Five Signs of the Times | #4 The Rise of Globalization

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No one can buy or sell unless he has the mark.

Revelation 13:17, ESV

 

We live in a globalized world. Instantly, we can send an email or make a call, send a text, jump on a Zoom call and we are connected. We can electronically transfer funds, make a purchase, arrange travel, have items shipped and delivered. Nothing in human history has ever accelerated as fast as technology.  We have Global positioning systems to guide our cars for our civilians or guide or missiles for our military.   

When the Coronavirus hit our world we realized just how globally connected we really are. In less than 20 hours a person can be anywhere in the world, along with their luggage and even a virus! Within a matter of weeks, the virus spread throughout the entire world. Why? Globalization. Oxford dictionary defines it this way…. “The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.” 

TECHNOLOGY

Technology increases the speed of globalization. If something happens in the US, Europe knows immediately. If something happens in the Middle East, we will know it within minutes. Anyone can post a picture, tweet a message, upload a video. We are living with barraged brains with media overload. If there is a riot hear about it, if there is a city set on fire, we see it. We often don’t get the full story but we get part of the story. Technology is connecting our world. People of this planet are sharing their views for our news and while we may feel more connected we are actually becoming more disconnected from one another than ever.

TRIBALISM

Technologically, we have seemed to tribalize our world and realities.  Many people sit home stay glued to their screens. Consuming massive amounts of biased information, that feeds their personal preferences.   We read articles online, we like a friends post, we comment and we share. And what many don’t know is that it’s all being logged. It’s all being monitored and the information is stored in a digital database. But for what? 

In a recent documentary called the Social Dilemma,  several Silicon Valley tech giants, former executives and engineers from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google, Uber, and others share about the social dilemma we find ourselves in a globalized world. While I don’t agree with all their opinions, ideas, and theories it’s very insightful should cause today’s online users to be cautious. 

These individuals in a sense uncover the predatory nature and practices of these companies, as they seek larger and larger advertisement dollars, they are aimed at knowing your every move in order to suggest your next potential purchase by using what’s called predictive analytics and technology. 

These tech companies we all love are monitoring our every move we make online. From where we go, to what we buy, to what we like, to what we post, to what we watch. In doing so it’s having a global impact on human behavior. These companies have and are building digital databases, profiling you, and your preferences. Creating social and digital prints to follow your tracks and predict your next steps, so that it can suggest your next purchase or article to read or video to watch, etc.

Technology seems to be building what I call “tribalism” its actually leaving our world more divided than united, more disconnected than connected, with more misinformation than information with a tribal outlook. We are in a way becoming more tribal, creating out own set morals, ethics, views, and perspective on the world.

We do this by intentionally or unintentionally building social networks of people that look and act just like us, think like us. Talk like us.  Furthermore, the technology is actually fostering this tribalism with suggestive advertising that’s based upon a particular and historical online digital footprint the user created by using the internet.  Therefore the news, the friends you see on your feed, the music you listen to, the videos you the services, products that pop up, all are suggested to you your specific tribe. So your world while it may feel more connected, is actually more disconnected from others outside your tribe.

THE COMING CONFLICT

So what’s happening? Well in a sense our world is slowly but surely spinning out of control.  While there is much good that is to be gained from technology, it for sure plays a part in the End Times conflict conversation. The Bible describes wars of global proportion, tribulations, and levels of suffering that’s never been seen before. These coming conflicts won’t happen without technology but with it. Countries in conflicts will continue to threaten one another with the use of nuclear weapons or launching remote missiles to attack.   

Nation will rise against nation, state against state. Communities and families will turn on one another in the Last Days. What we see in media, mainstream and social platforms all tend and trend towards the cataclysmic conflict that has been long predicted by the prophets of old.

TECHNOLOGY AND THE MARK OF THE BEAST 

Recently, you may recall one of the side effects of how COVID-19 changed the way we did business.  Many stores began to advertise on their doors. No cash. Credit only. This was largely due to the fact that many Americans had done as they were told, to shelter in place and not venture out to go shopping.  As a result, stores didn’t have much cash on hand and had to ask people to use debit or credit cards. Or use exact bills, without being able to provide change. 

Some said this was a sign of the times that’s been described in the book of Revelation. Where the Anti-Christ is going to move the economy to a cashless society and we are going to have to conduct our transactions through what’s been called the “Mark of the beast.” A mark with the number 666 that is located either on the right hand or the forehead.

While it is true that these technological advancements of this digital age are looking more and more like those that are mentioned in the Bible, it’s important not to jump to conclusions too fast.  After careful Biblical study and proper understanding of the order of events, we learn that this mark of the beast comes at a time during the tribulation and after the rapture which we will learn more about later.

In closing,  believers can see how technology is accelerating globalization and serve as a set up for future end time events. Believers should not be scared but prepared.

APPLY

Take some time to evaluate your media usage. Are you believing everything you see or read? What’s the source? Are you breaking outside of your bubble that’s been built through suggestive technology? Be sure you do. Take a minute to pray and ask the Lord to give you a heart for the world. The people of the world. Despite your differences.

 

 

#LivingInTheLastDays #LastDays, EndTimes, #Israel #JewsforJesus #Bible #BibleProphecy #Prophecy #Israel #PeaceInTheMiddleEast

 

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