Authoritarianism Can Happen Again!

INDEED AUTHORITARIANISM CAN HAPPEN AGAIN!

Notice this from back in 2018 –

“Liberal democracy has enjoyed much better days. … In light of recent turns toward authoritarianism in Turkey, Poland, Hungary, and the Philippines, there is widespread talk of a “democratic recession.” In the United States, President Donald Trump may not be sufficiently committed to constitutional principles of democratic government.

In such a time, we might be tempted to try to learn something from earlier turns toward authoritarianism, particularly the triumphant rise of the Nazis in Germany in the 1930s. The problem is that Nazism was so horrifying and so barbaric that for many people in nations where authoritarianism is now achieving a foothold, it is hard to see parallels between Hitler’s regime and their own governments. Many accounts of the Nazi period depict a barely imaginable series of events, a nation gone mad. That makes it easy to take comfort in the thought that it can’t happen again.

But some depictions of Hitler’s rise are more intimate and personal. They focus less on well-known leaders, significant events, state propaganda, murders, and war, and more on the details of individual lives. They help explain how people can not only participate in dreadful things but also stand by quietly and live fairly ordinary days in the midst of them.”

Recall, in the article “A Wicked and Adulterous Generation” I had stated, “we have high-office leaders here in the United States of America, such as, Nancy Pelosi, and “The Squad,” and others of their ilk which are evil – and are representatives of the evil one. And like what the apostle Paul said concerning receiving “a different spirit” or “a different gospel” – you may well put up with it! And that’s what a great majority of this nation is doing – putting up with this evil which is amongst us!”

Continuing –

“They offer lessons for people who now live with genuine horrors, and also for those to whom horrors may never come but who live in nations where democratic practices and norms are under severe pressure.

Milton Mayer’s 1955 classic They Thought They Were Free, recently republished with an afterword by the Cambridge historian Richard J. Evans, was one of the first accounts of ordinary life under Nazism. …In They Thought They Were Free, Mayer decided to focus on ten people, different in many respects but with one characteristic in common: they had all been members of the Nazi Party. Eventually, they agreed to talk, accepting his explanation that he hoped to enable the people of his nation to have a better understanding of Germany. …

Mayer’s most stunning conclusion is that with one partial exception (the teacher), none of his subjects “saw Nazism as we—you and I—saw it in any respect.” Where most of us understand Nazism as a form of tyranny, Mayer’s subjects “did not know before 1933 that Nazism was evil. They did not know between 1933 and 1945 that it was evil. And they do not know it now.” Seven years after the war, they looked back on the period from 1933 to 1939 as the best time of their lives.

Mayer suggests that even when tyrannical governments do horrific things, outsiders tend to exaggerate their effects on the actual experiences of most citizens, who focus on their own lives and “the sights which meet them in their daily rounds.” Nazism made things better for the people Mayer interviewed, not (as many think) because it restored some lost national pride but because it improved daily life. Germans had jobs and better housing. They were able to vacation in Norway or Spain through the “Strength Through Joy” program. Fewer people were hungry or cold, and the sick were more likely to receive treatment. The blessings of the New Order, as it was called, seemed to be enjoyed by “everybody.”

READ MORE: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2018/06/28/hitlers-rise-it-can-happen-here/. Retrieved 17 June 2021. Boldness added for emphasis.

Sadly, the greater majority of our people around the world in this 21st century cannot conceivably grasp in their minds how desperate and dejected the average German people were in the 1930s! It’s like the well-made documentary I was watching on television last night, “The Greensboro Four.” On display at the National Museum of American History is a section of the original lunch counter in which the four Greensboro students staged a civil rights sit-in at the Woolworth’s five-and-dime. And, in one ‘Sit-In Talk’ presentation event at the museum, a small boy asks, “Is this real!?”

Understand, Hitler offered the German people a utopia – the Third Reich! Under Hitler, as tyrannical and evil as he was to anyone not an Aryan, the German economy began to improve. The German people began to have hope again. And, militarily, much of their fatherland was regained which they had lost in WWI.

TODAY we are witnessing, to no small degree, an upsurge in authoritarianism and totalitarianism due to COVID-19 restrictions. Authoritarian actions certainly have been occurring in which the greater majority of Americans do not consider it to be a dictatorship – as many of our elected officials have taken it unto themselves to close businesses, schools, churches, restricted travel, etc.

Many European nations – as well as other parts of the world – are truly facing massive economic turmoil – which could lead to a severe worldwide economic depression.

This vile and evil tyrannical leader Hitler was able to rise up because of the Great Depression of the 1930s.

God’s living word – the Holy Bible –speaks of a soon-coming Millennial reign of the great King of kings and Lord of lords – cf. Revelation 20:1-6. Hitler had hollowly promised his twisted version.

Will European nations listen to another tyrannical leader like this again!?

God’s living word says, yes!

Friends, let us consider what this religious leader in Europe declared back in 2016 –

“I dream of a new European humanism, one that involves “a constant work of humanization” and calls for “memory, courage, [and] a sound and humane utopian vision.”

READ MORE: ‘Zenit_ Pope's Address at Being Awarded Charlemagne Prize,’ Retrieved 17 June 2021. Again, boldness added for emphasis.

Well, unlike the 1930s, God’s living word indeed tells us of a great European religious leader who will support and be ‘given breath’ that he ‘should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast’ – the image being the Roman Catholic Church – ‘to be killed.’ Do you recall the “Catholic Crusades”!? What occurred before in Europe, will occur again! There is coming – again, primarily in Europe – the rise of another and final totalitarian civil and military leader which is called “the beast”! cf. Revelation 13:1-10.

