Volume 48 | Number 2 | March–April 2020

Inglés Español

A New Land and Life Offered to America


By Dr. H. T. Spence

We have yet to see how the world will look after this global lockdown; what increasing similarities will now emerge among world governments. Only God knows the truth behind all that we have experienced since the world entered this confrontation with an unseen virus. He alone knows what is real and what is part of “the Lie.” Yet, we must continue to trust that “the earth is the LORD’S and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Ps. 24:1). Our Sovereign God is still in absolute control of it all.

We have been caught in the throes of confusion, misinformation, and even disinformation. In the past, we experienced from China tainted toothpaste and lead-based toy paint; but now what is reputed to be their most deadly export has quickly become known as the novel coronavirus, commonly called COVID-19. Much hypocritical blame has been cast upon President Donald Trump, who we believe has done amazingly well in response to the massiveness of this virus dilemma. But as more information emerges from China’s cover-up, another great contributor to the spread of this virus has been the infamous World Health Organization (WHO) that has shamelessly propped up China’s lies.

Though the virus was not made public until December 29, 2019, it is now reported that COVID-19 had commenced its breakout in China back in November. Assistance in keeping information from the world came from the head of the WHO, a prominent member of the violent revolutionary Communist Party. As the New York Times reported in 2017 (a full two years before the current coronavirus pandemic even began), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the WHO, was accused of covering up three separate outbreaks in Ethiopia (his home country) when he was his country’s health minister. The deadly cholera outbreaks were brushed off as “acute watery diarrhea” by Tedros. As late as January 14, he declared that the coronavirus (originating in China) was not transmissible from human to human. He endeavored to back up the information that China was revealing to the world at that time. It is evident now that China’s dictatorial communist leadership has consistently lied about the reality of the virus, and the leadership’s actions did affect how America and the countries of Europe approached the problem. The WHO parroted the words of China, again declaring that the coronavirus could not spread through human-to-human contact. Such fabrication of lies cost the world thousands of lives.

It is difficult to believe that just a few months ago we had never heard of a city called Wuhan or even the word coronavirus. Was the virus from China’s stockpile of biological warfare (accidentally or intentionally released), or from the eating of a coronavirus-infected animal, or from a communistic, over-populated country that was in need of depleting its population of several millions of people? Whatever the truth of the matter, the situation has become a “geo-pandemic” problem for all the nations to deal with.

China was already in a strong confrontation with democracy supporters in Hong Kong when this virus exploded on them. A few leaders in China who have disagreed with how their government has handled this present distress have mysteriously disappeared or committed suicide. In more recent years China has risen in grand proportion to world leadership power. Again, only God knows what is behind these recent explosive, shocking occurrences coming from the largest populated country in the world and its collaboration with the World Health Organization. President Trump has been frustrated with the lies forged from the leadership in China and WHO, even to the point of withdrawing hundreds of millions of dollars of our country’s support for the WHO.

The Fear of the Dark Unknown

The absences of testing or a vaccine for this highly contagious virus has precipitated the violent, fearful reactions from the common man and his leaders worldwide. Had several countries already been affected for a long period of time with this mysterious virus and we simply did not know it? Now that testing has commenced, has the news media contributed to feeding hysteria and global panic? The medical spokespersons standing behind the President in the daily briefings have gained immediate notoriety in power and influence. As President Trump stated in one of his daily broadcasts with the medical elite standing behind him: “We have made stars of all these people.” In the months ahead these medical prophets, now becoming household names, may receive much wealth by writing and publishing about their influence behind-the-scenes. Possibly speaking opportunities will bring in tens of thousands of dollars for their personal word concerning the crisis. Yes, President Trump and this crisis may make “wealthy stars” out of these medical personalities.

It must be said there are far worse afflictions upon the earth today; these have been more devastating both in suffering and in their death toll. But the novelty of this invisible virus has the liberals and the news media quickly taking advantage of the situation, often trying to inflame more hysteria.

