Daniel's Dilemma

The last days will be a day of globalization, and godlessness. In Daniel 12:4, the Bible describes those days as “…the time of the end (when) many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” The upsurge in travel, discourse, free trade, will come with increased agitation for collapsed borders, as seen in the European Union (EU), Americas, Asia, and the African Union (AU), and send out negative feelers to nations of non-indigenes taking over. In addition to this, there will be godlessness on a worldwide scale like never seen before. According to Jesus, there will be “…great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). It will lead to “… men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Luke 21:26). It will be a world of paradoxes in the last days, with the brightness of God’s glory reflected upon the Church and darkness resting on the world. While “…evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13), God’s Church will have their “…light…come, and the glory of the LORD risen upon (them)” (Isaiah 60:1). The world used for nation in Luke 21:10 is the Greek word Ethnos, and it means there will be ethnic clashes in the last days. With the preponderance of offence (Matthew 24:10), betrayal (Luke 21:16), hatred (Matthew 24:9), there will be increase in “…lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, (and who are) lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:2-4). THE RISE OF THE FAR RIGHT The immigration crises is a worldwide phenomenon attracting the attention of the western world. There are millions of immigrants moving from the South to the North, through mostly illegal means, and attracting the attention of governments and peoples all around the world. It is estimated that about 281 million international immigrants have moved from one country to country secondary to conflict, violence, famine, disaster and political extremism.1 In France, Germany, and Austria, far right manifesto wielding parties have gained power and increasingly heating up the polity. In the USA, illegal crossings across the US-Mexico border influenced the outcome of the recent November 2023 elections and even in far flung places like Australia and New Zealand, many immigrant communities have been vilified and ostracized with pointed attacks carried out against them. The rise of the far right in the Western World has coincided with an increase in refugees fleeing war, famine, and natural disasters. After the Syrian debacle and the Arab spring in 2010, millions have left the Middle East seeking greener fortunes in Europe. Similarly, hundreds of thousands of South Americans have crossed the US-Mexico border with the fallout of their largening immigration a major cause for the downfall of the democratic regime of President Joe Biden. Many in the far right, from as widespread as Europe, Australia, and the United States of America, have an anti-immigration and an anti-big government manifesto and these far right parties have tapped into the public discomfort in these two areas to pivot their parties into political prominence. For example, the Netherlands elected a far-right coalition led by Geert Wilders Freedom party to rule over the nation in November 2023, while Italy and Austria have also elected far right parties to power. AFRICA'S RENAISSANCE The continent once dubbed the dark continent has staged a comeback - a century later – that is possibly the stuff of dreams. It has gone from a sparse Christian population (<2% of="" continent’s="" population="" numbering="" 7="" million)="" in="" 1900="" to="" the="" fastest="" growing="" christian="" population="" on="" earth="" (="">50% of continent’s population numbering > 600 million). There has been a renaissance in African cities such as Abuja, Lagos, and Port-Harcourt Nigeria where the largest Church auditoriums are either standing or been built. The continent known for hunger, poverty, famine, and sicknesses is now competing with the fastest growing Christian cities (like Seoul, South Korea and Dallas, Texas) for prominence and dominance among Christian devotees. The prophesies about Africa in the Bible highlight these possibilities and authenticate its claims. In Psalm 68:31, the Psalmist said “Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God” and in Isaiah 11:11, the Lord said “… it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.” Cush is synonymous with Africa, and God said the last days restoration and recovery agenda of the remnant saints will include Africans! Unfortunately, these recovery and renaissance of the African remnant is facing a formidable resistance from an organized enemy determined to torpedo God’s plans for the Church in Africa. Following the Arab spring and Saleh uprising in 2010, many countries in Northern Africa were destabilized and combined with grinding poverty, fundamentalist Islam conscription of swats of land, and worsening economic indices many African citizens began to cross the Sahara desert with the hope of crossing into Europe via the Mediterranean sea. At the last count, more than 30,000 individuals have died while trying to cross the Mediterranean sea since 2014. This insatiable desire to cross into Europe has beleaguered several in the African society and has led to cartels that engage in child and sex trafficking taking advantages of these travelers who want to get into Europe by all means. The final link to the African Renaissance is responsible governance, where leadership of these countries will show commitment, resoluteness, and determination to develop their respective countries. Rather than develop, many of these leaders pillage their countries and leave them worse than they met them. In an age of globalization, these godless leaders stoke the flame of devastation in their people and capitulate their dreams. What is needed today for Africa’s renaissance are God fearing rulers who “…rule over men (as)…just, (and) rule in the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3) for “when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”