Global Trends from a Prophetic Perspective

by

At the writing of these words, the presidential election in the United States has already been decided. It is strongly felt that the history of this world has become more dynamic since that moment. The eschatological (end time) perspective has significantly accelerated. Certain historical events, viewed through an eschatological lens, can either speed up or slow down the passage of time. In this sense, time is not a constant but is subject to various changes. The history of this world demonstrates that geopolitical realities, which may appear utterly unshakable and eternal, often prove to be highly unstable, fragile, and susceptible to change. The dynamics of history can be surprising, though they tend to follow a fairly predictable mechanism of emergence, growth (expansion), disintegration, and decline—and occasionally, the rebirth—of states and civilizations. While geopolitical changes can occur relatively quickly, shifts in political systems within individual countries happen with even greater dynamism. The most dynamic, however, are changes in social sentiments.

In response to a specific crisis, public sentiment can transform at an extremely rapid pace, essentially overnight. The recent events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic are a perfect example of this. Crisis leads to change. A political-economic crisis triggers political-economic change. A religious crisis brings about religious change. Crises are naturally embedded in the stages of history. While not every change is preceded by a crisis, every crisis invariably leads to some form of change. I do not intend to turn a specific political event into a definitive turning point in world history. There have been many such turning points, and when connected, they form a line that, as defined by Jesus Christ, has a predetermined end. What matters is not the individual or event but the broader trajectory of the political and social change we are experiencing. This is not about sensationalism or media narratives and slogans but about seeing the bigger picture—assembling the puzzle pieces to understand the current political, social, and religious trends. Ultimately, these trends will lead to the breakdown of the wall separating church and state in the U.S., bringing us closer to fulfilling the role attributed to the United States in Revelation 13.

A Broader Perspective

Since the end of World War II, the world has operated under a bipolar system in which the United States led the “West” against the totalitarian Soviet empire. In 1980, the social movement “Solidarity” emerged in Poland, marking the beginning of the end of the communist system in Central and Eastern Europe. On February 6, 1989, negotiations began in Poland between the communists and representatives of Solidarity, which led to the end of the communist dictatorship in Poland just four months later.1

The fall of communism in Poland and the transition to a democratic and capitalist political system influenced the process of communism’s collapse across all of Central and Eastern Europe. However, few predicted that a power like the Union of Soviet Socialist Russia (USSR) would collapse under its own weight just three years later, on January 1, 1992, and become part of history.2 Thus, a new world order emerged, a new era in which the U.S. became the global hegemon—a political, military, and economic superpower.

The world entered a golden decade of Pax Americana, in which the U.S. displayed multilateral dominance in the global system, expanding American values of democracy and free markets. With the beginning of the new millennium, we can observe the rise of emerging powers—BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China)—and the relative decline of the West, including the U.S. Globalization and shaping a multipolar international order favor the rapidly developing China in its struggle for global primacy with the West. China is already an unquestionable economic and trade powerhouse, systematically modernizing and implementing new technologies while increasing its military potential. However, it is worth noting that China has only a potential perspective for growth toward a new role as a world leader. At the same time, the U.S. remains the only global superpower and intends to maintain this global primacy. Therefore, a confrontation between the U.S. and China is inevitable if it intends to halt China’s rise. However, some, such as Ivo Daalder, the former U.S. ambassador to NATO, believe that “The Pax Americana will officially end on Jan. 20, 2025, when the U.S. inaugurates Donald J. Trump as its 47th president.”3

The position of the U.S. as the sole global superpower fits precisely into the Adventist scenario of the end times. Identifying the “beast from the earth,” resembling a lamb in Revelation 13, as the U.S. fulfills all the conditions that can only be realized by a power such as the United States. As the sole superpower, only this power can compel the world to accept the “mark of the beast.”4 This is confirmed by the language used in the brief description of the beast with the lamb-like horns. The Greek word poiei (“to make” or “to cause”) appears five times, which highlights its role as the global enforcer.5

The (Un)Holy Alliance

The overthrow of communism in Europe was achieved through the cooperation of the United States and the Vatican. The world learned of the secret alliance that was formed on June 7, 1982, thanks to the investigative journalism of Carl Bernstein that was published in Time magazine in February 1992. This cooperation resulted in burying communism, thus allowing the U.S. to achieve global political hegemony, while the Papacy emerged as the undisputed global moral authority.6 And so it happened! Communism fell, and from then on, in Eastern and Central Europe, the Catholic Church gained political influence that it had not held since the Middle Ages.

In the history of U.S. and Vatican relations, this was not the first meeting of heads of state. The first meeting between a U.S. president and the pope occurred in 1919. Many years later, in 1959, the second meeting occurred. The meeting between President John F. Kennedy and Pope Paul VI in 1963 sparked a cascade of meetings between American presidents and popes, with 29 such meetings by 2021. This shows a clear upward trend in the number of meetings, indicating the tightening cooperation between these two global players for the sake of common global interests.7

The Gulf. Does anyone still perceive a gulf?