Recently, Lifeline Children’s Services (an international adoption and foster care organization) gave the statistics for January 1, 2020 to April 1, 2020 of various life-threatening afflictions in the context of worldwide deaths:

  • Covid-19 46,438
  • Seasonal Flu 121,993
  • Malaria 246,121
  • Suicide 269,076
  • Traffic Fatalities 338,715
  • HIV/AIDS 421,808
  • Alcohol 627,571
  • Smoking 1,254,352
  • Cancer 2,060,730
  • Hunger 2,806,314
  • Abortion 10,665,130

These statistics show there are far worse contexts leading to death than COVID-19. We need to also include that medical errors annually account for as many as 251,000 deaths in the United States. Yet, this current pandemic finally declared by the World Health Organization has brought a multitude of “false prophets” to the forefront, both politically and religiously, who declare the only hope for the world in the global revelation of COVID-19 is the coming together of all governments to aggressively fight this virus. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown voiced recently the need of a “temporary world government.” He believes that no one country can come up with the solution on their own; there must be a coordinated global response. “We need some sort of working executive,” Brown said.

Rabshakeh: The False Prophet of Politics

Arising out of this present distress throughout the world are many voices calling us to submit to mandates being forced upon us by governors and mayors. The cry is that this is for the betterment of our lives and families. We are being compelled to alter our lives in many ways that will become permanent changes globally.

Let us note a similar Old Testament pattern about a governmental prophet who was sent to the people of Jerusalem. This event happened when King Hezekiah was facing the powers of the Assyrian empire. After Sennacherib (the king of Assyria) had taken the Northern kingdom of Israel, he made plans to conquer the kingdom of Judah as well. At the beginning, the Assyrian king sent the lying representative Rabshakeh to Jerusalem to convince the people to give up their city and become the subjects of the Assyrians.

In Second Kings 18 this political prophet of the Assyrian king declared to the people on the walls of Jerusalem the following:

Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his [Sennacherib’s] hand: Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern: Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying the LORD will deliver us (18:29–32).

This political mouthpiece of the Assyrian king spoke in the Hebrew tongue calling for the people to give up what they possessed or be inevitably destroyed. It was a call to “Let a new king take over your life, a new form of government, and a new life that will truly be better than what you presently have. Yes, everyone will have his ‘own vine,’ his ‘fig tree,’ and ‘waters of his cistern.’”

This hour for the Christian is almost surreal, one of inconceivable perplexity, confusion, enigma, and voluminous mandates from governmental powers. We find ourselves herded as cattle from one stable to a smaller one, with a growing police state to quell any uprising. It seems that every political leader both small and great is wanting a try at flexing his muscles in ruling with a rod of iron. Our country in its present drunken stupor will destroy itself in a brief period of time; the rest of the world lies in our wake ready to add confusion upon their own people. Yes, we are at an hour in world history where globalism is becoming the heartbeat of the conversations in leadership. And there are many Rabshakehs calling out to the people on the walls of society to let the past go, let the Constitution go that built this great nation on earth under God and His providence. These false prophets want us to believe there is a better land, a better life, a better living, a better approach to government that will make us all one.

Though President Trump in his last State of the Union address boldly declared that Socialism will never rule America, we may be facing the cry of a worn-out and forcefully unemployed society for the government to sustain them. They may believe the bottom is falling out of the American way. This geo-pandemic has given birth to many political false prophets who are promoting the fall of the former America and the need of a new authoritarian government for the people. They do not want to “Make America Great Again,” for they hate the past America.

A long time ago, our country left a republic form of government that humanistically gave way to a democracy. Now we are hearing with greater acuity the call for a full-blown socialistic government, a government that has never worked without eventually becoming pure authoritarianism. The stimulus packages coming out of Washington (some 2.2 trillion dollars, with more to come) will only feed the socialistic poison to a fear-infested society that will cry, “Whatever is necessary, take away our problems.” The geo-pandemic crisis will cause our economy to enter a capitalistic catastrophe, simply because most of the businesses have been forced into closing. Amid everything we have been facing as a nation, this is the year of another presidential election. The progressivists, the socialists, and the extremists are all vying for the presidency, and only Heaven knows what the outcome of this most turbulent year of unknowns will be. The Rabshakehs are rising with the promises of a new world, a new America advertised to be a new Promised Land.

