The concept of a 'global' government is not new -- except, perhaps, in the sense of it being 'global'. Until relatively recently, 'global' government meant a pan-European government, since Europe constituted the ''known'' world.
But the perceived 'need' for some form of global, supra-national authority goes all the way back to the plains of Shinar in the land of the Chaldeans.
"And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:1-4)
The Bible not only tells us that Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah was the first to come up with the concept of a universal government, but it also tells us why. The 'whys' behind the concept of global government are as old as the idea; "lest be be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."
Genesis says that Nimrod "began to be a mighty one in the earth" as Noah's descendants began to repopulate, build cities and settled down in what is modern day Iraq.
"And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah . . ." (Genesis 10:10)
The remains of "Babel" are still visible today outside the city of Babylon, which is located about 40 miles from Baghdad. Asshur's Nineveh is today located in northern Iraq just outside Mosul.
But it is the 'why' that I find interesting -- 'lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.'
The English word 'scattered' is translated from the root word "puwts" which literally means, "to dash in pieces" -- so it would be equally accurate to render it, "lest we be dashed to pieces upon the face of the earth."
That was the argument in favor of global government four thousand years ago. It is the same argument being advanced today.
Moving along through Genesis, the narrative tells us that the Lord then 'confounded' their language, preventing them from forming a universal government, saying;
"Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." (Genesis 11:6)
Assessment:
So, why would the Lord oppose the idea of a global government from its inception? (Especially when the 'globe' in question was no larger than Iraq?) And why has virtually every effort to reinstate the plan collapsed under the weight of its own ambition?
"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." (1st John 2:18)
Ever since the days of Nimrod, mankind has sought to recreate Babel for precisely the same reasons articulated in Genesis 11 -- collective security -- "lest we be dashed upon the face of the earth".
The problem with global government, then as now, is that when there is only one authority, then "nothing is restrained." As the Babylonian Empire reached its zenith, Nebuchadnezzar declared himself a god and demanded worship.
The succeeding Medo-Perisan Empire reached its height under King Xerxes, who also declared himself to be a god and demanded worship.
Alexander the Great believed himself to be the son of Zeus, chief among the Greek pantheon of gods, and a direct descendent of the god Achilles (on his mother's side).
The Roman Emperors believed themselves to be gods, with the Emperor Domitian claiming for himself the blasphemous title; "The Lord God."
The Roman Empire eventually collapsed as a physical empire, going 'underground' so to speak, and re-emerging as a spiritual kingdom, with the papacy replacing Caesar as "Pontifus Maximus".
It wasn't long before the Pope claimed the authority of Jesus Christ, including many of the Divine attributes, such as infallibility.
In the 8th century, King Charles the Great of France, (known to history as 'Charlemagne') attempted to reunite the old Roman Empire politically under the papacy.
In 799, Charlemagne was crowned by Pope Leo III "Imperator Romanorum" ("Emperor of the Romans") and the head of the "Holy Roman Empire."
The closest thing history actually had to a truly 'global' government, however, was the British Empire. At its peak, the British Empire encompassed a quarter of the world's landmass and ruled a third of the world's population.
Henry the VIII claimed the titles; King of England, Lord of Ireland, and claimed the title of King of France. In 1534, Henry VIII declared himself the head of the Church of England, replacing the Pope as 'Christ's visible representative on earth.'
Napoleon attempted to revive the Roman Empire under his leadership, and in 1804, was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire at Notre Dame by Pope Pius VII, comparing himself at various times to Jesus Christ.
Adolf Hitler's 1000 Year Reich was modeled after the Roman Empire and he was worshipped by the Nazis as a god.
On 16 March 1934, German school children wrote out the following dictation approved by Hitler's Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda:
"Jesus and Hitler. As Jesus freed men from sin and Hell, so Hitler freed the German people from destruction. Jesus and Hitler were persecuted, but while Jesus was crucified Hitler was raised to the Chancellorship ... Jesus strove for Heaven, Hitler for the German earth."
It should be obvious by now that there is an historical pattern that remained unchanged since the days of Nimrod. In the secular sense, it could be expressed as "absolute power corrupts absolutely."
According to the Bible, there will be one more pretender to the throne.
He comes to power by acclamation; John pictures him as a rider carrying a bow, but no arrows, indicating a peaceful conquest. Daniel says of him, "by peace he shall destroy many."
John says the seat of his power will be in Rome, but the scope of his power is both universal and centralized.
It is so centralized, in fact, that he will be able to restrict the ability to buy or sell on an individual basis, depending on the single condition that his followers worship him as a god.
But until this generation, that was impossible. Now that we are here, it is inevitable. The only thing restraining him now is the same Force that restrained the previous pretenders.
Never in the history of mankind has the perceived need for a global government been stronger or the reasons more compelling than exist at this particular moment in history.
But notice what happened back in 1990 when then-President George Bush uttered his famous "Thousand Points of Light" speech in which he uttered the phrase, "New World Order."
The UN was delighted. The Europeans, then in the final throes of unification, welcomed the speech as an endorsement of their unification efforts. Even the Russians were enthralled.
Christians immediately connected the "New World Order" with the one world government of antichrist and George Bush was the last US president to ever utter the phrase in public.
As long as the Church remains on the earth, the antichrist cannot make his appearance. The Restrainer indwells us, and through us, restrains his power to deceive.
Paul says that He will continue restrain until He is taken out of the way . . And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming. (2nd Thessalonians 2:7-8)
But, at some point, before the antichrist makes his appearance, an event that will undoubtedly throw the whole world into a state of panic, (possibly handing him his 'strong delusion' on a silver platter, so to speak) will take the Restrainer's restraining influence 'out of the way.'
"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
"Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1st Thessalonians 4:15-18)
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