The number one sign of the Second Coming is the convergence of all the signs Jesus and the prophets said to look for. Jesus said, “When you see all these things take place, look up! Your salvation draws near” (Luke 21:28). What are the things Jesus and the prophets said to look for? Israel back in the land (Jeremiah 23:7-8)… The Jewish people back in control of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24)… The Gospel being preached to the whole world (Matthew 24:14)… And more. Today, we see these signs. Because we do, we can be confident we live in the season of His return. But Jesus cited other signs too. So did the prophets. And we see those signs as well. As 2020 draws to a close, what were the biggest prophetic news stories? Below is a list of what I believe were the top three:

1) The COVID-19 Pandemic

The current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is not one of the specific events prophesied in the Bible for the seven-year Tribulation. The world simply hasn’t entered that time period yet. However, it is significant to Bible prophecy because it sets the stage for the near-term fulfillment of many end-times Bible prophecies. This isn’t surprising. Politicians take advantage of times of turmoil, disaster, and fear to implement changes people otherwise wouldn’t accept.

Since the coronavirus pandemic, politicians all over the world have used their power to implement draconian lockdowns of local populations. Countries such as Italy, Spain, and France announced nationwide lockdowns, ordering all “non-essential” workers to stay home and shelter in place. Draconian restrictions governed when people could leave their homes and who they could interact with. Police raided private residences to break up illegal parties, and many people turned in their neighbors.

While the deadliness of the pandemic has waned since the spring, government lockdowns and COVID regulations keep coming. In the United States, governors continue to issue onerous rules for how and when restaurants and other businesses can operate. They regularly trample on the First Amendment freedoms of assembly and worship. In fact, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito recently said Nevada treats casinos more favorably than houses of worship. All these government orders are an attack on personal freedom and liberty, drawing us down the road toward dictatorship.

The word “coronavirus” doesn’t appear in the Bible, and it’s not one of the monumental events of the Tribulation. However, the coronavirus is one of the general signs Jesus said to look for. When asked to describe the signs of His coming, Jesus cited pandemics just like the one we’re experiencing now as a major sign (Luke 21:11).

2) Calls for Government-Backed Cryptocurrencies

The coronavirus has also led to something else – an acceleration in the push for digital currency, also known as cryptocurrency. The use of paper currency has declined dramatically in this new era of online ordering and social distancing. Paper currency is a haven for bacteria and viruses, and many claim it could accelerate the spread of coronavirus. Because of this, look for more and more politicians to call for an end to using paper currency.

The end of paper currency and its replacement with government-sponsored cryptocurrency will put unlimited power at the fingertips of government leaders. Not only does cryptocurrency offer a way to permanently record every financial transaction, but it will also enable the government to track where you go and what you do. It will track the websites you visit and make note of who your friends are. While most of this information is already available through tracking of credit cards, debit cards, mobile phones, and social media profiles, a state-sponsored cryptocurrency will provide unfettered government access to this information. It will create a closed, government-controlled economic system where you’ll be dependent on the government’s cryptocurrency to pay for all your needs.

If the government decides they don’t like you, they’ll be able turn off your access and freeze you out of the economic system. They’ll be able to decide what you can and can’t buy. They’ll be able to tell you where you can and can’t go. In essence, they’ll have complete control over your life. And while I’d like to think we can take measures to avoid it, the rise of government-sponsored cryptocurrency is inevitable.

Long ago, the Book of Revelation foretold the establishment of an end-times economic system eerily similar to a world dominated by government-sponsored cryptocurrency. The Bible says a time will come when a global dictator will require everyone on earth to receive a mark on the right hand or the forehead (Revelation 13:16). Without this mark, the people of the world will be unable to buy or sell anything (Revelation 13:17). How will this work? It remains to be seen. But the worldwide rush to create government-sponsored cryptocurrencies provides us with a glimpse as to how such a system might work. And right now, the world’s central banks are devising plans to roll this system out.

3) Peace Treaties with Israel

In recent decades, no area of the world has been home to more conflict and ongoing animosity than the Middle East. A cauldron of ethnic, political, and religious clashes, many believe the spark that ignites World War III will come from the Middle East. Central to the region’s ongoing conflicts are Muslim hostility toward Israel and disputes over control of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. These are the exact events the Bible says will happen in the last days. The Bible says Jerusalem will be “like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger” (Zechariah 12:2-3). That’s precisely what we’ve seen. Yet, the Bible also says an Israeli peace treaty plays a central and pivotal role in the end times.