The Rise of Socialism Acceptance Among Youth

We are living in a season where several generations are simultaneously rising with demands for a prominent voice. We have not had so many different generations living at one time as we do now. Because of this variety of generations, it is becoming more difficult to ascertain what is the governmental belief of present America? In the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation’s “Annual Report on U.S. Attitudes Toward Socialism,” 58 percent of the upcoming generation opted for one of the three systems, compared to 42 percent who said they were in favor of capitalism. The most popular socioeconomic order was socialism, with 44 percent support. Communism and fascism received 7 percent support each. Marion Smith, executive director of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, said the report shows Millennials are “increasingly turning away from capitalism and toward socialism and even communism as a viable alternative.” He noted the following:

This troubling turn highlights widespread historical illiteracy in American society regarding socialism and the systemic failure of our education system to teach students about the genocide, destruction, and misery caused by communism since the Bolshevik Revolution one hundred years ago.

Millennials are more likely to prefer socialism and communism than the rest of the country. Fifty-nine percent of all respondents chose capitalism as their preferred arrangement, compared to 34 percent who said socialism, 4 percent fascism, and 3 percent communism.

It is evident the educational system of America has been void of much historic truth in that a number of Communism’s founding leaders are admired by Millennials. Thirty-one percent said they have a favorable view of Che Guevara (aided Castro in the overthrow of Cuba), 32 percent Karl Marx, 23 percent Vladimir Lenin, and 19 percent Mao Zedong. Joseph Stalin is viewed favorably by just 6 percent. In the poll, only 33 percent of Millennials were able to identify the correct definition of socialism. Gen Z (the generation after Millennials) was the most informed group, with 43 percent correctly identifying socialism. Compared to other generations, where Millennials struggled the most was identifying capitalism. Just 51 percent correctly said capitalism is the “economic system based on free markets and the rule of law with legal protections for private ownership.” That was by far the lowest of any age group. Most Americans correctly identify capitalism 67 percent of the time. Millennials are also less likely to have a negative view of communism. Just 36 percent said they had a “very unfavorable” impression of the system, and only 44 percent said they would be insulted if described as a communist. As a whole, 56 percent of Americans view communism very unfavorably, and 63 percent would be insulted to be associated with the ideology. Millennials were the only age group more likely to say America’s economic system “works against me” rather than “works for me.” Gen Z had the most positive impression of the economy, with 66 percent saying it “works for me,” although many of them have yet to enter the workforce. The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation survey was conducted online from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5, 2019, by YouGov. It polled 2,300 members of the general public, age 16 and above.

Millennials strongly support Bernie Sanders simply because they are socially liberal, especially on the LGBT rights, they are overwhelmed in student debt from school loans, and they have become discontent with traditional government, longing for a radical change. A recent shocking poll from YouGov is that 44 percent of youth between the ages of 16 to 29 said they had rather live in a socialist nation than in a capitalist nation.

Socialism and Its Intrinsic Evil

Man continues to dream of a perfect promised-land government he calls utopia. The word utopia means either “no place” or the “perfect place.” The Greek philosopher Plato in his Republic as well as Sir Thomas More in his Utopia spoke of such a land for the people. In both works a utopia was ruled authoritatively; no individual choice was permitted. In Plato’s utopia only the philosopher kings were educated and, therefore, could rule. A police class served to force the remaining slave class of humanity to obey the dictates of the philosopher kings. Obviously, this utopia was void of liberty. Although Thomas More’s utopian society appeared as a paradise, all of the citizens dressed alike and lived in identical houses. Everyone spoke the philosophies and beliefs of their controlling powers. Karl Marx insisted that his utopia would be different because it would be classless and free of any nationalist sympathy. To bring about a revolution, the people, whom he viewed as “workingmen of all countries,” were called to unite against the “ruling classes” and to break their chains of bondage.

