This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. (Revelation 13:18 ESV).
We come to the end of the 13th chapter with this great encouragement: This calls for wisdom (v. 18). Perhaps you are an older believer, as I am. I’ve been watching, eagerly waiting for the Lord’s return for over fifty years. It started when I first entered seminary in 1971. So much has happened during these five decades. There have been wars, rumors of wars, pestilence, diseases, famine, earthquakes and terrible storms. However, none of these things have precipitated the coming of Jesus. Perhaps the greatest terrorist attack on Israel has just occurred. We have yet to see the conclusion of this war. Nd, again, our attention is turned to the Middle East, but I want to be very clear. Our task is not in predicting the coming of Jesus, but in being ready for it. That is the foundation of real wisdom.
All of the events that have occurred are merely a small glimpse of what is coming, where the propaganda, the pressure, the dictates, the loss of liberty, and the consequences of not going along with the coming global leader will be far more intense. But it was still a glimpse into the type of global control that many desire, are actively working on today and will ultimately achieve under the Antichrist tomorrow. While true members of the Church won’t see this coming Antichrist, we do already see the spirit of antichrist working and increasing in the world right now. And we see ‘antichrists’ with a lowercase ‘a’ acting and deceiving in that spirit. So, the need to be alert and watchful is important right here, right now. We should not be surprised or unprepared when we see things moving in a darker direction in the world. As we explore where things end up, we can more clearly see where we currently are in the plan of God. And as we can see various technologies, attitudes and players moving into position these all point to the season of His return. And that is the good news!
There is a very real sense of awakening in the world. This is especially true among the Jews. They are, in their own words, seeing that evil exists and coming to the realization that if the darkness is real, then so is the light; if evil exists, then so must God. God is always at work but it’s even more evident when the enemy comes in like a flood. God will always use dark days for His good! So always be encouraged about what God is, and will do, during the time we have left.