In a world of ongoing informational warfare, the quest for what is real, may prove of vital importance. And it looks as if the more news we are being exposed to, the less we know for sure. In this case, “no news” is definitely better than some false information, since the one who doesn’t know is at least aware of this fact and stays alert, while the one who believes that he or she knows everything, relying upon wrong sources, is being lulled into a false feeling of safety, which is correspondingly more dangerous.

There has never before been a time when information was so easily and rapidly circulated around. But although the times we live in are absolutely unique in this respect and there is an unprecedented amount of information distributed every day, we cannot claim that we know more than the preceding generations, nor that we are happier because of it.

As a matter of fact, we keep receiving contradictory news, each party claiming to be right and to know better than anybody else.”Fake news” is a widely-used tool to manipulate the masses to act according to the plans and interests of certain groups and the media (whether it be mainstream media, alternative media, or last but not least social media) plays a tremendous part in it.

Speaking about the end-time circumstances, the Bible anticipates almost universal confusion, saying that “none of the wicked shall understand” and it is only “the wise” who “shall understand” (Daniel 12:10) because they relate to the One who is “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). And this doesn’t apply only to controversial daily news or to the real causes of certain events, but to very reality as such! Because people will have a hard time telling apart reality from illusion—which is both dangerous and harmful—they are likely to trade their fortune, their resources, and ultimately even their life for things they regard as being real and which will finally turn out to be mere deceptive illusions.

Oftentimes, people consider as real only those things they can see, feel, touch, i.e., perceive with their senses. And they regard all other things which they cannot apprehend with their immediate perception as being unreal. Yet, it must not necessarily be so! The ”real things” are supposed to be there, to be lasting and enduring, and not to vanish away in the flash of a second as a dream. In spite of that, many people view this world and its material objects as real, because they can feel them, and, since they cannot perceive them with their senses, they consider the spiritual, immaterial things as unreal. Nonetheless, the Bible says, that “the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Regarded from this perspective, the immediate, material things people enjoy during their relatively short life on earth are like a tiny, irrelevant drop in the endless ocean of eternity. They are actually the shadow, the dream, the illusion when compared to the immortal, everlasting realities of eternity—which, in the long run, are the only real facts.

It would be wise on our part to be aware of the transient character of this world and the things belonging to it, and to grant them importance accordingly: “And those who use the things in the world as though they were not dependent on them. For the world in its present form is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:31, NIV). The same thought is emphasized by the apostle John, who explains that “the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever“ (1 John 2:17)—as well as by the apostle Peter, reminding us that: “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

This same idea is visually depicted in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream by the stone rolling down and hitting the image representing the world’s empires, destroying them unto dust and growing into a huge mountain, that would last forever, as God’s never-ending kingdom (Daniel 2:44, 45).

In fact, this is the only reality, which actually deserves bearing this name—everything else being a mere illusion, even though apparently supported by “material evidence.”

Throughout time, God’s promise of “a new heaven and a new earth” was to keep these celestial realities alive in the people’s hearts and minds. And the “sure word of prophecy” was to provide the milestones of human history, indicating where we are on the timeline of unfolding events.

The Bible talks about a beginning and an end of the world, which is to be preceded by some end times. During these end times, shortly before the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, some unique events are due to happen:

The Bible foretells among others “famines and pestilences” (Matthew 24:7) that will lead to “troubles,” and these will be just “the beginnings of sorrows” (Mark 13:8).

“ ‘The commencement of that time of trouble,’ here mentioned does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that time the ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out.”1

“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:11–17).

Before this end-time prophecy is to be fulfilled, there are several things which need to happen in order to make it possible:

1. There needs to be some form of international, global government with jurisdiction over “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond.”

2. To impose such sanctions, the fundamental human rights and basic liberties of the people need to be suspended and the democratic freedoms, as we know them, to be done away with.

3. In order for the people to be ready and willing to give up their freedom, there needs to be some dramatic event to scare them out of their wits, so that they would agree to trade their freedom for the illusion of safety.

4. There needs to be some kind of worldwide, universal administrative structure, to keep record of the people and to distinguish the ones who are to receive the mark of the beast from those who refuse it.

5. Since the latter ones, the so-called “outlaws” are supposed to be banned from any economic activity, there needs to be a technical way of blocking the accounts of the noncompliant ones. A cashless society based exclusively on cards and online banking provides the perfect conditions for that.

