The Bible paints quite a clear picture of the major events that precede the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth. Many of the smaller details may be difficult to interpret but the major events concerning the world’s religious, economic and political future are clearly spelled out in Revelation 13, 17 and 18:

A world religious figure will rise to prominence. He unites all the world’s religions into one universal religion. This religious leader looks like a man of God. He performs miracles and even looks similar to Jesus Christ (Revelation 13:11; 5:6). But, he receives his power from the Antichrist and, ultimately from Satan. He is known as the False Prophet (Revelation 19:20).

A second figure comes on the scene. Whereas the first world leader is religious and unites all people under a single world religion, the second man is political and unites all the world’s people under a single world government. We commonly know him as the Antichrist. The Antichrist does not only unite the world under one political system, but he establishes a single world monetary system which abolishes all private or individual business transactions that are not part of the global system (Revelation 13:17).

The relationship between the False Prophet and the Antichrist is an interesting one. The Antichrist (political) empowers the False Prophet (religious). But ultimately the False Prophet causes the whole world to worship the Antichrist (Revelation 13:12). The False Prophet also encourages the people of the world to subscribe to the world financial and economic system and to receive the mark of the Beast (Antichrist) which gives them access to the financial system. Thus the global economy, global political authority and global religion become intertwined. This all happens in the name of unity which sounds good but is not. It is a bad unity because it is man-centered and is a unity against the Lord and His Christ.

How do we move from a world of many separate economies, religions and governments to a single system? This will not happen by military might, but individual governments willingly become part of the world government. This comes about because of two factors: First the nations are deceived into believing that the Antichrist has the answers to the world’s political and financial problems. Second, it is part of God’s plan: “For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.” (Revelation 17:17).

Practically, the world’s leaders will realize that their individual economies are so intertwined and the only way to solve the ever-increasing financial crises is to bring all the separate economies under one roof. Those who stay abreast of world affairs will recognize that there is an ever-increasing number of influential leaders who have begun to promote the idea of a global economy. The most significant of these is the G20 which in recent years has made several statements advocating such a global economy.

But the most startling statements were recently made by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace in a 41 page “note”. It was published on October 24, 2011 in several languages. The Council speaks for the Pope and is filled with legal verbiage and complicated language, but is one of the most amazing documents I have ever read. It is amazing because it calls for a word-for-word fulfillment of the prophecies of Revelation 13, 17 and 18 and places Rome at the center of the drama!

The first half of the note deals with background and related philosophical issues. But the second half (points 3 and 4) calls for a single world government (point 3) and for a single world financial system (point 4)! Had I not read and studied the document, I would not have believed the statements made in it. I hope in the following few lines to summarize this document:
They quote several recent Popes to show that support for a single world ruler is very much part of the core philosophy of Rome. For instance John XXIII “…also expressed the hope that one day “a true world political authority” would be created”. In the context of the document this means that John XXIII wanted to see a single world government. The document continues to state that today this teaching (of a single world government) is “even more vital and worthy of urgent implementation”

They continue to say of the current Pope that “Benedict XVI himself expressed the need to create a world political authority”. In the same paragraph they list all the reasons why a single world government is desirable. Things like peace and security, disarmament and arms control, the protection of human rights, the protection of the environment, the management of the (world’s) economy, the “universal common good”, the protection of weaker nations from the power of stronger nations etc.

John XXIII is further quoted as saying that in order for such a world government to be effective “it should be endowed with structures and adequate, effective mechanisms equal to its mission”. This simply means it has to be a real government with “teeth” and real authority over the world’s peoples rather than a United Nations type organization with little ability to enforce its will. They concede that the United Nations is the agency to bring this world government about, but at the same time, it needs to be a real government unlike the UN which is simply a committee.

They continue to say that such an Authority must have “global reach”, not by “force, coercion and violence but should be the outcome of free and shared agreement…”. Revelation 17:17 says that the world’s nations will willingly hand over all their authority to the Antichrist. Note their use of the word “Authority” with a capital letter. This is their term for what the Bible calls the Antichrist. They alternatively use the terms “Authority”, “world Authority”, “world public Authority” and “global Authority” – always with a capital “A”.  Revelation 13 and 17 speaks seven times about the Antichrist having “authority”.

The document speaks about the need for all nations to be part of this system and that none should be excluded: “…the world Authority should consistently involve all peoples…”. Revelation 13:7 says “…And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation”. The note says that policies must be binding on all and that the Authority should have “universal jurisdiction”.

In the fourth section that deals with a global economy they say there is a need for “…the commitment to create some form of global monetary management” and “one can see an emerging requirement for a body that will carry out the functions of a kind of “central world bank” that regulates the flow and system of monetary exchanges…” They then speak of the need for such a world economy to be under the control of the world government. Revelation 13:16-17 says that the False Prophet “…causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” In this document, The Vatican has pledged its commitment to fulfill this prophecy to the letter!

Before continuing with the closing comments of this document, let me remind you that Revelation 17:5 refers to “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots”. In the past many have believed that this is an unequivocal reference to the church of Rome (the mother of harlots) and that the “daughter harlots” are the rest of the false religions. I used to hold that Babylon is not necessarily a reference to Rome alone but to all forms of false religion. However, this document is causing me to reconsider my view. Had I not verified that this document indeed was produced in the Vatican at the very highest levels, I would have discounted it as a fake. It seems simply too surreal that the note calls for the implementation of prophecy in such minute detail. I must assume that the Pontifical Council knows what Revelation teaches on this subject and yet, is willing to identify itself intimately with the False Prophet, the Great Harlot and Babylon the Great.

May I also remind you that the tower of Babel was man’s attempt at “global” unification centered on man, and against God, and that the Lord was so displeased that He made them speak different languages and so cause division and the scattering of mankind. God is all for unity, but it has to be a godly unity centered on the Lord Jesus Christ. God is against unity that has man as the focus, especially when that unity is used to oppose God as they did at Babel and as they will in the last days. Babel is the Hebrew name for Babylon – they are the same place, but more than a place, it is a philosophy and a spirit. The Babylon(s) of Revelation 17 and 18 are a revival of the Babel of Genesis 11 and represent the same anti-God and man-centered philosophy. Both are the pinnacle of all anti-God and Antichrist structures (puns intended).

The Vatican document concludes with the following lesson: Quoting the tower of Babel and Genesis 11, they say that Babel warns us that diversity (as opposed to unity) is as a result of selfishness and leads to division. It further states that Babel is a warning of what happens when we don’t stick together and when nations choose to separate. The document very clearly calls for mankind to reverse the effects of Babel and to return to the process of building a unifying (and God-defying) structure. I do believe I sum this up correctly by saying they are literally calling for the rebuilding of Babylon (not the physical but the spiritual, political, religious and financial Babylon of Revelation 17 and 18)!

I will quote the final sentence of the document verbatim: “Only a spirit of concord that rises above divisions and conflicts will allow humanity to be authentically one family and to conceive of a new world with the creation of a world public Authority at the service of the common good.” (Emphasis mine).

Allow me to remind you that what this document calls for is not a pipe dream. It will come to pass, exactly as they are envisioning it and precisely as the Bible has predicted. Let me also remind you that Rome is not isolated from the rest of the world’s religions. In The Berean Call of November 2011, Dave Hunt provides detailed evidence that the most influential evangelical leaders in America all support and endorse Rome and its leaders.

All this tells me that the end is closer than we like to think and that everything is ready for the fulfillment of the final end-time prophecies. “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her (Babylon), my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:4).

“And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! …”The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore” (Revelation 18:2, 9-11).

Anton Bosch