Over 2,500 years ago, Daniel said a mighty ruler will enter into a covenant or a treaty with Israel for a period of seven years (Daniel 9:27). This treaty will kick off the seven-year Tribulation and make the ruler behind it a major player on the world stage. Who is this ruler? None other than “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) himself – the Antichrist.

2020 has brought peace agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kosovo, Serbia, Morocco, and Sudan – with the prospect of more nations joining in the near future. Do any of the recent peace agreements qualify as the Daniel 9:27 treaty? Some say yes. They point out that the Daniel 9:27 treaty is a covenant made “with many,” and that’s what we see. But that’s where the similarities begin and end. These peace agreements are not the treaty described in Daniel 9:27 – at least not yet.

The treaty outlined in Daniel 9:27 is set for a specific period of time – seven years. None of the recent peace deals with Israel mention a period of seven years. Also, the man behind the treaty of Daniel 9:27 is a specific individual – the Antichrist.

The driving diplomatic force behind these peace agreements has been the Trump administration, and Donald Trump is not the Antichrist. Despite what many of his political opponents may think or say, he simply doesn’t fit the profile. The Bible describes the life and times of the Antichrist. It provides details in regard to his ethnic background and political career. Donald Trump doesn’t fit the description.

The Bible says the Antichrist will be the leader of a revived Roman Empire (Daniel 7). He will come from among the people of the Italian peninsula (Daniel 9:26), and He will be called the Assyrian (Isaiah 10:12; Daniel 8:9). Furthermore, the Bible says the Antichrist will emerge from a group of ten kings (Daniel 7:7-8), and not all of these ten kings will willingly cede their power. Three will oppose him (Daniel 7:8). None of these verses describe Donald Trump.

So unless a dramatic change takes place, the recent Israeli peace agreements are not the treaty described in Daniel 9:27. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t have prophetic significance. In all likelihood, they lay the groundwork for the treaty Israel will eventually sign with the Prince of Darkness.

We’ll have to wait and see what further developments take place before we can know for sure. Remember, the Bible doesn’t say the Antichrist will “create” a covenant with Israel; it says he will “confirm” a covenant “with many” (Daniel 9:27). So the recent Israeli peace agreements may well be the foundation for Israel’s treaty with the Antichrist.

What to Look for in 2021

Hopefully, Jesus will return in the last few days of 2020. But whether He does or doesn’t, expect these same trends to continue in 2021. Look for the coronavirus pandemic to accelerate the trend toward increasing government power. More and more people have come to tolerate government mandates, bailouts, and censorship. Included in these government power grabs will be the eventual rollout of government-backed cryptocurrencies as a replacement for paper currencies. When this happens, all freedom and liberty will disappear. Governments will have complete control over their citizens.

Against this backdrop, we see the groundwork being laid for the peace treaty that will kick off the Tribulation (Daniel 9:27). Combine these developments with countless others foretold in the Bible, and we can know the rapture, the Tribulation, and the Second Coming draw near. This is why the #1 thing you should look for in 2021 is the return of our Savior. As we enter a new year, all the signs tell us, “Jesus is coming!”

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Britt Gillette is author of the free ebook Coming to Jesus as well as the books Signs of the Second Coming, Racing Toward Armageddon, and The End Times. Receive his book 7 Signs of the End Times for free when you sign up for his monthly newsletter.

The past year has seen a number of disturbing trends take hold in the United States and in countries throughout the world. Unless reversed, these authoritarian trends promise to usher in a new era of global tyranny and totalitarian government. Many who live in western democratic nations are in denial of these trends. But they should note that elected governments, personal liberty, and freedom are the exception, not the rule. Human history is the story of powerful, centralized governments – governments that trample the liberties of individuals. The freedom and liberty of the recent past is extremely rare, and it’s never guaranteed. Each generation must fight to preserve it. The year 2020 is no exception, and we’ve seen several trends emerge that pose a direct threat to freedom and liberty.

Coronavirus Lockdowns and Restrictions

The first of these 2020 trends is obvious. COVID-19 has dominated headlines all year. And as with any crisis, politicians have taken advantage of the situation to grab more power and control. While complete lockdowns on freedom of movement and economic activity weren’t surprising in Chinese cities like Wuhan, it was a surprise to see similar lockdowns in the western world.

Countries such as Italy, Spain, and France announced nationwide lockdowns, ordering all “non-essential” workers to stay home and shelter in place. Draconian restrictions governed when people could leave their homes and who they could interact with. Police raided private residences to break up illegal parties, and many people turned in their neighbors.