6. An atmosphere of suspicion needs to be created, so that the ones who refuse to receive the mark are to be presented as a “social danger” and a “public threat” to the effect that persecution against them (i.e., those who will actually be those obedient to the invisible God) should have the endorsement of society.

7. The issue at stake will be a religious one, and it will have to do with worship, since in Revelation chapters 13 and 14, people are warned against worshipping the beast and its image.

Out of these 7 conditions listed above, the first 6 are being quite fulfilled by the latest developments. . . . But, let’s take a look at the current situation: Without getting into speculations about how large-scale was the actual reality concerning the danger of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least one thing is certain: The consequences, economically as well as socially, are real for sure! In spite of the fact that it hasn´t been the most widespread or the deadliest pandemic ever—and not even close to some other pestilences which have plagued the human race—there are still some unprecedented features of this situation:

1. It was probably the first time in world’s history in which more than half of the world´s population, in around 50 countries, has been put into some form of lockdown (or maybe the second, if you also count the time Noah and his family spent in the ark).

2. It has been remarkable to see that countries traditionally antagonistic to one another—countries such as China, the USA and Russia—adopted a more or less similar approach to the situation, and took drastic measures in spite of the fact that these would deeply affect their economies. (In the USA alone over 40 million jobless claims were reported soon afterwards.) But in the face of a common enemy, national interests may become secondary and nations can unite at a worldwide level to promote their common agenda—just as the book of Revelation foretells.

3. Since this was considered a worldwide problem, a worldwide solution was required, which led to the call for some supranational authority, which should coordinate the response—which echoes an older request for “a true world political authority”—made by the Pope in his Laudato Si. It will be advocated that only a global government will be able to deal with the crisis properly. And what will begin as hygienic, sanitary, social and economical measures, will eventually turn into compulsory religious measures for all the inhabitants of the earth.

4. It has been shown how easily one individual may become a suspect or a public enemy, without having to do anything special to this effect. Or how, even in a democratic society, one may be imprisoned in his own home for an indefinite period of time without any charge at all, just because he is “suspected” of being infected. All this shows how frail and unstable all the democratic values and freedoms may prove to be and how fast the world we once knew may change to a totally new reality.

5. The reasoning that cash transactions may contribute to the spread of some kind of infection may easily lead to a cashless society, in which all transactions should be conducted exclusively by means of cards and bank transfers. The tragic death of George Floyd and the subsequent riots can be tracked back to the mistake of having paid cash with a 20-dollar bill which was suspected to be fake. But how many of us check bills for their authenticity, when giving or receiving cash (or even know how to)? And it’s highly likely that this will also be turned into a reason to plead for a cashless society.

6. Large-scale riots and lootings may come along with the economic recession and the escalating violence may bring about more drastic measures from the authorities, which will take more and more powers and reduce the civil rights of individuals. Presently we can see the National Guard and other U.S. troops deployed on the streets of large American cities as a response to the civil unrest, and people fear that the curfews may be transformed into Martial Law to protect against the so-called “domestic terrorism.”

Apparently, the stage is set, ready for the unfolding of the prophetic events prior to Jesus’ second coming, the fulfillment of which we are closer than ever before. Facing the present confusion and anticipating the future turmoil and chaos, some choose to enjoy the present moment to the utmost; others choose to go out on the streets, while still others choose to become preppers, hoarding food, medicine and survival gear, hoping to survive whatever situation may come up, and to continue living happily in this world after its main problems have been fixed.

In reality, the only true preppers—those who will make it into a better world—are the ones who get spiritually prepared by allowing the Holy Spirit to change their lives and characters into the likeness of Christ. It is only those who will be able to stand firm through the coming trials and reach the blessed shore of eternity.

In that new world, which God has prepared for His faithful children, “He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:3, 4).

That’s the difference between the human transient “realities” and God’s eternal reality in which He is on the verge of bringing to pass. And He assures us that the words about Him making all things new “are true and faithful” (Revelation 21:5).

Actually, faith is nothing else than a more profound form of realism, which takes into consideration the unseen realities, which will eventually prevail over the illusion created by the material world: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) And on the soon coming day of the Lord—“when the faith shall be sight,”—all the overcomers will triumphantly proclaim: “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Isaiah 25:9).

But until then, let us live in faith, one day at a time, letting our hearts go on singing and holding fast “the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end”  (Hebrews 3:6), knowing that we “shall see him by and by.” It is then that we will meet Him again, our hearts shall rejoice, and no man will ever take our joy away (John 16:22) because we shall be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17), enjoying the wonderful and everlasting celestial realities, such as “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).