The Coming One-World Religion
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matthew 28:19-20)
And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house,
there abide till ye depart from that place.
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence,
shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them.
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
(Mark 6:10-12)
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.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Introduction
Of the three forces blamed for war among men, religion has been the most frequent cause of conflict, by far. The drive for one-world government and one-world economy has been much more prominent in the news than the push for religious unification. However, the behind-the-scenes-progress toward religious union has been widespread and far-reaching.
In Revelation 13, John prophesies that a time will come when all human beings who are not named in the Lamb’s Book of Life will worship the satan inspired end time beast.
Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
John also predicts in Revelation 17 that this one world religion, which is symbolized by a harlot, will be judged and destroyed by God.
Our world is swiftly moving toward a fulfillment of this prophecy.
In 1993, 6000 religious leaders, representing 125 relgious groups from around the world, gathered in Chicago for the Parliament of World Religions, an event promoted by the United Nations.
The stated purpose of this parliament was to formulate a “global ethic” that would provide the basis for a non-biased, non-exclusive, religious world order.
In the words of this “global ethic” – “We affirm that a common set of core values is found in the teachings of the religions, and that these form the basis of a global ethic.”
Scripture
Rev 17:1-5 NIV
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead:
MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. {Rev 17:1-5 NIV}
Explanation
We have already learned that the beast represents a western coalition of nations, headed by a great political leader who will dominate world economics in the last days….now the apostle is called to focus on this woman who sat upon the beast. There are several clues, in fact ten of them, which are given to help us identify the woman. What does this symbol mean? Two full chapters are devoted to this. No symbol in the book of Revelation is given more identifying marks than this woman, therefore she must represent a very important factor.
Here are the clues: First, we are told that this woman is a “prostitute.” She is a harlot, or, to put it bluntly, a whore. The use of a sexual symbol indicates that physical wrongdoing, which is bad in itself in the sight of God, is a picture of an even greater evil, that is, worship of God gone wrong! It pictures unfaithfulness to God by someone who claims to honor him. A harlot is one who offers sexual satisfaction, as a wife would, but does not otherwise fulfill that role. This clue points to some organization or group that claims to worship God but is actually unfaithful to him.
The second clue given is that this woman has universal influence. She is described as “the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.” We do not have to guess what that means for in Verse 15 of this same chapter John says,
Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” {Rev 17:15 NIV}
Many peoples all over the earth are affected by the teachings of this harlot organization. In Verses 1 and 2 we read, “With her the kings of the earth committed adultery.” She will have power over the leaders of nations — “the kings of the earth” — and she makes the common people “intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” In other words, they are misled by the heady wine of religious illusion which results from the teaching of the woman.
The third clue is that she is seated upon the beast. That pictures a relationship between them. It is clear that the woman dominates the beast for a period of time. She exercises tremendous power over the political leader of these last days, but eventually Verses 16 and 17 will be fulfilled.
“The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God’s words are fulfilled.” {Rev 17:15-17 NIV}
All through these sections, we see constant reminders that God is in overall control. He allows things to happen, and they will actually accomplish his ultimate purposes.
The fourth clue is that the woman is obviously very wealthy and expensively adorned. She was “dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.” These are symbols, figures of divine and spiritual truths, but which are only outwardly held. They are not actually possessed, but outwardly adorn, thus making the woman very attractive to many people.
She also holds, we are told as the fifth clue, “a golden cup in her hand.” Outwardly it is of gold, which is a symbol of divine activity — it looks to be divinely given — but it is filled with false religious concepts, “with abominable things,” with spiritual adulteries, filthiness of teaching. As many commentators point out, this is intended to be a contrast with the communion cup of the New Testament, “the cup of the Lord,” which is associated with the truth of God. This is a counterfeit of the cup of the Lord. It looks like it is the true thing but is not.
Then the sixth clue is given: she is called “Mystery, Babylon the Great.” The word “Mystery” indicates there is something deeper here than appears on the surface. Babylon, of course, was the great city on the Euphrates River, the empire which dominated the ancient world. We see the founding of this city in the book of Genesis. It was begun as the city of Babel, founded by Nimrod, the great hunter of human souls. It became a source of idolatry for all of the ancient world. But this is not a reference to Babylon by the Euphrates because the title “Mystery” indicates something deeper. It is that which is spiritually identified with Babylon, i.e., with idolatry or spiritual adultery. Similarly, in Verse 8 of Chapter 11 we were told that Jerusalem is called “Sodom” and “Egypt” because it had become a source of wrongful teaching and corrupt practice.