Although there are many in Congress who are leaning strongly to Democratic Socialism (more than what we would imagine), this political philosophy has been the driving force of Bernie Sanders. Sanders has brought this ideological form of government to the forefront. This senator from Vermont has found a substantial following among the younger Millennials generation. His socialistic package includes what he calls racial, economic, and climate justice, as well as free public college and single payer health care. Although he attacks the top one percent in America who owns some 40 percent of the nation’s total wealth, he does not acknowledge that this one percent does pay 39.5 percent of individual income taxes. Although he boldly lists all the freebies he will give to Americans, he does not reveal how he will pay for all of this, unless it is to increase massively the taxes on the rich and their corporations.

So often the Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Denmark are thought of as ideal countries of socialism. But we must remember that these Scandinavian countries strongly favor the free market and they oppose government ownership of their major industries and support private ownership. Where socialistic implications are found in a country, the income taxes are extremely high, often 50 to 60 percent of one’s income.

Another Rabshakeh false prophet promising a new and better land has been Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who gained 57 percent of the vote promising Medicare for all, free college tuition, the legalization of marijuana, and the complete elimination of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). To many she has become the new face of the Democratic Party.

All forms of socialism have failed, wherever they were attempted in history. In the Soviet Union it was Marxism and Leninism; in China it was Maoism; in India it was State Socialism; in Sweden it was Democratic Socialism; and in Nazi Germany it was National Socialism. In all of these, socialism in a country has never come to a promotional classless society. Ironically, socialism has been forced to adopt several concepts of capitalism just in order to survive. China today necessitates a certain measure of capitalism in order to stay afloat; this is evidenced in their “special economic zones.”

Do we recall when Mikhail Gorbachev took over the Soviet Union in 1985? He endeavored to revive socialism/communism through his famous Perestroika (a restructuring) and Glasnost (the concept of an openness economically). But it utterly failed, and the great Soviet empire began dissolving on Christmas Day 1991. In the late 1970s, China’s Deng Xiaoping abandoned the ridiculous excesses of Maoism. But his reform was more capitalism than socialism. India had to reject its state socialism in the 1990s and also resorted to capitalism; the result has created the largest middle class in the world.

As Christians, we must remember that Karl Marx, the founder of socialism, was an atheist socialist. He was not just an atheist; he was an atheist that deeply hated God! He called religion “the opium of the people.” This hatred has been evident when any of his followers came to power in a country. They would always target the churches with intense terror against them, shutting them down, and even killing pastors. When Marx rose to power, he executed priests and bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. He believed this was part of the “class-cleansing.” Marx’s view of human nature came from the Enlightenment thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke. Marx believed that the human nature was not born depraved (as the Scriptures declare); man was simply (as Locke viewed) a tabula rasa, or a blank page. They viewed the state as responsible for creating the type of human citizen it sought.

We must remember that our country’s forefathers believed that man was made in the image of God, and our Declaration of Independence states that all men “are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.” Our forefathers did not believe in the perfection of man, but that man’s nature was fallen. When James Madison was reflecting upon the nature of man, he declared, “If men were angels there would be no need for government.” He also stated, “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.” He further stated, “Such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government.” And perhaps our beloved first president of these United States, George Washington revealed how the forefathers viewed man’s nature: “We must take human nature as we find it; perfection falls not to the share of mortals.” Socialism denies God so that the state may become humanity’s God. Socialism embraces evolution to explain man’s origin and absence of accountability. In the end, socialism, in whatever form, will always have a hatred for Christianity.

Karl Marx used the terms socialism and communism interchangeably. The ten steps needed to establish socialism included the following:

  • a progressive income tax,
  • the abolishment of private property,
  • free education for all (forced public education to control all the country’s children),
  • centralization of all means of communication and transportation under the absolute control of the state,
  • the forfeiture of the rights of man for the sake of the state.