There be some who feel that this COVID-19 crisis would break any possibility of European unity. However, I believe it will help lead to it!

Truly, and we know this from our world history, that when people are afraid and desperate, they will accept a dictatorial leader. Even a weak-looking, conniving Snidely Whiplash. Our people, sadly, are getting more and more tolerant of being in a surveillance state.

Notice this from Minister Michael C. Garrett –

“TODAY we hear about Islamic terrorism. We hear threats about militant Islam, Islamofascism, whatever phrase you want to use! And now we have the threat, the very real threat of nuclear weapons someday being launched from Islamic states, or by Islamist terrorists. And we already know that Pakistan has nuclear weapons. We know Iran has missiles that can reach Europe, and we know they're working on the nuclear bomb, despite whatever they're saying. As I’ve said before: 1) the seventh and final revival of the “Holy” Roman Empire – a united Europe – will occur as Europe attempts to defend and protect itself from the threat of militant Islam. 2) that coalition will be inspired spiritually, emotionally, just like Urban II, by a man, who leads the Roman Catholic Church. A man who will be given “miraculous” power from Satan himself. I spoke of this in the second part of this series – End-Time Babylon. I believe that the prophecies of the Bible reveal that there will indeed be one last crusade.”

READ MORE: The Prophecy Series – The Last Crusade, 29 January 2019.

Let us, friends, turn in our Bible and see for ourselves just but a few of these amazing prophecies related to this soon-coming final vie for ultra-domination –

“’ At the time of the end the king of the South [a confederation of predominantly Muslim lands in the Middle East and North Africa] shall attack him; and the king of the North [a seventh-resurrection of the “Holy” Roman Empire in the form of a UNITED STATES OF EUROPE (or a FEDERATION OF EUROPE)] shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41) He shall also enter the Glorious Land, [meaning, the Middle East, meaning Jerusalem] and many countries shall be overthrown; …’” – Daniel 11:40-41.

This friends is telling us of one last and final Crusade yet to occur! It hasn’t happened yet, but it soon will happen!

“ … ‘but these shall escape from his hand: Edom [which we believe to be Turkey], Moab [which we believe is sort-of Syria and Iraq], and the predominant people of Ammon [or rather Jordan].’”

It says these people will not first incur the wrath of Europe!

Verse 42 - “’ He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.’”

We believe and teach that this implies, in this dual-prophecy, the invasion of the Middle East by the European power will be across the Mediterranean and onto the shores of Egypt.

“Then the sixth angel …” – remember you have the seven seals, the seventh seal being seven trumpets!? Here is the sixth trumpet!

“…And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14) saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’”

Now, throughout God’s living word – especially prophetically – angelic beings are often in charge of countries or nations. What if these FOUR ANGELS spoken of here are nations such as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan!?

Now, there are a great many churches of God leaders who proclaim that this 200 million man army spoken of in Revelation chapter 9 will be a combined Asian force. However – You know, I was watching a documentary (in which the Leftist Wikipedia calls propaganda) by Frank Capra and the U.S. government entitled “Why We Fight: The Battle of China.” The Official World War II US Government account of Chinese defense against Japanese aggression. And at the beginning of the documentary, the narrator said, “But what kind of people are the Chinese? Well, in four thousand years of continuous history, China has never fought a war of aggression. They're that kind of people.” AAUGH! You mean to tell me that there was no aggression on the Chinese part since the Qin Dynasty to say the Yangzhou massacre of AD 760!? “Lucy,” as Ricky Ricardo would say, “you got some ‘splainin to do!”

“So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16) Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17) And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and brimstone. 18) By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed – by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths” – Revelation 9:13-18.

What about Revelation chapter 6, beginning in verse 12!?

“ … the sixth angel …” the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES!

“…poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.”

Now, logically, these ‘kings from the east’ could easily be China, Korea, Japan, and maybe Indonesia – which does have a large Muslim population. This is the final counterattack that sets up what we’ve often called the great battle of Armageddon, as he says in verse 16 – “And they gathered them together to the place in Hebrew, Armageddon.”

Now, one may wonder, does our Lord Jesus Christ speak of this!? Well, yes – yes He does! Let’s read of this from the New English Bible –

“’ And when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not fall into a panic. These things are bound to happen first; but the end does not follow immediately.’ Then He added, ‘Nation will make war upon nation, kingdom upon kingdom; …’”

And we are willing to accept the very real possibility that this is what our Lord Jesus Christ was speaking of – the dual prophecy of Daniel chapter 11 – ‘the king of the North vs. the king of the South.’

“’ But when you see Jerusalem encircled by armies, then you may be sure that her destruction [or rather the ‘abomination of desolation’] is near’” - Luke 21:9-10.

Now, just maybe – and think of this – these armies will not be European armies, but rather Islamic armies!?

This final European “beast” that rises ‘up out of the sea’ will be similar to Hitler. That ‘sea’ is what Scripture calls the ‘Great Sea’ – cf. Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4; 9:1;23:4; Ezekiel 47:13-16 – the Mediterranean Sea.

Friends, as the Lord lives, His living word teaches us that Europe will reorganize and turn power over to a dictator –

“’ The ten horns which you saw are ten kings [or rather ten kingdoms, or combined nations as God sees them] who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13) These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast’” – Revelation 17:12-13.

We will see the rise of a powerful European dictator – and the people’s great fear concerning pandemics and economic issues will be a contributing factor.

So, truly, for the whole world in general – yes. Yes, authoritarianism can happen again! □