Often we overlook much prophetic truth when we read and study God’s Word. The Bible is without limits in its rich wisdom available to be mined. The Creator’s purpose in giving His Word to the human race is to provide direction for living in the most abundant way possible.

Jesus Christ is that Word. The last book of the Bible—Revelation—is the unveiling of Jesus in all His power, glory and majesty.

Prophecy—telling of the future—resides at the heart of that Word. The promises issued from the holy pages guarantee eternal life for each person ever to be born who genuinely accepts God’s grace-given redemption from sin through belief in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Godhead, whom God the Father sees as the nucleus around which all things hold together:

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).

So, with it established that the Lord Jesus is preeminent in all things, we come back to the opening statement to add that one truth we often overlook deals most directly with the next prophecy to be fulfilled—the Rapture of the church.

Jesus spoke about this commentary’s primary topic—the gates of Hell. Although the disciples He was speaking to really had no concept of what He was referring to, the prophecy and its details have been coming to pass ever since—and are now set for fulfillment.

“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:15-18).

They didn’t understand the concept of “the church”; at that point, they were totally ignorant of that “structure” Jesus prophesied to be built. But built it was, and it is still under construction as each person who comes to salvation is added.

The specific part of this prophecy I want to look at in perhaps a new way is wrapped within the phrases “my church,” “the gates of hell,” and “shall not prevail against it.”

My study of how God deals with people–including believers—in different dispensations leads me to conclude that there are entirely different fates awaiting believers in Christ. And I’m talking about physical fate, not spiritual/eternal fate.

In terms of eternal fate, the gates of hell cannot and will not prevail or win against any believer in Jesus Christ. All believers of every dispensation will enjoy the bliss and exultation of Heaven forever. But in terms of physical fate, believers are prophetically scheduled to meet differing destinies.

Here is something we’ve looked at before but still is not the primary point I wish to address.

Jesus said in Matthew 16, as we’ve read above, that He will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. That has turned out to be the dispensation we call the Church Age. This began at Pentecost, as recorded in Acts chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit came to indwell believers. (I’m aware there are those who believe the church began along the shores of Galilee when Jesus began His ministry.)

On the other hand, the same Jesus, in His ascended form, gave the following prophecy to John to write in the Revelation.

“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (Revelation 13:7).

So it is plain that in the physical sense, Satan (his Antichrist) will overcome—prevail against—the saints (believers in Christ). But the gates of hell, referring to Satan’s evil domain, will not prevail over the church. The devil will never be able to physically or spiritually totally overcome or destroy Christ’s Bride, the church.

Now to get to that nuance of examination that I hope will help make clear just how important this promise to the church—all believers of the Church Age—really is.

My friend Jonathan Cahn, in his most recent book, The Return of the Gods, points to the spiritually and even physically observable reality that portals of the demonic sort have been somewhat opened in these obviously manifest times of insane, anti-god activity. We’ve examined many of the bizarre manifestations over and over in these columns, but I will only repeat that it looks like God is in the process of turning rebellious human beings over to a reprobate mindset—to demented, upside-down thinking, as Paul prophesied in Romans chapter 1.

I’m in agreement with Jonathan. And I believe these portals equate to Jesus’ reference to the gates of hell. Those gates are opening wider by the day, it seems. The demonic minions from those portals, as well as the human minions that are anti-God, intend to completely erase all vestiges of the true Christian church from the planet.

That will never happen. The very God who created all that exists has said so: “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it”—the church Jesus Christ is still building.

I’m convinced that the moment the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit) lifts His hand of restraint against these hellish forces, all believers will go to the Lord Jesus when He says: “Come up hither!” (Revelation 4:1).

The church cannot and will not be on planet Earth when those gates of hell are fully opened and allowed to overcome the saints of the Tribulation era (those saved following the Rapture). We have Christ’s Word on that wonderful promise.

With all the wickedness deluging this time on Earth, the end is about to come like a flood (Daniel 9:26). The gates of hell will soon swing fully open, bringing the most horrible, deadliest time of human history, according to the Lord (Matthew 24:21).

But you and I, if we know Christ for salvation, don’t have to worry for a second about being here to face that time. Jesus said He will keep us out of that hour of horror (Revelation 3:10). To be sure you are a part of the church that will be taken out before that Tribulation era begins, follow Paul’s Holy Spirit-given instructions.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

Evil people have always conspired against the righteous. We see this in the words of David in Psalm 37:12:

“The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him.”

Why, then, do the majority of people doubt that this happens today? Why do so many believers deny that there’s an apparent deadly intent in the agenda of the globalists?

One possible answer to the above questions is that many regard the warnings they hear as “conspiracy theories.” This has become a popular yet convenient way for people to disregard the threats to their wellbeing and continue with life as though they don’t really exist.

However, what if the items that most people regard as conspiracy theories are actually spoiler alerts for what lies ahead? What if they are like a lighthouse illuminating the clear and present dangers of our day?

