God’s Chosen: Revelation 7.

In my next article I will cover The White Horseman of the Apocalypse and what I believe it represents today… stay tuned….

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N. Korea A Nuclear Power. Pakistani Taliban Within 60 Miles Of Nukes

The balance of power is shifting in the world causing some of us to wonder about the future. We should also begin to question whether our insistence on living in denial about the intent of radical Islamists’ goal of destroying the Big and Little Satans (United States and Israel) has left us unprepared to deal with the rise of world hatred toward the West.

It seems that no longer are we questioning whether North Korea has nuclear weapons. It is becoming common enough that it is now assumed that North Korea is armed and we aren’t questioning if they will use the weapons but when.

From Fox News today:

Now North Korea’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Il, has the potential to kill millions in Japan as well as the South, and to lay waste U.S. bases and airfields in both countries. It will force military strategists to rethink plans for war in Korea and significantly increase the potential costs of any intervention in a future Korean war. The shift from acknowledging North Korea’s nuclear weapons development program to recognizing it as a fully fledged nuclear power is highly controversial. South Korea, in particular, resists the reclassification because it could give the North greater leverage in negotiations.

While eyes seemed to be focused in the United States on matters at home, we seem to have forgotten much of what else is going on in the world. Yesterday Third Lens writer, Steve Remington, snapped us back to attention, if only briefly, that Russia had broken its peace agreement and had moved its military machine back into Georgia on a march to reclaim South Ossetia. This would give Russia power and control over the movement of oil and natural gas into the rest of Europe.

On another front, Taliban forces in Pakistan moved that much closer to the capital bringing radical forces, who many believe have the objective of capturing Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, to within about 60 miles of those weapons.

Oddly enough though, after capturing nearby Buner, and setting up command headquarters, Taliban troops began pulling back today, apparently after brokering some kind of agreement with the Pakistan government or perhaps actually fearing the government’s claim that it would forcibly remove them from the area.

According to an AP report on Fox News, few think the Taliban is content to fall back and wait there.

The government agreed in February to impose Islamic law in Swat and surrounding areas of the northwest in return for a cease-fire that halted nearly two years of bloody fighting between militants and Pakistani security forces.

But hard-liners have seized on the concession to demand Islamic law, or Sharia, across the country, and the Swat Taliban have used it to justify a push into Buner, putting them within striking distance of the capital and key roads leading to the main northwestern city of Peshawar.

As the global balance of power shifts, the rest of the world is left wondering what can be done? Are we prepared to take action to stop this movement by radicals to gain power through nuclear weapons?

Tom Remington

Israel Warns China Its Oil Imports From Iran May Be In Danger

Israel’s President, Shimon Peres, met today with China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. Peres told Jiechi that China should play a significant role in trying to convince Iran to halt its ambitions to achieve nuclear weapons.

During the visit, Jiechi encouraged Israel to begin negotiating with the Palestinians and that China supported the peace plan of giving up more land to the Palestinians. In addition to negotiating with the Palestinians, Jiechi encouraged Israel to open up talks with Syria and Lebanon.

It appears that Shimon Peres is trying to convince China that there may be more at stake in this nuclear arms debate concerning Iran than China might be willing to admit. According to today’s Jerusalem Post, Israel is prepared to tell China that if Iran doesn’t back off from developing nuclear weapons and a military conflict erupts between Israel and Iran, China’s growing demand of oil, much of what it buys from Iran, may be in jeopardy.

The Jerusalem Post has learned that Israeli officials were planning to tell him that China’s oil and natural gas imports from Iran could be jeopardized in the future if pressure does not increase on the Islamic republic to cease its nuclear program and a military confrontation ensues.

During his stay, Israeli diplomats will argue that a more proactive stance on China’s part to pressure Iran will serve Beijing’s interests, by helping to avert a military conflict, thus safeguarding an important energy source for the growing and energy-hungry Chinese economy.

Jiechi will be urged by officials in Jerusalem to up the ante in the campaign to persuade Iran to halt its nuclear development work.

As China grows and develops it has made no bones about the fact they need oil and will do most anything to continue their supply lines to get it. We have often speculated what role China would play in the unrest in the Middle East. A few years ago it might have been a stretch to believe that China would have such an enormous demand for oil and natural gas. Welcome to the high stakes of using oil for leverage.

It is safe to say that China is now well vested in Middle East affairs.

Tom Remington

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