Rev 20:1-5 MSG
1  I saw an Angel descending out of Heaven. He carried the key to the Abyss and a chain—a huge chain.
2  He grabbed the Dragon, that old Snake—the very Devil, Satan himself!—chained him up for a thousand years,
3  dumped him into the Abyss, slammed it shut and sealed it tight. No more trouble out of him, deceiving the nations—until the thousand years are up. After that he has to be let loose briefly.
4  I saw thrones. Those put in charge of judgment sat on the thrones. I also saw the souls of those beheaded because of their witness to Jesus and the Word of God, who refused to worship either the Beast or his image, refused to take his mark on forehead or hand—they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years!
5  The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years were up. This is the first resurrection—

The above portion of Scripture paints a horrific picture of things to come.  The question is not will it happen, but rather, when it will happen.  Let me burst some bubbles, it is not going to get better, but increasingly worse.

We are already seeing or hearing horrific reports of Christians being beheaded, set on fire, and even being incarcerated.  These are just the beginning of what lays ahead for this world.

It is my opinion that the antichrist is alive and well waiting to take center stage.  He will bring to life the unholy trinity found in the Book of Revelation chapter twelve and thrteen. The anti-christ, the beast,  and the false prophet.

The beast will introduce a system that will track every human on earth through his mark, the 666, the number of man.  Technology in 2019 has the ability to give every living human a number and more than likely a way to give this mark on the right hand or forehead.

Now let me turn your attention to a similiar event much like that of the above portion of Scripture, Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar.

Dan 3:1-7 MSG
1  King Nebuchadnezzar built a gold statue, ninety feet high and nine feet thick. He set it up on the Dura plain in the province of Babylon.
2  He then ordered all the important leaders in the province, everybody who was anybody, to the dedication ceremony of the statue.
3  They all came for the dedication, all the important people, and took their places before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.
4  A herald then proclaimed in a loud voice: “Attention, everyone! Every race, color, and creed, listen!
5  When you hear the band strike up—all the trumpets and trombones, the tubas and baritones, the drums and cymbals—fall to your knees and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
6  Anyone who does not kneel and worship shall be thrown immediately into a roaring furnace.”
7  The band started to play, a huge band equipped with all the musical instruments of Babylon, and everyone—every race, color, and creed—fell to their knees and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

I have never seen these two portions of Scripture as similiar/parallel.  I am fifty-seven years old, thousands of hours in studying the Bible End-Time prophecy and just recently have made the connection. I believe this is in part when I wrote many articles ago that I believe that the anti-christ will come from the Iraq/Iran area the home of the original Babylon.

• Both leaders have an image erected of themselves
• Demand that everyone worship the image
• All those who refuse killed by fire, or beheading

I have been giving much thought if I could stand against such tyranny, if my devotion to Christ and His Word would be strong enough.

I can almost see situations where some would buckle under the pressure, maybe because their children are crying because of hunger.  Or a spouse of family member might be spared of the atrocities taking place in their area.

I sit back and take stock of the situation of the Church universal and ask myself will it survive the upcoming savagery of this un-holy trinity.  In some parts of this world we see glimpses of this type of brutal torture happening in 2019.  In China Christians meet in secret praying that they will not be found by the government.  They meet in living rooms, abandon buildings, if caught face life in prison.  One Christian author, Watchman Nee of the last century wrote most of his books while living in prison because of his Christian faith.

We have seen and heard the reports of terrorists lining up people of the Christian faith and beheaded.  In other regions put in a cage and set on fire.

Every apostle, except John, died a horrific brutal death.  Some crucified like Peter who was crucified upside down, some stoned to death, and like Paul beheaded in the city of Rome.

When I was young and studying and later in active ministry I use to preach a “pie in the sky” end-time message.  I now have to come to the realisation after many more hours of studying in the last twenty years that we as Christians will be facing tougher situations then of the ones we so often complain about now.

I will go into much more detail about what planet earth is about to face as we near the day of Christ planting His feet on the Mount of Olives.  Details about many fallacies that Christians have been taught since the late 1800’s.  It is growing worse and apostasy is running rampants from the pulpits to the pews in North America and the World.

In closing this part of this article, let me ask you, the reader, are your feet firmly planted on the stone the builders rejected?  Is your faith in Christ totally secure and strong?

If this were to face you tomorrow what would your reaction be to your pending fate? Suffer with Christ so that you can reign with Him?  Let me be blunt, all your worldly riches will do you any good during this turbulent time on planet Earth.  Billionaires, millionaires with beg for death but it will not come.  A loaf of bread will cost one week’s pay check.

Please, find a quiet space, be sober before God and really turn on the search light inwardly!

I heard a preacher sing a chorus that goes like this:

Are you ready,

Are you ready, Are you ready for that judgment day?

Are you ready, Are you ready, Are you ready for that judgment day?

(author unknown to this writer)