While the deadliness of the pandemic has waned since the spring, the government lockdowns and COVID regulations keep coming. Last month, the Australian city of Melbourne ended one of the world’s longest lockdowns – 139 days. In the United States, some governors have issued shelter in place orders and onerous rules for how and when restaurants and other businesses can operate. In fact, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito recently pointed to court cases where coronavirus restrictions “blatantly discriminated against houses of worship.” Nevada, he said, treated casinos more favorably than churches. All over the United States, governors have issued executive orders that violate the First Amendment freedoms to peaceably assemble and freely exercise religion.

Cancel Culture

In July, over 100 writers, academics, and political and cultural activists published an open letter in Harper’s Magazine on the topic of justice and open debate. The signatories were a diverse list of well-known celebrities, including J.K. Rowling, Margaret Atwood, Noam Chomsky, Salman Rushdie, Malcolm Gladwell, and Gloria Steinem. In their letter, the authors point out that “the free exchange of information and ideas, the lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily becoming more constricted.”

They also state, “Censoriousness is also spreading more widely in our culture: an intolerance of opposing views, a vogue for public shaming and ostracism, and the tendency to dissolve complex policy issues in a blinding moral certainty,” and “it is now all too common to hear calls for swift and severe retribution in response to perceived transgressions of speech and thought.”

Why did they write this letter? Because of a “stifling atmosphere” which steadily narrows “the boundaries of what can be said without the threat of reprisal.” As they point out, justice and freedom “cannot exist without each other.” The willingness of so many people to suppress free speech foreshadows the rise of a dictatorial state. Widespread support for cancel culture and the demonization of opposing points-of-view set the stage for an oppressive government willing to use violence to enforce its edicts. Ironically, many of the people who claim to be anti-fascist are the same people supporting this movement.

For example, Dick Costolo, the former CEO of Twitter, published the following tweet in October:

“Me-first capitalists who think you can separate society from business are going to be the first people lined up against the wall and shot in the revolution. I’ll happily provide video commentary.”

Was this terrible call for violence roundly condemned? No. Many people agreed, including Media Matters editor Parker Molloy. His response?

“Thinking about a world where @dickc was still CEO of Twitter and not @jack.”

Keep in mind, these aren’t a few anonymous people making these comments. These are high profile, and in some cases, powerful individuals openly calling for violence against their political enemies. Think this is an isolated incident? It’s not. The U.S. presidential election has given people ample opportunity to show their true colors.

The U.S. Presidential Election

In the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election, allegations of voter fraud are rampant. With Donald Trump refusing to concede, U.S. House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted:

“Is anyone archiving these Trump sycophants for when they try to downplay or deny their complicity in the future? I foresee decent probability of many deleted Tweets, writings, photos in the future.”

Michael Simon, a former staff member in the Obama administration, linked to what he called The Trump Accountability Project and replied:

“Yes, we are. The Trump Accountability Project (@trumpaccproject). Every Administration staffer, campaign staffer, bundler, lawyer who represented them — everyone.”

Again, these aren’t anonymous commenters demanding a blacklist of political opponents. These are high-profile individuals. A group of former Pete Buttigieg staffers created The Trump Accountability Project with the express purpose of blacklisting members and supporters of Donald Trump’s administration.

After widespread outrage, they shut down the project (or at least claimed to), saying they did so “in the spirit of the president-elect’s call to build a more united country.” However, the fact The Trump Accountability Project ever existed at all shows how these people think. Their first instinct is to destroy their political opponents, not just defeat them at the ballot box.

Joining the call to ostracize Trump supporters, CNN anchor Jake Tapper issued his own veiled threat, tweeting:

“I truly sympathize with those dealing with losing – it’s not easy – but at a certain point, one has to think not only about what’s best for the nation (peaceful transfer of power) but how any future employers might see your character defined during adversity.”

In other words, if you don’t agree with Jake Tapper, he thinks future employers should turn you away – the very definition of a blacklist.

The Power of Big Tech

Big Tech companies have transformed from neutral platforms to the designated arbiters of free speech, vowing to ban posts that promote or glorify “hate speech.” Of course, that begs the question – what constitutes “hate speech”? Who decides? The Big Tech companies say they do. In a 2019 article titled “Silicon Valley Censorship and the Coming Global Police State,” I wrote:

“But in an age where social media dominates public discourse, access to these platforms is vital to get a message out. What if these platforms flag their political opponents as sources of “hate speech”? What will that do to freedom and liberty?”

