End Times Game Plan

End Times Game Plan

Covid-19 Series

Collin Leong. 11 April 2020

I. Preface

This blog is a continuation of the series written during Covid-19 pandemic. We covered the topics "Where is God" and "Overcoming Fear."  

In the first article, I discussed potential reasons why disasters and pestilences occur on earth, based on the patterns found in the Bible. The aim was to provide solid biblical options, rather than merely agreeing to whatever comes through our social media during the crisis.

The second article was to get scriptural principles on how to re-channel fear, anxiety and distractions towards listening to what God wants us to do in a crisis like this. The key theme was from 2 Tim 1:7 where it speaks about the antidote to fear, that is: power, love, and sound mind.

Having dealt with the concerns of current circumstances, I felt there is another perspective that is important to anchor us more firmly in this crisis and to prepare us for greater ones in the future. This is from the viewpoint of God's over-arching redemption plan, where past and present circumstances fold into God's conclusion for mankind during the end-of-days.

This subject deals with eschatology (prophecies about end times) and the clues are found in both the Old Testament, the New Testament Gospels and Epistles. Eschatology is a big subject, and there are many qualified authors available for you to research. In this blog, we will just touch on topics where a crisis like Covid-19 has an important role to play.

Disclaimer: During the crisis, there has been a resurgence of conspiracy theories about the rich and powerful trying to control the world or to bring in the antichrist. Unless otherwise stated, please do not assume I agree with anything you see or hear on social media, even if there are similarities to what I wrote.   

II. Background: The Birth Pangs and the Great Tribulation

If you have attended sermons on eschatology or read such books, you would have heard about the "seven year tribulation." In these years there will be pestilences, disasters, and persecution of the Jews and Christians.

You may also have heard about the "rapture" (a word not found in the bible), referring to the event Paul described in Thessalonians when we (the true believers) will meet Jesus in the clouds and taken away to heaven alive. (1 Thes 4:17)

Without doing a lengthy exegesis, let me summarize some important details that are relevant to the topic of this blog:

1. First Half of 7 Year Tribulation - Fake Peace

There are many misunderstanding about the "7 years" of tribulation that got theologians arguing with each other. Some insist the tribulation is only the last 3.5 years. The misunderstanding is as follows:

The "seven years of tribulation" is a general term describing the 7-year period mentioned by Daniel chapter 9:

"The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’  In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. (Dan 9:26b-27)

There are actually 2 parts in that 7 years. The first 3.5 years is when the antichrist brings in peace through a global treaty. The treaty may involve protecting both Israel and the Palestinian from warring against each other. He will become a hero, and is "worshipped" (i.e. admired or adored) by all the people in the world (except Christians who understand who he is.)

While it doesn't seem like a real "tribulation", it will be a distress to Christians and Jews who hold to the Holy Word. Our freedom to exercise our faith will be suppressed or persecuted. 

"While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape."  (1 Thes 5:3)

That's why understanding eschatology is a blessing. We won't be fooled when this Trojan global peace is declared. It would be the final wake up call for sleeping Christians so that the Day of the Lord does not slip by like a thief in the night. (See 1 Thes 5:4-8)

2. Second Half of 7 Year Tribulation - The Great Tribulation

For whatever reasons, Israel will reject the antichrist's prerequisites for international peace. After 3.5 years, the world leader will have enough of Israel. He invades Israel and stops the daily sacrifice and made the altar unclean.

“From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days [3.5 years]. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days [Additional 1.5 months].  (Rev 12:11; also see Dan 12:7 for the same prophecy)

This meant that Israel will have to rebuild the sacrificial altar located within the Courts of the Priest during the first 3.5 years. They do not need to build the entire Solomon's (aka Herod's) temple to begin the daily sacrifices, for they can do so as long as the altar is present. (See Ezra 3:2-6)

The temple altar was located either at or next to the current Dome of The Rock, a holy place for the Muslims. The rebuilding of the altar and restarting sacrifices in that delicate place would be a major violation of global peace treaty. The anti-christ used the opportunity to attack Israel with strong support from almost all nations, thus starting the "Great Tribulation" period.

3. Return of the King

At the end of the 3.5 Great Tribulation, Jesus shall intervene to protect Israel. He comes with his heavenly hosts to battle the antichrist's international army. The battle would conclude after 1.5 months (1335 days minus 1290 days) with absolute victory to our Lord. This ushers in His 1,000 years sole kingship on Earth.

"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean." (Rev 19:11-14)

Some theologians believe that the "armies of heaven" includes the believers that were raptured before the tribulation.

