Two takes on the same idea: one from secularist Richard Dawkins, the other from the Bible. Dawkins' "shifting moral zeitgeist" is the Bible's "spirit of the world", also called "god of this world" and "spirit of this age". (Interestingly, Wikipedia defines "zeitgeist" as "spirit of the times" -- basically verbatim to the Bible's phraseology for it.)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwz6B8BFkb4[/youtube]
"whose minds the spirit of this age has blinded, who do not believe..."
(2 Corinthians 4:4, NKJV)
"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not..."
(2 Corinthians 4:4)
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God...But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him..."
(1 Corinthians 2:12-14)
In the last days, people will be fully occupied in worldly matters, not even thinking of the Lord's return:
Jesus said: "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come."
(Matt 24:36-42)
Interestingly, both Dawkins and the inspired biblical writers speak of their belief in a leading influence which shapes and molds society's sense of morals. The difference is Dawkins believes it is an influence toward good, and the Bible says it is toward evil. But both agree that this force leads away from belief in God. But who's right about it being a good or bad thing? Well, it's certainly easier for Dawkins to believe in this anti-God shift from the perspective of the present, than for the Bible to have predicted it thousands of years in advance. The major downturn in the influence of Christian thought, and in respect for theology as "the queen of the sciences" (what a radical view today(!), yet was accepted then), has really occurred just within the last 200 years.
The antichrist is prophesied to arrive on the scene to the great reception of the nations -- well, think of the current dire-and-growing worldwide economic crisis. How would the nations greet a successful solver of all our money problems? Surely, as in such historical cases, with open arms, and submission to his subsequent leadership in order to maintain that monetary success:
Quote:
The dragon [Satan] gave the beast [the antiChrist] his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
(Rev 13:2-8)
A form of universal currency -- something daily discussed as a solution to the world's economic woes:
Quote:
It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name."
(Rev 13:16-17)
How many people would worship a great and powerful and successful leader who regularly blasphemed God? From human sentiments often heard and expressed these days, many, many, many would, by that short list of criteria alone. We're clearly headed toward a one-world government, as such is being frequently and seriously discussed as a solution to our biggest problems. The only question is, who will lead it? Who is that person to whom the world will submit with their praise and service?
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Christianity is different than Judaism only in people's minds -- not in the Bible.
Last edited by Ragtime on 01 Dec 2011, 10:08 am, edited 9 times in total.
30 Nov 2011, 6:06 pm
