(Daniel 7:25-27) “He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One” and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.’”

Today Satan is wearing down the saints or the holy ones that belong to God. While Satan’s strategy varies according to his schemes, intrigues and conspiracies, his end goal is the same, namely to wear down the people of God through tribulation, afflictions, oppression and through persecution. In countries like China, North Korea, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, being a faithful New Covenant believer and if caught, means deprivation of one’s livelihood or rejection by society, by family members or by imprisonment and in many cases by martyrdom. In many countries our faithful brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus are being betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, friends and being hated by all men because they choose to stay faithful to the Lord Jesus who has redeemed, cleansed and purchased them with His atoning blood. (Luke 21:16) (Ephesians 1:7) (1 Peter 1:18-19).

In these countries where open persecution occurs one is either for the Lord Jesus or against Him. There is no neutrality as there is in wider Christendom within the western democracies. However, things are rapidly changing in the west with legislation and laws being ratified in political circles that are intended to restrict New Covenant believers from exercising their faith and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. For example, in Australia there is already government legislation condoning same-sex marriage, euthanasia, vilification laws restricting what can be said and criminal penalties for those seeking to offer prayer counselling for those struggling with sexual identity. Then you have proposed legislation that is intended to restrict Christian schools that refuse to employ those who do not agree with their Biblical standards and legislation legalising prostitution.

Added to these things, we have seen the Covid-19 situation being manipulated and exploited by wicked and unprincipled politicians using the mainstream media to restrict people’s freedoms and to control their daily lives by socialist left-wing politicians that are on the ascendency in the Australian political arena. Through the mainstream media, which cannot be trusted to tell the whole truth, political leaders are unleashing on people fear mongering and alarmism that has nothing really to do with public health but everything to do with totalitarian tyranny, control and manipulation. Added to this the real truth of what these so called politicians and medical ‘experts’ are really up to behind the scenes is being muzzled and masked.

There are also moves to build detention centres or so called quarantine facilities that some State premiers are saying is for the wellbeing of the Australian public when there is health issues that the government says require the quarantine of those who refuse for the sake of conscience or belief to submit to their mandates even if they impinge on the freedom of people to choose. Freedom of choice is one of the bulwarks of a democracy. In America and Canada and in Great Britain and France you have these detention centres already in place, not primarily for people’s health, but in reality set up for those who oppose government policy if the truth be known.

Of course the ultimate target of the left-wing socialist in the Australian government is New Covenant Bible believers whose loyalty to the Lord Jesus has precedence over loyalty to man. While we are instructed to obey those in authority when it comes to one’s conscience and loyalty to the Word of God then the government is not to be obeyed if the legislation goes diametrically opposite to the laws and commandments of God as set forth in His Word and that go against the conscience of a New Covenant Bible believer. In Australia mandated legislation of unbiblical policies that have been ratified in Parliament at both state and Federal Government level will ultimately be used against those who remain faithful to the Word of God and for conscience sake.

Satan has four primary methods of wearing down the saints. Firstly; he uses outright persecution such as imprisonment and martyrdom. Secondly; he uses government legislation that increasingly impinges on the rights and freedoms of faithful Bible believers to get them to compromise their stand for the Lord Jesus and His Word. Thirdly; he seeks to use the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life to assault the minds and emotions and especially the will of believers to wear them down so that they lose their power to resist his wicked assaults and to give in because it is too hard. Fourthly; Satan uses spiritual seduction through false teachers and ‘prophets’ to ‘scratch ears’ with what undiscerning, backslidden and deceived believers want to hear through teachers that they gather to themselves, a conspicuous mark of the last days.

