The government will encourage the churches to avoid all that is of the Holy Spirit, such as the gifts of the Spirit and prophetic messages concerning the coming of a kingdom that will govern the world with a rod of iron.

Instead the emphasis will be upon the good the churches can do in the world, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and in general improving the well-being of people.

The Christian "body" will be present throughout the world, but it will be a dead body. The Divine witness will have been overcome and killed. The churches, like Samson of old, will be busy entertaining the world and meeting its needs.

This pattern can be seen today in America where the secular community smiles upon the activities of the church that obviously are benefiting the community. But the secular realm is very hostile toward anything that speaks of the anger of God concerning sin. The love of God, yes. The anger of God, in no manner. The rights and comforts of people must come first, and God will be accepted provided He guarantees the rights and comforts of people. This is the prevailing attitude in America today.

The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. (Revelation 11:10—NIV)

When the Christian churches are moving in the Spirit of God they torment those who live on the earth. We place entirely too much emphasis on God's love in the preaching that is going on in America today. It is not a true witness of God. God is not telling the American people how much He loves them. God is warning the American people, particularly the Christians, that if they do not turn and begin to keep His commandments our nation will suffer extremely severe judgment.

God indeed is sending His Spirit to the churches and inviting the believers to repent of their worldliness, lust, and self-will. Many are responding emotionally. But the iron determination of the will is not being forged in the paths of righteousness because our doctrine is wrong. We are stressing grace-rapture-Heaven and this is not by any means the emphasis of the New Testament. Therefore the call to repentance is not going deep enough into the Christian people, even though they run to the altar under conviction and resolve to try to do better.

The destruction of the Christian witness in the cities of the world will remove that which is hindering Antichrist. He then will be able to come to maturity of authority and power because there will be no voice of the Spirit in the Christian churches to resist him.

Many passages of the Scriptures speak of the final destruction of the Divine witness.

He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (Revelation 13:7—NIV)

As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, (Daniel 7:21—NIV)

The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." (Daniel 12:7—NIV)

To be continued.