4. When will Believers be "raptured?" 

At this point, many of you will ask "when will the rapture happen?"  The opinions are split among theologians. Some say before the 7 years, others say at the middle of the 7 years, while others at the end of 7 years.

If we believe that we will follow Jesus to the battle at Armageddon (now known as Meggido, a flat tell in Israel), then the rapture would have to happen either at the beginning or in the middle of the 7 years. My current position is that it will happen in the middle of the 7 years. We will go through the beginnings of birth pangs, but not suffer under the full wrath of the antichrist. (I hope so!)

The main reason is because the anti-christ will only be "revealed" when the "restrainer" has been removed from the Earth:

"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. (2 Thes 2:7-8)

The "lawless one" (anti-christ) is already at work but his true nature will not be known until he attacks Israel in the later half of the 7 years, ushering in the Great Tribulation. The "restrainer" is the Holy Spirit who controls the extent of evil on earth (which He has always been doing.) Since the Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of believers, we too will be taken away when He is removed. For the Holy Spirit will never abandon us. (John 14:16; Ephesians 1:13–14)

(Update September 2024: I'm now on the side of pre-tribulation rapture. The reason is that the anti-Christ will be revealed in the first year of the tribulation, not in the middle of the 7 years. It means that whatever is mentioned in the book of Revelation, we won't see it from earth, but from heaven.)

5. Birth Pangs

This brings us to the subject at hand. Prior to and during the first 3.5 years, there will be "birth pangs".  Birth pangs are disasters, pestilences and diseases that comes on all people, leading up to the Great Tribulation when the anti-christ shows his true colours and openly unleashes his wrath on the elects.

Jesus prophesied: "Nations will rise against one another, and kingdoms against each other. There will be famines and earthquakes here and there. All this is just the start of the birth pangs."  (Matt 24:7-8)

Like the actual birth pangs that pregnant women suffer, the frequency and magnitude of the pain increases as the time of birth gets nearer. So will the pestilences in the future, leading up to the tribulation.

However, we do not know when the seven years or the "peace treaty" will start.  Even Jesus said:  "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." (Mat 24:36)

We can only gauge based on the maturity of the world politics and technological advancement that would make biblical prophecy happen.

God reveals the clues a little bit at a time over our history.

To give a specific example - Revelation says that in the last days the nation Israel will offer sacrifices in Jerusalem.

However, Christians living in 1940 would be perplexed reading this verse. There was no Israel in 1940, for the Romans had destroyed the Herod's temple and drove them out in 70 AD. Christians in 1940 would not be able to convince anyone or themselves the possibility of this happening in real life. Many would have concluded that Revelation is just a fictional book, or some sort of spiritual symbolism.

Then suddenly, Israel miraculously became an independent nation overnight under United Nations decree in 1948, after World War 2. Great news, but bad news too! The land they received includes only West Jerusalem. The Temple is in East Jerusalem, given by the UN to the Palestinians! The prophecy still cannot be fulfilled!

Israel waited upon the Lord. In 1967, five Arab countries made a surprise attack on Israel. Israel not only defended itself, but expanded it's territory and conquered East Jerusalem in 6 days! This is famously known as the 6-day War. Suddenly, the whole Christendom understood what God was doing - Revelation is now physically possible.

We are now in 2020. The politics, the financial system, and the technological advancements are in position to enable the antichrist to initiate the peace treaty within 5-10 years. 

Global pandemic like a Covid-19 is a powerful catalyst to accelerate the pace, for it surfaces the loopholes and systematic failures of current politics (eg: how Italy get no help from the EU and pointing fingers), and medical system (lack testing and contact tracing), financial system (vulnerable), and technology (lacks standard and wrong priorities). These criticisms are all over the news and leaders in respective fields are calling out for a major change and global collaboration.

6. God is still in control 

Though I said the prerequisites may be ready in 5-10 years, the exact timeline is up to God to decide. He can delay it as long as he wants simply by creating a discord among the world leaders.

"The Lord isn’t slow to keep his promise, as some think of slowness, but he is patient toward you, not wanting anyone to perish but all to change their hearts and lives. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief." (2 Pet 3:9-10)

God wants to save as many souls as possible before the final judgement come. Let us make the full use of the delay and preach the gospel boldly while we still have the freedom.

III. The Covid-19 Catalyst

There are 2 key changes the governments need to develop to ensure effective mitigation against future pandemics:

1. Global Financial System

2. Medical Passport

1. Global Financial System 

The Covid-19 economic collapse proved to the world that existing monetary policy is weak and unstable. Robert Kiyosaki, author of best selling "Rich Dad Poor Dad", tweeted that the dollar is manipulated and is now dead, and that "Gold and silver are God's money, and Bitcoin is people's money." (Please Google)

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency (aka digital currency) created in 2008 for peer-to-peer transfer of virtual money without going through the banks. It is similar to gold, where the value of each Bitcoin is determined by the Bitcoin traders. The value rose from a few cents in 2008 and is today over $7000 USD per Bitcoin and is expected to grow.