Long, long ago, IBM aired commercials under the banner of “You Make the Call.” Viewers watched short video clips of plays from NFL football games after which an announcer asked what call they would make if they were the referee. Was it a penalty? Was it a fumble? Did the receiver catch the ball inbounds? Was it a touchdown?

As you go through the list below, I invite you to also “make the call.” Do these things result from the perspective of a conspiracy nut given to baseless doomsday scenarios? In one way or another, they all reveal the deadly agenda of the globalists.

Valid portrayals of events that signal the nearness of the seven-year Tribulation:

1. Catastrophic worldwide food Shortages during 2023

I hear warnings of this from a wide variety of sources, many of whom I have documented in previous posts. Back in June of this year, I wrote, Is America on the Cusp of a Food Catastrophe? In it is provided much supporting evidence for this from a wide variety of sources.

Since I wrote that article, both the World Health Organization and the UN have come out with warnings of their own concerning dire food shortages for 2023.

This coming time of worldwide famine aligns closely with Bible prophecy for the time of the Tribulation (Matthew 24:7; Revelation 6:6). These forecasts of drastic shortages of food are what the Bible says we should expect in the last days leading up to the Day of the Lord.

Do you agree that there’s much evidence supporting this?

2. Diesel Fuel Shortages

There’s considerable talk about impending diesel fuel shortages in the U.S. Is this also just a conspiracy theory?

A Reuters’ news story out of London, Column: U.S. Diesel shortage increasingly likely until economy slows, says that, yes, already high prices for it will get worse. The only remedy is a drastic slowing of the economy so the demand for it lessens.

A November 5, 2022, a Newsweek article also warns us of the diesel fuel shortage in America. The title itself, Diesel Shortage Will Hit These Seven States the Hardest, reveals that these warnings are not just theories but reality.

If these shortages continue or get worse, they will drive up the prices of everything in the short term and lead to panic buying.

I have read scenarios of the chaos and violence that would erupt in the U.S. if we completely run out of diesel fuel, and they sound remarkably similar to what John describes in Revelation 6:5-8.

Even if we don’t run completely out of diesel fuel, isn’t it likely that the shortages will cause much suffering as prices skyrocket for basic necessities?

3. Record Inflation that Will Get Much Worse

Inflation in the U.S. and in many European countries is already at levels not seen for almost five decades, and many predict this will become far worse in the months ahead. The scarcity of natural gas in Europe will not only kill a great many people but also accelerate rising prices for everyday necessities.

In his article, A Crippling Shortage Of Diesel Fuel Threatens To Devastate Western Economies In 2023, Economist, author, and blogger Michael Snyder provides details regarding the diesel fuel shortage. As the title suggests, it assumes that “hyperinflation” lies in our future.

“…executives at leading hedge-fund firm Elliott Management Corp. warn that the world is heading toward the worst financial crisis since World War II.”

Is this not exactly what Revelation 6:5-6 says about skyrocketing inflation early in the Tribulation? We already see numerous indicators of spiraling price increases throughout the world, which is precisely what we would expect to see during the days leading up to the time that John describes in Revelation 6-18.

What call do you make on this?

4. Threats of World War III

The leaders of NATO and Vladimir Putin talk about the use of nuclear weapons as though it’s something normal and to be expected. Some world leaders say that World War III has already started; others say it’s ever so close.

Another warning of war comes from Chinese President Xi Jinping. He recently stated that China is “preparing for war.” ^[i]Since no one seems to be planning an attack against them, only one question remains. Who is China preparing to attack?

North Korea has stepped up both its weapon testing and threats against America.

I cannot predict what will happen between now and the Rapture, but I believe what we see is stage-setting for the deadly wars that will happen after the Lord takes us home to glory.

The Bible tells us that great wars will happen in during the Tribulation. The second rider of the apocalypse is that of war (Revelation 6:3-4, 8), and the wars that he spawns will contribute to the deaths of an exceptionally large number of people, a total that fits with the use of nuclear weapons.

Do you see great wars getting closer and closer to reality?

5. The depopulation agenda of the globalists

This is perhaps the place where we see the greatest denial. If people, even believers, do not openly say that talk of a depopulation agenda is nothing but a wild conspiracy theory, they communicate it in other ways.

But is this real or just the ramblings of doomsday purveyors? No, it’s not.

The elite globalists of our day are not silent regarding their intent to drastically reduce the earth’s population. Yuval Noah Harari, perhaps the most influential of them all, frequently describes most people as “useless eaters.” Harari is currently on tour promoting his latest book and saying things such as “we just don’t need the vast majority of you.” ^[ii] His desire to reduce the earth’s population is clear.

Harari is the righthand man of Klaus Schwab and thereby has immense influence over the leaders of the world. His books sell by the millions, and he’s the favorite author of many world leaders, including Barack Obama.

I documented the evidence of this deadly agenda in a recent post, Depopulation: The Sign that Tells Us Jesus’ Appearing is at Hand. Please refer to this post for a lengthier discussion of this.

David, in Psalm 37:14-15, further exposes the deadly agenda, or conspiracies, of those who promote evil.

“The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.”