These teachers and ‘profits’ (oops I mean ‘prophets’) make up stories and myths to gain followers and to ‘fleece the sheep’ of their hard earned money (2 Timothy 4:3-4) (2 Peter 2:3) (Jude 1:11-13). While these things are increasing in intensity and frequency they will ultimately come to a head for three and a half years at the end of this present age which we are told in scripture is 42 months, 1,260 days and “a time, times and half a time.” This will be unleashed during the reign of the Antichrist who within the realm of his vast kingdom will seek to make alterations in times and in law for a time, times and half a time. During this period within the boundaries of his empire, which will be vast and unlike any previous empire in past history, he will speak out against God and target the people of God both within Israel and by extension and inclusion the faithful Body of the Messiah (Daniel 12:7b) (Revelation 13:5-7).

At present many of our brothers and sisters in the western democracies in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, America and in many European countries are already feeling the effects of wicked and unprincipled politicians bringing in legislation that impinges on the Bible’s teaching and have no restrictions as far as indulging the sinful desires imaginations and appetites and even promoting them just as it was in the days of Noah before the flood came and the wicked were all swept away in the judgement (Matthew 25:37-41) (Zephaniah 1:2-3) (Proverbs 10;25; 21:7) Psalm 28:3; 58:9; 73:19).

After the Antichrist, also called the man of sin, has been revealed, it will be at the zenith of his power that God’s wrath will descend upon him, upon his throne, upon his kingdom and upon all who have given him their allegiance. They will experience the fifth bowl of God’s wrath that will see the beast kingdom and the man of sin plunged into darkness. He and his followers will be gnawing their teeth being afflicted with pains and sores as was Pharaoh and the people in Egypt in the time of Moses the man of God. At this time repentance will not be possible for the followers of the Antichrist and his beast system of government because they will have already taken his mark and cannot be saved (Revelation 16:10-11) (Revelation 14:9-11).

Added to this, the heavenly court will sit to pronounce and to execute judgement so that the Antichrist’s dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. After this the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.

Right now the Lord Jesus is purifying and preparing His bride to meet Him when He comes back and separating them from the world to Himself through applied pressure. Things are not going to get easier in the western democracies. Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, America and Europe are all heading for a time of trial and affliction and hardship unparalleled in their past histories and never to be equalled again, a time of tribulation, affliction and trial that will engulf the whole world and spread to every nation on earth for three and a half years. Things will deteriorate to the point where, for the sake of God’s elect, being faithful New Covenant Believers, and for the survival of the planet itself, God will cut those days short! (Matthew 24:21-22).

Tribulation has already started in the western democracies and as the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus gets closer the tribulation and affliction will increase in frequency and intensity. The reality for us as the Body of the Messiah, especially those of us living in the western democracies traditionally associated with Judeo-Biblical Christianity, is that “it is through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22) because “we have been destined for tribulation” (1 Thessalonians 3:3) in this life, not to destroy us, but to purify us and clean our lives up spiritually to make us ready for the wedding banquet after the Messiah our bridegroom has returned to earth for His bride the faithful Church and to set up his Messianic Kingdom (Revelation 19:7-8) (Matthew 8:11). What a feast day that will be for those who have on the garment of salvation and  the robe of the Messiah’s righteousness!

Today there is an axis of evil at the highest political level not only in the Middle-Eastern and Asian world but also in the western democracies, but they will all be smashed to smithereens by the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus. The thrones of justice and righteousness will be set in place in the heavenly court. The Ancient of Days and those who are designated to judge will take their seats and then judgement will come! (Daniel 7:9-12). After this the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him. Only after the apostasy, the Antichrist, the time of great tribulation, the final judgement, the rapture and resurrection and the rescue of Israel as a nation, will the saints inherit the kingdom and not before these things happen (Daniel 7:13-14, 18, 22).

Today in the western democracies, traditionally and historically associated with Christianity it seems in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, America and in Europe that there is an axis of evil at the political level, an axis controlled by the god of this world. However, the time will come when God will have the final say and our victory will be assured! (Psalm 2) As Job declares to God; “I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted!” (Job 42:2). I always remember what the late David Wilkerson used to say; “God still has everything under control!” And He does you know!