At the heart of socialism is the belief that government is the key to human salvation. Socialism necessitates force upon the people; for this reason, they call for eradicating all guns or other abilities to defend oneself from the government. How forceful were the powers of Lenin’s regime to implement socialism/communism in Russia? Lenin had to put to death approximately twenty million civilians, a greater number than Hitler put to death among the Jews.

Conclusion

To a vulnerable society amid a geo-pandemic crisis, socialism portrays itself as the solution for this crucial hour. It promises safety, security, and sustainability through absolute control by the state government. Repeatedly and without exception, history bears witness that socialism always ends in totalitarian control of a society and the loss of individual freedoms. False political prophets (like Rabshakeh) promise everything free at the simple cost of full surrender to a state leader (Sennacherib) who seeks to control all aspects of life, even the very thoughts of the heart.

Initially, socialism appeals to the flesh, promising to provide for all its people’s physical needs in life. However in the end, all they realize is that the state has taken away their freedoms—freedom of speech, freedom of occupation, freedom of residence, freedom to travel, and our highest freedom, the freedom to worship by the dictates of the conscience according to the Word of God. The Devil holds out socialism as a promised utopia, a land as beautiful as the Garden of Eden, a land as plentiful as the Promised Land of Canaan, where all are one, living together in harmony with no problems to face. But in the end, it imprisons its followers in a living hell. As one Soviet defector wrote about Soviet life (and equally true in China), “We lived in a world swarming with invisible eyes and ears.” Even our thought life will be judged by the state. Our books, our Bible, our writings in journals, they all will be limited to what the state will dictate as their “truth.”

Shockingly, many today actually question whether the Holocaust was a historical fact. Similarly, in 1932–33 the Soviet press continually dismissed and declared as an anti-communist myth the Soviet’s forced famine in Ukraine that took the lives of seven million innocent people. Even Edouard Herriot, a strong supporter for the Soviet regime, stated, “I have crossed the whole of Ukraine, and I can assure you that the entire country is like a garden in full bloom.”

We must be careful in listening to the rhetoric of the Rabshakehs of our time, a time when it seems that our country is collapsing and a time when stimulus packages are whetting our desire for quick and easy money. We dare not begin expecting more and more from our government. Will suddenly unemployed individuals be receiving more from the government than they even formerly made in their occupation? Providing such “free” money can only result in the spiraling rise of taxes.

The irony of these recent months is that the state and federal governments are losing tens of billions of dollars from taxes that normally would have been received from working men and women. But with millions without a job, our government will have to borrow the money from somewhere. Another irony is that our country has borrowed over a trillion dollars from China, and our debt to them continues to climb. Will the answer for this present, overwhelming crisis be to give our lives totally to the government with the hope that in return the government will provide all our necessities of life? What will ultimately be the cost for this governmental stimulus? This coronavirus crisis may be the deceptive net to establish a final takeover for a New World Order.

Are the Devil’s words to God true about humanity?

Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face (Job 2:4, 5).

Our money is stamped, “In God We Trust,” but will our God become the government?

In New York City’s Central Park, outside the wall of the Dakota Compound where John Lennon was killed, one can find a number of memorials to him. One of these is a pentagram with the one word Imagine in the middle. This one word was taken from his song on the cultural revolution of the End Time.

Imagine there’s no heaven,
It’s easy if you try.
No hell below us,
Above only sky.
Imagine all the people
Living for today.

Imagine there’s no countries;
It isn’t hard to do.
Nothing to kill or die for,
And no religion too.
Imagine all the people
Living in peace.

Imagine no possessions;
I wonder if you can.
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man.
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world.

You may say that I’m a dreamer,
But I’m not the only one.
And some day I hope you’ll join us,
And the world will be as one.

Beware of the political false prophets of world governments; their End-time words are oracles of hell. Our only hope is the Blessed Hope of Christ’s Kingdom, and thus we pray, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”