The seventh clue is that she is called “The mother of prostitutes.” Other religious organizations and groups follow the same errors and fall into the same idolatries and false religious teachings. She spreads wide the seeds of false doctrine throughout the world, and many groups will follow her.
Then, the eighth clue is that she is a persecutor of the true believers in Christ: “I saw the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.” She cannot tolerate any opposition that reveals the falsehood she is perpetrating. She opposes with violence and death all those who preach the truth contrary to the lie she promulgates.
Two other clues appear elsewhere in this chapter which we will consider along with these to be sure we have properly identified this woman. One is found in Verse 9, and the other in Verse 18, the last verse of the chapter. These add further confirmation to the woman’s identity. Verse 9:
“This calls for a mind with wisdom [i.e. it is not something easily identifiable. One must think about it.]. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.” {Rev 17:9 NIV}
More than dozen ancient writers describe Rome as the city built on seven hills. This was familiar terminology in the 1st century. And that identification is further confirmed by what John is told in Verse 18:
“The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” {Rev 17:18 NIV}
In John’s day that could only be one city — Rome. “The great city,” which was the capital of the Roman Empire that dominated the whole known world of that day, literally ruled over the kings of the earth. But at that time the church in Rome was not a counterfeit church; it was a genuine Christian assembly. At the end of the 1st century when John is writing this, it was the church of the catacombs. It was persecuted and hounded and had to hide in the caves of the earth underneath the city. That probably explains the last part of Verse 6 where John tells us that when he saw the woman seated upon the beast, “I was greatly astonished.” Why? Doubtless it is a great surprise to him to see that the church he knew in Rome would become a great harlot church, dominating the kings of the earth.
When we put all these clues together it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that this pictures the Roman Catholic Church. It is a church that arises during the present church age, but comes to its greatest power in the last seven years of this age, after the true church has been raptured. When we say that, we must remember that we are not talking about Roman Catholic people. We think of the church as people, but the Roman church itself teaches that the church is the clergy — the papacy and the hierarchy — not the people. It is interesting that Catholic scholars themselves admit as they study this section of Revelation that it is Rome which is described here, but they say it is pagan Rome. The only problem with that is that John would not have been a bit surprised that pagan Rome persecuted the saints of God. He expected that for this was common by his time. But to see the church itself persecuting the saints of God is what astonished him so.
It would be simplistic to say this describes the Roman Catholic Church and that church alone. We must remember, first of all, that there are many true saints within the Roman Catholic Church. There have been godly popes, bishops, priests and nuns through the centuries. I have met some of them; so, perhaps, have you. What we need to understand is that it is the teaching of the Roman church that is described here — the extra-biblical teachings from pagan sources that have been brought in under the name of Christendom. They involve a seeking of earthly power or status gained by religious authority. That is Babylonianism. That is what first arose in the city by the Euphrates — a search for earthly power and glory by religious means. The Tower of Babel was built unto heaven, and the people said, “We will make a name for ourselves.” That is Babylonianism.
There are many religious groups and churches today that are afflicted by this taint. Not only the Roman Catholic Church, but also Orthodox churches, Anglican churches, Eastern churches, Western churches, Protestant churches, Independent churches, Charismatic churches, and Evangelical churches — many of them reflect this same error.
Religions Of The World – By adherents – Total Population = 7 Billion
- Christianity: 2.1 billion – 110 million Baptists worldwide – 38 million in US
- Islam: 1.5 billion
- Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
- Hinduism: 900 million
- Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
- Buddhism: 376 million
- primal-indigenous: 300 million
- African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
- Sikhism: 23 million
- Juche: 19 million
- Spiritism: 15 million
- Judaism: 14 million
- Baha’i: 7 million
- Jainism: 4.2 million
- Shinto: 4 million
- Cao Dai: 4 million
- Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million
- Tenrikyo: 2 million
- Neo-Paganism: 1 million
- Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand
- Rastafarianism: 600 thousand
- Scientology: 500 thousand
How can there be universal agreement if Christians can’t even agree?
- 43 percent of Baptists believe that works don’t earn salvation
- 66 percent believe Satan isn’t a real being
- 41 percent of adults could be classified as “born again.”