Along with the Psalmist’ portrayal of how evil people conspire against the wicked, please also remember what Jesus declared about Satan in John 8:44 and 10:10. He is a murderer and a liar.

I believe the globalists are merely minions carrying out the devil’s plan to bring about the reign of his man, the antichrist.

6. The push for a one-world government by 2030

Seven years ago, I began writing about the UN’s Agenda 2030 and its push for a one-world socialistic government. In response, I received some of the harshest criticism that has ever come my way. One person has repeatedly called me a liar because of what I wrote regarding these things.

Now, however, this global push has become abundantly clear. The World Economic Forum (WEF) openly calls for global governance and conducts open meetings in Davos, Switzerland, where leaders from all over the planet plan for the time when all the nations of the world unite under one banner. In the past, they held these meetings behind closed doors. Now, however, they invite the press in to record their planning sessions for the day in which they will rule over all the people of every nation.

All these things align perfectly with biblical prophecy. The books of Daniel and Revelation predict that the things we hear from the WEF will happen in the future, although briefly, during the Tribulation.

This push for a worldwide government by 2030 aligns with what God’s Word says will happen in the last days.

7. The Mark of the Beast

Most people today have heard about the Mark of the Beast and regard the number 666 as evil (perhaps in a superstitious way), but relatively few believe such a thing a will ever happen. It’s clear that those outside of Christ reject this as a conspiracy theory or pure nonsense.

What about fellow believers? Many of them also see the mark as something of the past or symbolical of a different reality. A great many pastors regard prophecies regarding the fulfillment of Revelation 13 as conspiracy theories or part of a false doomsday scenario based on an errant interpretation of Revelation.

What about the elite globalists? Although they don’t use Revelation 13:16-18 terminology or believe what it says, nonetheless it’s an outcome they have been planning for a very long time and hope to bring to fruition in the near future.

Several months ago, I wrote Transhumanism: Marching Toward the Mark. In it, I provide evidence from a wide variety of news sources showing how the push for transhumanism is all about setting up the earth’s population to receive the mark of the beast.

Pay very close attention to this quote from a speech by Aldous Huxley, a philosopher and author, at the California Medical School in 1961:

“There will be, in the next generation or so, a pharmacological method of making people love their servitude, and producing dictatorship without tears, so to speak, producing a kind of painless concentration camp for entire societies, so that people will, in fact, have their liberties taken away from them, but will rather enjoy it, because they will be distracted from any desire to rebel by propaganda or brainwashing, or brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods. And this seems to be the final revolution.” ^[ii]

Though spoken over sixty years ago, these words represent the blueprint from which the globalists operate today. What Huxley talked about in 1961 has now become reality. “Pharmaceutical methods” are fast becoming the way by which elite globalists are now seeking to change human DNA and later combine them with machines.

Globalists such as Klaus Schwab talk openly about transhumanism and how the combining of machines with humans will be the final step in the evolution of mankind. Joe Biden recently signed an executive order promoting transgenderism in the U.S.

Those who operate under the banner of “see no evil” in our world miss how the technology for this now exists for the first time since the Lord revealed this to the Apostle John almost two thousand years ago.

Please know that this will not happen until at the midpoint of the Tribulation, long after Jesus has taken us up to glory and the place He’s prepared for us.

Conspiracy Theories or Spoiler Alerts?

What say you? Conspiracy theories or spoiler alerts? Perhaps I made my views a little too obvious.

Despite the openness concerning their agenda, the globalists are the ones with the most to gain from people regarding their plans as conspiracy theories. The more who see their agenda as mere conspiracy theories, the better it is for them because it results in little to no resistance to their agenda.

On the other hand, believers that regard the seven items listed above as descriptions of what Scripture says the world would look like just before the start of the Day of the Lord recognize the nearness of Jesus’ appearing to take us home.

We rightly recognize that Jesus is right at the door, ready to take us home to His Father’s house in heaven.

The Bible tells us that the Rapture will happen quickly (1 Corinthians 15:50-54), and the Lord’s wrath will fall suddenly upon the world (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

We do not know how much longer we will wait for Jesus’ appearing, but we know that it will be a day just like any other when rather suddenly we find ourselves in glory with our dear Savior (Colossians 3:4).

If after reading this article you still believe that I am a conspiracy theorist or one given to doomsday scenarios, please read the articles that I referenced above before you respond.

—

My book, The Triumph of the Redeemed-An eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times, is available on Amazon. In it, I provide a firm biblical basis for our hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing and the glory that lies ahead for all those in Christ.

Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com. It will help me reach more people. Thanks!

[i] Prophecy News Watch Website, The Clock Is Ticking – China Prepares For War, @ https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=5717

[ii] Taken from the Alliance For Human Research Protection website: https://ahrp.org/1961-aldous-huxleys-eerie-prediction-at-tavistock-group-california-medical-school/ I also found this quote on several other websites with varying agendas; it is valid.

General Articles

Gates of Hell Prophecy :: By Terry James

Conspiracy Theories or Spoiler Alerts? You Decide :: By Jonathan Brentner