Hi all

Today I’ll cover a couple other characteristics of the man of sin’s government, and what we see in our day.

Individuality ends

The Revelation 13: 5-8 tells us of the man of sin: “…he will speak great and terrible things about the God of heaven, and he will be given 42 months to rule…and it was given him to make war with the saints..and he had authority over all people and languages and nations…and all those whose names are not written in the book of Life of the Lamb will worship him…let him who has an ear, hear…”

This is just one passage that tells us there will be a unity among the nations of Europe to ‘worship’, swear allegiance to this ruler. We are told he will speak evil of all things God and blaspheme His name. But one group, ‘the saints’, refuse to swear allegiance, so he and the populace must get rid of those who refuse to be unified under him. 

When a sports team truly plays as a team, individuality ends. Each individual becomes part of a larger whole and it means each team member must contribute to the greater team effort. If a team member doesn’t play up to the standard expected they are replaced. 

When a government unifies all people by a single purpose, individually must end. All that matters is that person’s role for the larger ‘national team’ effort. Anyone who doesn’t perform as expected is singled out and replaced by someone who can do their job. Individuality ends in favor of the national interest. Those who rebel are labeled unpatriotic. 

The above text says the man of sin will have authority over multiple nations, languages, and people. All will be unified in his purpose while he makes war on the saints during that 42 month reign of terror. (Daniel indicates his rule will be 7 years, and Jesus calls the last 3.5 years a time of ‘great tribulation’, in Mt 24: 21)

In history: On May 1, 1933 Hitler made a national holiday celebrating the greatness of Germany and its workers, but the very next day his paramilitary troops took over all union offices and forced all workers to join a single national labor union: The German Labor Front. Big business supported those actions because it meant bigger profits for them, and with the unifying of all unions into one, wages dropped 25%, protections for workers ended, etc. 

But it gave the nation a common focus, a purpose, uniting all (blue collar workers) in the labor union. Fascism remember, believes the common good takes precedence over the individual good. The schools that produces workers – from trade schools to universities were brought in line with the national purpose so the next generation would be educated to think in line with the government’s policies. 

In our day, do we see the unification of labor and businesses agreeing with government policies so they may gather more money to themselves? Do we see the education systems implementing the government agenda? Can we see how this spirit is setting the stage so that at the end of the age the next generation of voters/people will give allegiance to the man and the system because they think like him, except for ‘the saints’? 

Characteristics to remember: Dissenting voices are not allowed. National unity is emphasized and anyone who doesn’t believe the promises or the vision for the nation the leader describes, is persecuted and blamed for hindering progress. Education, media, government are unified in controlling what the people think. 

Making and breaking treaties

Fascist governments require expansion to contribute to the national unity. In our text above from The Revelation, it says the man of sin will take rule over nations, languages, and people. We already know he will rise from under the 10 rulers to take the place of 3 kings. Kings rule over people. By the fact he rises from under the 10 to take out 3 and rule over the remaining 7 reveals he is about expansion of his rule.

In Matthew 24:15 Jesus confirms the classic understanding of Daniel’s prophecy. In Daniel 9: 26-27 Daniel is told:

“…the prince of the people who will come will destroy the city…he will confirm a covenant (make a treaty) for 1 week (7 years)…and in the middle of that week (3.5 years into it) he will cause the sacrifices and offerings to stop…”

Jesus confirmed this in Matthew 24:15-20: “When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, whoever reads this let him understand. Then let him in Judea run to the mountains, and let him on the housetop not stop to gather his things on the way out, and the man in the field should not run home to collect his belongings. And pity to those nursing children at that time! Pray this doesn’t happen in winter nor on the Sabbath, for then will be great tribulation that has never been seen before, and unless those days were shortened…” 

The man of sin, the prince of the people who will come to destroy the city, will first have made a 7 year treaty with Israel, then breaks that treaty half way into it. 

Hitler and treaties

On September 30, 1938 the UK, France, Italy and Germany signed the Munich Agreement or Munich Betrayl, for it ceded to Germany what was then Czechoslovakia. Neville Chamberlin returned to England triumphant, confident appeasing Hitler with the agreement meant he would not expand Nazi Germany any further. One year later, Hitler overran Poland, breaking his own 1934 nonaggression pact with them. 

History records Rome, Nazi Germany, Italy, USSR and other governments which were either fully or partially fascist in nature, expanding by force their borders, making treaties, breaking them. That’s how Daniel and The Revelation describe the government of anti-Christ as he expands and makes war with the saints – just as Rome did, Germany did, USSR did…

Do we see elements of making laws or treaties and then breaking them in our day? 

It could be argued that the first effort to expand a fascist government’s borders starts with internal borders; Crossing political, judicial, and constitutional boundaries for the purpose of furthering the fascist agenda. We certainly see that in nations around the world, and it would seem the spirit of anti-Christ is part of that. The reason for that statement is that where there is a push on the borders of free will and how a society functions, a group or groups are blamed for objecting to the government’s agenda. 

Nazi Germany’s first expansion began politically, laying claim to nations they had a previous history with. Old Prussia ruled over most of what we today call Eastern Europe, all the way to the old Iron Curtain. Nations like Poland, Latvia, Lithuania included – so Hitler wanted those lands and justified attacking them based on historical Prussian territories. Russia acted similarly with its invasion of Ukraine’s Crimea a few years ago. 

The spirit that justifies expansion will be part of anti-Christ’s government. Look for smaller political parties in Europe who want the power and prestige of the old days, wanting to restore what has been and justifying it by a history that is revered in their minds. Remember, fascism requires economic difficulty to come to power, so watch for economic difficulties opening the door for more policies that we’ve seen in history and that are prophesied to occur. 

Individuality ends with the government of anti-Christ, and with other fascist governments. We see it is coming on the world in prophecy, we see some of those elements in our day. We see that in history. When you see treaties made in our day, look for the details, if they allow for the expansion of trade and more than that, political influence.

It’s like this. In October of 2001 when the US passed the Patriot Act, I asked the Father if He had an opinion about it or if He could tell me anything about it. His reply has stayed with me: “Laws that were passed to protect my people, will one day be used against them.” 

Look for that kind of duplicity, or the potential for it, in laws made by various governments…will close it off next week with the last elements to emphasize, and then a summary that I hope will leave you with peace, and things to think about and watch for….until then, blessings,

John Fenn