- 41 percent of all adults surveyed believed in the total accuracy of the Bible
- 23 percent of all Catholics surveyed believed in the total accuracy of the Bible
- 81 percent of all Pentecostals surveyed believed in the total accuracy of the Bible
- 40 percent of those surveyed believed Christ was sinless
- 27 percent believed Satan to be real
- Less than half Christian church members attend church regularly
- The two denominations with the highest number of members who hold to orthodox Christian beliefs were Pentecostals and Assemblies of God
- Catholics and Episcopalians had the lowest percentage of members reporting a belief in traditional Christian teachings
- The study determined that evangelicals are scarce. Barna defines “evangelicals” as a subset of “born again” believers – those who say their faith is very important in their lives, believe they have a responsibility to witness to non-Christians, acknowledge the existence of Satan, contend that eternal salvation is possible only through God’s grace and not good deeds, believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth, and describe God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today.
- Those who fit in such a category include only 8 percent of adults.
- Fourteen percent of Baptists qualified as evangelicals, compared to 33 percent from Assemblies of God churches, 29 percent from nondenominational churches and 27 percent from Pentecostal churches. Only 1 percent of Catholics and 1 percent of Episcopalians could be classified as evangelicals.
Ecumenism (Worldwide religion) and The New Age Movement
Ecumenism refers to initiatives aimed at greater religious unity or cooperation.
One of the major goals of the New Age Movement is to create a Universal Religious System with all historic doctrinal distinctions removed. It is so dangerous because it’s so widespread, infiltrating every aspect of our lives. New Ager’s believe they are chosen to usher in Peace, Love and Brotherhood under the leadership of a personality they call the Christ and claim is alive today awaiting his entrance to the world stage at any moment.
The New Age influence is found in the Women’s Movement, the Peace Movement, and the Ecological Movement. It is not organized with one single leader but rather happens out of people’s lives. It is a loose network of thousands of groups with a common ingredient of Hindu religion and a common aversion to traditional Christianity and is a movement that is rapidly replacing Judeo-Christian values with new values.
This dangerous new, counterfeit spirituality is putting on a righteous face and emerging as the answer for an American society gone violently and perversely mad. What the social engineers need is something watered down that sounds religious, something mystical and full of mystery that makes everybody feel really devout, and certainly something that is politically correct, yet fulfills everybody’s yearning to be at peace with God.
Trends In Religous Growth
The persistence of Religious Persecution
Religious persecution, in Africa or Asia is by no means directly solely against Christians. Muslims suffer persecution in Algeria, Bahais lose their lives in Iran. And Shik violence against Hindus continues in Northern India.
The attraction of Militant Fundamentalism
Religious fundamentalism is on the rise, not just within Islam or Christianity, but is also being felt among Buddhism and Judaism.
A rising growth rate of Islam.
Among world religions, Islam ranks as the fastest growing faith. This is demographically driven by higher birth rates in the third world rather than by an increase in conversion growth. Worldwide, the number of Muslims has doubled since 1970 to 1.2 billion adherents.
A shift to non-white Christianity.
This century has witnessed the shift of Christianity from a white to a majority position of non-white followers. Today more than 60% of all Christians come from non-white races outside Europe and America.This shift in the center of Christian gravity southward into the Third World has come about from evangelical Protestant church growth in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
A level growth of Nonreligious Persons.
While the growth rate of Islam is increasing, the worldwide growth of persons professing no religion, whether agnostics, freethinkers, atheists or non-religious humanists appears to have plateaued.
An increase of Pluralism in society
Another century-end trend which religionists encounter is growing pluralism. This is particularly so within the West.
An increase of Women in pastoral roles
We have seen the emergence of women in pastoral roles, from 1% at the turn of the century to more than 5% of all clergy worldwide. In the U.S., women comprise 10% of all clergy. And for every woman in the pastorate, there are 30 others working in ministry roles, whether in religious education or outreach. Although there is still resistance to women in pastoral roles, the basic trend of women in church and pastoral leadership continues to grow and appears irreversible.
In conclusion
Since the late 19th century the demographics of religion have changed a great deal. Some countries with a historically large Christian population have experienced a significant decline in the numbers of professed active Christians. Symptoms of the decline in active participation in Christian religious life include declining recruitment for the priesthood and monastic life, as well as diminishing attendance at church. At the same time, there has been an increase in the number of people who identify themselves as secular humanists. In many countries, such as the People’s Republic of China, communist governments have discouraged religion, making it difficult to count the actual number of believers. However, after the collapse of communism in numerous countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, religious life has been experiencing resurgence there, particularly in the forms of Neopaganism and Far Eastern religions.
Within the world’s four largest religions, Christianity currently has the greatest growth by numbers and Islam has the fastest growth by percentage.