The political cooperation between the U.S. and the Vatican, symbolized by the political alliance described in Time magazine, is one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is the powerful alliance between Protestants and Catholics, which today is essentially ready to fulfill its eschatological role. These two aspects of cooperation demonstrate the mutual understanding between Protestants and Catholics regarding the main directions of socio-political actions despite their theological differences. Even these theological differences no longer concerned Protestants once they understood the significance of the Reformation and the nature of Roman Catholicism.

Today, anti-Catholic sentiment has long ceased to be fashionable in Protestantism. Now, not only is the Roman Catholic Church respected and accepted by Protestants as one of the Christian Churches, but the current trend is such that many evangelical Christians are converting to Roman Catholicism. For young Protestants, the “move to papal Rome” has become fashionable because they want to belong to a church with ancient roots. At the same time, these young people often do not understand why the Reformation occurred.

An example of this trend is J.D. Vance’s abandonment of evangelical Christianity in favor of the Roman Catholic Church.8 Ellen White wrote long ago that there once existed an abyss between Protestants and Catholics, an abyss that no one questioned. However, she prophesied that Protestants would reach out across this gulf: “When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.”9 She also wrote: “There is an increasing indifference concerning the doctrines that separate the reformed churches from the papal hierarchy; the opinion is gaining ground that, after all, we do not differ so widely upon vital points as has been supposed … .”10

It’s interesting, then, what Protestants are saying today. Let’s take a look at the statement of Protestant theology professor Stanley Hauerwas: “… like many Protestants, I don’t see the gulf between us and our Catholic brothers and sisters as particularly pronounced. The separation I once saw as default now makes less sense to me.”11 He further argues: “Most of the reforms Protestants wanted Catholics to make have been made.”12 Really? Rome has not carried out any reforms of its false doctrines and dogmas that would address the issues raised by the Reformation. So why does a professor of theology such as Stanley Hauerwas claim this has happened? At the end of his article, Hauerwas shares a candid admission: “… a number of my Protestant graduate students have become Roman Catholics over the years. … They convert because Catholicism is an intellectually rich theological tradition better able to negotiate the acids of our culture. They also take seriously that Roman Catholicism represents a commitment to Christian unity toward non-Catholic Christians and between the poor and those who are not poor. I have watched these students join the Catholic Church over the years. They are not wrong. And yet, I remain a Protestant. It is hard for me to explain why that is.”13

If a Protestant theologian holds such views, imagine how the average Protestant perceives the Roman Catholic Church. Many evangelical Christians likely consider Catholics to be fellow Bible-believing Christians, or conversely, many evangelical Christians might actually consider themselves to be Catholics. Am I exaggerating? Unfortunately, this is the reality for many contemporary evangelical Christians in America. It has even reached the point where some Protestants openly proclaim that the Reformation is over.

At a conference of Pentecostal leaders associated with the ministry of Kenneth Copeland, which took place on January 21–23, 2014, Anglican Bishop Tony Palmer, referencing the 1999 Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification issued by the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church, publicly declared that Luther’s protest is over. Palmer then asked, “If there is no more protest; how can there be a Protestant Church? Maybe now we’re all Catholics again.”14 This Anglican bishop and papal agent blatantly lied and manipulated the naive Pentecostals, who eagerly accepted every word of Palmer. After this statement, Palmer presented a short video message from Pope Francis, expressing his “longing” for the end of the division between Catholics and other Christians. The entire performance concluded with the Pentecostal leaders receiving the Pope’s blessing, after which they prayed for him, blessed him, and recorded their message for him on their smartphones.

The Reformation is still alive

This segment of evangelical and Pentecostal Christians, who desire so much to return to Rome, fails to understand that rejecting the Reformation means restoring totalitarian power to the Roman Church, which will lead once again to the persecution of those who stubbornly hold to their Biblical beliefs that oppose Catholic dogma. “The theological differences between Catholics and Protestants were once so great that millions preferred to die rather than compromise with Rome. Even the inquisitors were so convinced of the importance of these differences that they tortured and killed those with differing beliefs. The fact is that the doctrine of the Roman Church has not changed since the time of the Reformation. What has changed is the Protestants.”15

As long as the papacy continues to teach its false, unbiblical doctrines, the Reformation will remain alive in those Protestant churches that stay faithful to God’s word. As long as the principles of the Reformation remain alive in the hearts of every true Christian, we can be confident that the system foretold in Revelation chapter 13 will not arise.