As Bitcoin is untraceable by Banks or Governments,  it was initially used by mafias and black markets for money laundering. Hence the governments are against unregulated use of Bitcoin.

However, cryptocurrency cannot be stopped as the "servers" are decentralised and no government or banks owns it. It is used worldwide, and you can trade bitcoin across borders in an instant with fees much lower than bank fees.

Governments and banks are aware that if they cannot stop it, they might as well join it. They are now putting regulations on cryptocurrency trading, and some are in fact creating a centralised cryptocurrency that they can regulate. China is ahead in this game by creating a nationwide platform for private companies to build applications in a regulated and trusted way. The platform is in fact released in April 2020! (Please Google) 

How is digital currency relevant to the end-time prophecies? Some of you may be familiar with this verse:

"The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name." (Rev 13:15-17)

For decades, theologians have interpreted this passage as a global financial system that the antichrist will use to track and control world citizens. The "mark" on the "right hand" or "foreheads" are thought to be a micro-chip carrying your ID and other information.

The reason it must be a "chip" instead of having the identification on your smartphone is to prevent people from hacking the phone to alter your ID. Your phone, rather, can be used as the second authentication device for you to approve the transactions before it is executed. 

Is this science fiction? No, it is already implemented in Sweden in 2018/2019, a move towards a cashless society. (Please Google). Most of your dogs already have an RFID implanted under their skin for ID and other information. You are no doubt aware that the ability to "transfer" money through your credit card chip using "paywave". Everything is there to make cashless, global financial system happen.

Such a system can be very effective in controlling crimes, among other uses. If you are wanted by the police, they can track your whereabouts whenever you make a purchase at any stores. Crimes will be under control worldwide, drugs will be eliminated, money laundering will cease. The earth will be safer and the antichrist will look like a hero.

These are good things that people will be happy about. However, there is an issue with violation of individual privacy. While these are good benefits to have, not everyone will adopt the system if it infringes on their privacy. They might accept this if it is on their smartphones which can be switched off, but not on a chip that is always "on" for the government to access. 

However, there is another critical usage for that chip, that people will probably not say "no" to. This takes us to the next topic of Medical Passport. 

2. Medical Passport 

The biggest challenge in controlling infectious diseases is the ability to know who has the virus, and to trace contacts. This applies to Covid-19, HIV, Ebola, and others.

During the Covid-19 crisis, there were dozens of medical companies working on anti-body tests that can be used to "certify" that a person is not infected. Vaccines are being developed that will make you immune.

But if you are not infected or have been vaccinated, how can you prove your certification so that shopping malls, offices, sports facilities, theatres and airports will let you in? How will other countries let you in if you are going on vacation and business trips?

This is an issue even after the lock-down is over. Without a seamless ability to confirm if you are sick (even with common cold that kills thousands each year), there is no way to prevent infection spikes or to manage future virus attacks. This is ability to track certification is known as a "Medical Passport".

The Medical Passport can reside on the same "chip" as the digital currency we discussed earlier. Chip detectors would be installed at entrances of train stations, buses, airports, shopping malls, and office buildings. The experience will be like walking through the metal detectors at airports today. You don't even need to stop or show your hand. If you have been "certified", a green light will show.  Those who aren't cleared would not be granted entry, and would be directed to the nearest clinic or a nearby self-service testing station.

In Singapore, it is compulsory for essential businesses to take your temperature and register your entry. Apple and Google are already developing an interfacing platform that allows governments to implement such applications on smartphones. (Please Google). To avoid multiple scanning and registration, the next step is to record it in your chip and so it can be read when you enter a building or taking a public transport. 

This will also be advantageous for contact tracing, which is critical to contain infection spread. They will be able to match the timing and location of each person. They can trace who was in the same building or bus at the same time as the infected person. Then the system will send alert to these people. 

Lastly, the medical passport solution is not just relevant for a pandemic crisis. All your health data - past surgeries, medicine or food allergies, medicines you are on, current diseases, blood type, etc - can be stored in the chip or linked to a cloud database through your phone WiFi. It can store other information such as insurance policies, next of kin, your personal doctor's contact, or whatever else useful to ensure you have a fast and accurate medical support, even if you are unconscious. Your privacy can be assured, since you are the only one who can configure who has access to what data using your smartphone.

