The COVID-19 pandemic affected our world in many ways. It made remote work, online meetings, and online education more widespread, and that trend continues to this day. It eroded faith in public institutions in many countries around the world. For me, it also offered a glimpse of what the end-time society described in Revelation will be like.
I’m not implying that the end is right around the corner. Jesus’ idea of “soon” (two thousand years and counting) is a lot different than ours! Christ’s return could still be fifty years away, or it may be next year – no one knows.
For those skeptical of Biblical prophecy, I would simply say that I can’t fathom how anyone in the ancient world could imagine – without divine assistance – the things they described. Even our wildest imagination is loosely tethered to our experience, yet the prophecies depicted a world so far beyond anything the ancients knew. Furthermore, is it a coincidence that they predicted the future so accurately? If you disagree with me, that’s fine. Check it out for yourself.
One more point. I’m not suggesting that the pandemic fulfilled biblical prophecy, only that it helped me see how such prophecies might unfold in the future.
Okay, so what end-time prophecies did the pandemic mirror?
A worldwide centralized authority (1) – When we see how much of the world reacted to the pandemic in the same way, and the World Health Organization tried to exert its influence everywhere, you would think there had been one worldwide, coordinated plan to manage the pandemic. This made it easier for me to imagine the worldwide centralized authority portrayed in Revelation. Nation-states will probably still exist, but they will have lost much of their autonomy to a one-world institution. Fortunately, we’re not there yet. Nonetheless, globalists have been actively working to accomplish this goal.
An authoritarian system with no personal freedoms (2) – During the pandemic, we were all confined to our homes. Censorship was rampant and enthusiastically embraced. In the future world, all disagreement with the official line will be ruthlessly punished.
This lack of freedom will go beyond speech to include economic activity as well. Dissenters won’t be able to buy or sell. Starting during the pandemic, PayPal began refusing service to organizations it disagreed with. We’re not talking about terrorist or criminal organizations – this was simply a matter of a difference of opinion.
Vaccine passports, regardless of good intentions, created an unprecedented ability to track and control the movement of entire populations. The infrastructure was put in place that can later be adjusted for more nefarious purposes.
Instant worldwide communication (3) – In the end times, the entire world will be able to see events simultaneously. Yes, I know, we’ve had this technology for a while, and the pandemic didn’t give it to us. But it undoubtedly increased our dependence on it. I mean, who had even heard of Zoom before 2020? The pandemic has made the world even more interconnected and dependent on the Internet than it already was.
Societal strife and hate (4) – People in the future will be full of hatred toward one another. Now, I admit that’s nothing new. There’s always been friction within society, but the advent of the Internet has turned it up a notch, and it intensified a hundredfold during the pandemic. Where has civilized debate gone? What’s happened to kindness and respect? You can’t disagree with anyone without being accused of hating them. It’s so easy to be rude and obnoxious online – hiding behind a computer keyboard – which is why social media is full of nasty comments. People gleefully tear each other down without considering the consequences. I doubt it’s going to get any better.
Why am I even mentioning all this? Is it to make us so fearful and depressed that we’ll want to be locked down again in our homes? Hardly! All my writing aims to inspire hope, and now is no different (as unlikely as it might seem – but hang with me). I’ve written about these glimpses because they give us a reason to look to the future with optimism rather than despair.
First, everything points to the fact that history is moving toward a culmination. It’s not made up of random events that are haphazardly stitched together with no rhyme or reason and devoid of purpose. When I see ancient prophecies becoming more and more probable, it confirms that God is in control and working out his plan. Everything has a goal and is going according to schedule. This realization gives me comfort and hope.
Second, the end times don’t only mean plague, war, and tribulation. More importantly, Christ is coming back. He will finally defeat the evil all around us and establish justice and righteousness on the earth. Suffering and pain will be no more. The future isn’t as bleak as it may seem.
The world we live in leaves many people anxious and despairing, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Jesus gives us a reason for hope. We know his return is certain, even if we don’t know when it will be. Thanks to him, his followers can be ready to face whatever the future holds with confidence.
(1) Revelation 13:1-8, 11-16
(2) Revelation 13:7-8, 12, 15-17
(3) Revelation 11:7-10, 13:3
(4) 2 Timothy 3:1-5