Contemporary Protestant Fundamentalism

The neo-Marxist cultural revolution is destroying the principles, laws, and values of Western civilization. Developed over centuries, it also poses a threat to freedom of conscience. This left-wing progressivism manifested in censorship, climate hysteria, gender ideology, and LGBT+ issues, as well as the mutilation and manipulation of children through gender transition, leads to the point where conservative Christian churches are unwilling to passively observe the moral decay of society, especially as they begin to lose followers.16

Conservative Protestant churches in America have allied with conservative Catholics to counteract these unfavorable cultural changes. However, this action is not based on preaching the gospel but on organized efforts to influence politics and the government to implement policies that will halt the moral decline of the American nation.17 Thus, in the 1970s, the religious right was born, with the primary goal of restoring Christian America through influencing American politics and government. Politically-engaged conservative Christians aimed to elect conservative activists and politicians at all decision-making levels, influence legislation, and appoint judges to the Supreme Court who would share their views. Restoring Christian America for Protestant fundamentalists meant dismantling the Jeffersonian wall of separation between church and state. This would allow for legal, social, and moral changes through the political leaders they selected. “Unfortunately, while the religious right takes an undeniably positive stance on moral issues, the situation is different when it comes to personal liberty and religious freedom. The Adventist scenario of recent events, clearly described in the book The Great Controversy, can only unfold if the United States rejects the principles of the separation of church and state, as laid out in the First Amendment to the Constitution, principles to which the religious right has openly declared war.”18

There is something in the psyche of Seventh-day Adventists that causes us to react when someone tries to undermine the importance of the separation of church and state. This is not only due to our understanding of the prophetic role of the U.S. in an eschatological perspective, but also because history has shown that wherever the separation of church and state is lacking, discrimination against nonconformists and, ultimately, persecution of religious minorities occurs. This has always been the case in history. That is why John Locke wrote: “… so that neither one party may disguise their persecution and cruelty, contrary to the spirit of Christianity, under the guise of concern for the state and respect for the law, nor that others may seek to cover up their own immoral behavior and lawlessness under the pretext of religion—in short, so that no one may deceive themselves or others by pretending to be a faithful subject of the ruler or a sincere worshiper of God—I believe that, first and foremost, a separation between the affairs of the state and the affairs of religion must be made, and the boundaries between church and state must be justly defined. If this separation is not achieved, no dispute will ever come to an end—disputes between those who genuinely care for the welfare of souls or the state, or those who merely pretend to care.”19 Unfortunately, the religious right in the United States either does not understand this or, worse, refuses to understand it. From the Pharisees to today’s religious right, fundamentalists have always had good intentions but misguided zeal. Unable to draw people toward their religion through love and logic, they resort to wielding the secular sword.20 In the next article, we will look at selected examples from history to see what the lack of separation between church and state leads to.

Marcin Watras lives in Katowice, Poland. He is interested in the philosophy of religion and trends in society. He works for the European Union.

Endnotes:

  1. “1989. Czas, w którym wygasała czerwień”, January 31, 2019, https://dzieje.pl/aktualnosci/1989-czas-w-ktorym-wygasala-czerwien, accessibility: 05.11.2024
  2. “Upadek ZSRR: Koniec imperium zła”, November 24, 2018, https://historia.rp.pl/historia/art9546571-upadek-zsrr-koniec-imperium-zla, accessibility: 05.11.2024
  3. Ivo Daalder, “The end of Pax Americana”, Politico, November 8, 2024, politico.eu/article/pax-america-donald-trump-us-elections-president-reelection-deport/, accessibility: 10.11.2024
  4. Clifford Goldstein, Dzień smoka, publishing house “Znaki Czasu”, Warszawa 1996, p. 22
  5. Jonatan Dunkel, Apokalipsa, publishing house Orion plus 2001, p. 85
  6. Carl Bernstein, “The Holy Alliance: Ronald Reagan and John Paul II”, Time, February 24, 1992, https://time.com/archive/6719650/the-holy-alliance-ronald-reagan-and-john-paul-ii/, accessibility: 11.11.2024
  7. Papieskie audiencje dla prezydentów USA, November 29, 2021, ekai.pl/papieskie-audiencje-dla-prezydentow-usa/, accessibility: 11.11.2024
  8. youtube.com/watch?v=fVHdhnfVldE&t=1s
  9. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p. 451
  10. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 563
  11. Stanley Hauerwas, “The Reformation is over. Protestants won. So why are we still here?”, The Washington Post, October 27, 2017, washingtonpost.com/outlook/the-reformation-is-over-protestants-won-so-why-are-we-still-here/2017/10/26/71a2ad02-b831-11e7-be94-fabb0f1e9ffb_story.html, accessibility: 12.11.2024
  12. Ibid.
  13. Ibid.
  14. youtube.com/watch?v=fxup_QnfSHg
  15. Jonatan Dunkel, Apokalipsa, publishing house Orion plus 2001, p. 103
  16. America’s Changing Religious Landscape, report Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, pewresearch.org/religion/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/, accessibility: 17.11.2024
  17. Jonatan Dunkel, Apokalipsa, publishing house Orion plus 2001, p. 88
  18. Clifford Goldstein, Dzień smoka, publishing house “Znaki Czasu”, Warszawa 1996, p. 46
  19. John Locke, List o tolerancji, publishing house PWN, Warszawa 1963, p. 7
  20. Jonatan Dunkel, Apokalipsa, publishing house Orion plus 2001, p. 87