Sadly, we no longer have to guess. In October, Big Tech undertook its most brazen censorship act yet. In October, the New York Post published an exposé linking Joe Biden to a series of corrupt financial transactions with foreign governments. Fearing the impact to Biden’s presidential campaign, Big Tech swiftly took action. Twitter suspended the New York Post’s twitter account and blocked users from sharing the link to their story on Twitter. Facebook announced it would reduce distribution of the article pending verification by a third-party fact-checker. In the end, their censorship efforts only brought more attention to the story. But how many stories do they censor that never get noticed?

As technology advances, these platforms will become more and more important. As a political commentator, try getting your message out to a large audience without using Facebook, Twitter, Google, Apple, Amazon, YouTube, or Netflix. It’s nearly impossible for someone who doesn’t already have a large following. In the future, it will be even more difficult, if not impossible.

These efforts from Big Tech companies promise a bleak future. Products like Alexa and Siri listen to and record private conversations. Social media captures the most intimate details of private life. We’re living in a world where the Big Tech firms have enormous power. Since the police power of government rules over them, it means we’re heading into an era where governments will be more powerful than ever before.

Think about the information they can access. If you’re on Facebook and you use a smart phone, then companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook probably know more about you than some of your closest friends. They know who you associate with, what you search for on the Internet, what products you buy, what interests you have, what bank you use, who you talk to the most, when you’re awake, where you’ve been, and where you are at any given moment. With facial recognition technology, they can pick your face out of a sea of millions in less than a second. Connect facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence with a growing network of public and private cameras, and they aren’t far from being able to record everything you do at all times.

The Rise of Cryptocurrency

Earlier this month, Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), said she believes the ECB will launch a digital euro in the next two to four years. She joins a growing chorus of nations exploring the launch of government-backed cryptocurrency. Among them are some of the world’s most oppressive regimes, including China, Iran, and North Korea. Once they launch these new cryptocurrencies, governments around the world will quickly move to make paper currency obsolete.

This is because the end of paper currency and its replacement with government-sponsored cryptocurrency will put unlimited power at the fingertips of government leaders. Not only does cryptocurrency offer a way to permanently record every financial transaction, but it can also track where you go and what you do. It can track the websites you visit and make note of who your friends are. While most of this information is already available through tracking of credit and debit cards, mobile phones, and social media profiles, a state-sponsored cryptocurrency will provide 100% unfettered access to this information. It will create a closed, government-controlled economic system where you’ll be dependent on the government for every transaction you engage in.

That means if the government decides they don’t like you, they can turn off your access and completely freeze you out of the banking system. They can dictate what you can and can’t buy. They can tell you where you can and can’t go. In essence, cryptocurrency gives them complete control over all people.

The Coming Global Tyranny

None of this should surprise you. Long ago, the Book of Revelation foretold the establishment of a global authoritarian regime. The Bible says a global dictator known as the Antichrist will one day rule over every “tribe, people, language, and nation” (Revelation 13:7). He will have unprecedented power and control over the world population. This control will include the ability to require everyone on earth to receive a mark on the right hand or the forehead (Revelation 13:16). Without this mark, the people of the world will be unable to buy or sell anything (Revelation 13:17). How will this work? It remains to be seen. But the worldwide rush to create government-sponsored cryptocurrencies provides us with a glimpse as to how such a system might work. A global government-controlled cryptocurrency will provide him with such a system.

In addition, Big Tech companies and artificial intelligence will give the Antichrist unprecedented access to personal communications and massive power to decide what news is shared, who receives a platform, and who is allowed to participate in societal debate. The trend toward cancel culture and vilification of political opponents also provides fertile ground for such a dictator.

So, what does all this mean? It means we’re fast approaching a time the prophets warned about. We’re in the midst of a global pandemic (Luke 21:11). Israel is back in the land (Jeremiah 23:7-8). The Jewish people are back in Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28). And the Gospel is being preached throughout the world (Matthew 24:14). The end times approach. The tribulation, the Antichrist, and global government aren’t far behind. But this means the rapture is also near. So don’t despair. While it appears the world is falling apart, all this is part of God’s divine plan. It’s a plan that should fill every Christian with peace. We know how this ends. It ends with Jesus coming (Revelation 22:20), and He’s coming soon!

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Britt Gillette is author of the free ebook Coming to Jesus as well as the books Signs of the Second Coming, Racing Toward Armageddon, and The End Times. Receive his book 7 Signs of the End Times for free when you sign up for his monthly newsletter.