You can also put your passport info in the chip, so that you can get into a plane and arrive at the destination without any papers. 

Just like the unexpected event of Six-Day War where Israel suddenly possess the Temple site, I now realize that Covid-19 brings in unexpected circumstances that will make everyone accept the implantation of a chip under their skin, or similar application. The "cashless" application mentioned in Revelation is just an add-on to the health application. If I'm not a Christian, I would be first to volunteer. I would be considered socially irresponsible to refuse the solution.

IV. Conclusion

At the time of writing, the Coronavirus had infected over 3.2 million people, and caused 230,000 deaths. The last "worldwide" epidemic listed in Wikipedia that killed over 100,000 people was the swine flu (H1N1) in 2009. But it did not require total world lockdown like Covid-19. SARs in 2002 only had a death toll less than 800. Other major worldwide pandemics happened before I was born. Covid-19 is the most significant pandemic at a time when there is a major advancement in digital currency and technologies to enable a global change in line with biblical prophecy.

The scripture says it is blessed for us to read and understand the book of Revelation, and this applies to all biblical prophecies in general. When they were first revealed to the prophets and apostles, it must have sounded like a fantasy and science fiction. Today, we know it is already possible. 

While the actual events or technology used may not happen exactly the way I have interpreted or imagined, the important point is to show that the current circumstances, political situations, the financial systems, and technological advancements are aligned to the prerequisites of end-time prophecies. Having this realization should strengthen our faith and give us an urgency to preach the gospel so that as many can be saved before the end comes. 

*****

Updates:

1. Jan 1 2021 - 83.4 million infected; 47 million recovered; 1.82 million deaths. (Google News) 

2. Reality of Medical Passport coming sooner than expected:

• a) Dec 19, 2020 - CNA: Singapore firms trialling use of digital health passports to verify travellers’ COVID-19 test results
• b) Dec 02, 2020 - Tech.Gov.SG: Digital Health Passport joins the fight against COVID-19

3.  Dogs (and other animals) have been tagged with an RFID chip beneath their skins since the 1980s to track them. The first human who had a chip under his arm was in 1998. - 16 Sept '21

4.  In 2021, they estimated 6000 Swedes have a chip beneath the skin. In 2021, there were 9 countries where their banks have developed or are developing digital currency, including Singapore. (They call this “Central Bank Digital Currency” or CBDC) - 16 Sept '21

5. The chip can store your vaccination records, whether if you had Covid before, etc.. You can walk into a building or into a plane by just going through a sensor.  In fact, it can store all your health data - past surgeries, medicine or food allergies, medicines you are on, current diseases, blood type, etc. If you are in an accident and unconscious, the ambulance/doctors can access your history via the chip. This is a good idea to have.

Once you have a chip under your skin for medical reasons, you might as well put other info in there such as your passport, NRIC, dental records, business card, insurances, transport passes, electronic keys, eATM codes, or anything else you can key in from your phone. When people are used to this as a living style, they would be more willing to put digital currencies in there as well. - 16 Sept '21

6. Feb 2024.  I came across a video of a paster sharing his thoughts on when the end days will happen. He said just as God created the world in 6 days, and rested on the 7th day (6+1), the pattern may repeat itself for the end days. In 2 Peter 3:8, it said: “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 

If we take that literally, and not symbolically, then the 6+1 days would be 6000 years + 1000 years. To calculate the year for the end of days, we need to know when Adam was created. A scholar said that it was around 4004 BC.  

Looking at the genealogy, we find that Abraham's covenant was made around 2067 BC, which is makes creation 1937 years old. From Adam to Jesus, who died around 33 AD, is 4037 years old. If we are to add 2000 years to 4037, it would be the year 2037. 

There will be some mistakes in trying to figure our Adam's birth and Abraham's covenant. If so, we can remove those two and simply add 2000 years to Jesus' death, which makes the end days to be in year 2033. 

This theory will put the end days around 2033-2037, i.e. 9 to 12 years from today (i.e. 2024). Note that the rapture will happen before the end of days. If we assume it is mid-tribulation, it would be 5.5 - 8.5 years from now. If you believe it will happen at the beginning or end of the tribulation, you can minus or add 3.5 years to that estimate.

What happens to the 1 day (1000 years) of rest? That will be fulfilled after Jesus defeat Satan, and start His reign on earth for 1000 years.  

Revelation 20:4 - 

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years”  

This is just another theory of when his second coming will be. No need to react to this, if you have been saved and you are serving Him and being obedient to the Word.  However, try to spread the Gospel urgently and bring all into salvation.