If a Bible scholar considers a prophecy to be symbolic it is usually because he or she can’t imagine how the prophecy could be fulfilled literally. 

For instance, many Bible scholars and teachers in the past couldn’t conceive of Israel ever becoming an actual nation again. So they allegorized hundreds of Bible prophecies that require a revived Israel. Some still hold to old misinterpretations even after God has literally done what He promised to do. 

Some teachers have scoffed at the idea that the coming Antichrist and False Prophet could be literal figures who literally rule the world. One of the reasons they found the Bible’s prediction of such characters to be fantastical is because they couldn’t imagine how any government could monitor the retail activities of the world. The prophets predicted that no one will be able to buy or sell without pledging allegiance to the #antichrist. 

Also, how could the False Prophet make certain that everyone in the world always remains reverential toward the Antichrist. The prophets said that he will cause anyone who refuses to worship the Antichrist to be executed. 

A lot of people dismissed these prophecies as impossible to fulfill because they couldn’t imagine how they could be accomplished. 

Some of us suspected it would be done it with technology, but until recently, we didn’t know how powerful technology could be or how completely it could control our lives. 

Now we are beginning to see it implemented and it is stunning. 

To see what’s coming and what’s possible, just look at China. 

China is a hybrid. It has a market-driven economy, but it is run by a communist oligarchy. By itself, #capitalism cannot guarantee human rights. 

Since I reported last year on China’s new “social credit score” system, we’ve learned more about it. What we’re learning is jaw-dropping. 

Chinese officials say the system is necessary to stop terrorism, tax fraud, identity theft, voter fraud, child addiction to video games, and hundreds of other problems. And who wouldn’t want to stop those things? 

But power grabs rarely begin with brute force. Political or economic problems usually pave the way. That makes the need for a solution seem reasonable and logical. 

The problems are real, but China’s solution is a pretext. It is an excuse to consolidate the regime’s control over Chinese citizens. 

It is two evils rolled into one. First, it is a vast surveillance system that receives and coordinates data from all government agencies and many businesses. 

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation says China already has more than 200 million high-definition surveillance cameras in use with many more to come. They are connected to facial recognition software. The system also uses satellites and drones. 

The government monitors supermarket checkouts to know who buys what. The system knows who pays their bills on time and who doesn’t. It monitors how well they sort their garbage for recycling. It monitors all online chats, no matter how innocuous. 

In the future, the government will monitor what kinds of books the Chinese buy and which internet articles they read. Medical and dental records will be part of the system. Obviously, any kind of information about everyone will be fair game for use in the system. 

Second, it is a system of coercion and control. Using all of the information the government has gathered through its surveillance, every person is assigned a “social credit score.” 

Those with high scores (more favorable to the government) receive various perks. They get cheaper public transportation and shorter wait times. Since the government controls access to health care, a citizen’s social credit score may mean the difference between life and death. Bureaucrats may seek to reduce healthcare costs by eliminating less cooperative or desirable citizens. 

The social credit score decides what kind of job is available to each person. A score can get one hired or fired, promoted or demoted. 

Last year, 17.5 million Chinese citizens with low social credit scores were denied the ability to purchase airline tickets. The system blocked 5.5 million citizens from buying train tickets. 

And the complete system hasn’t even been fully implemented yet! 

China’s Communist Party (which rules the country) says the social credit system will “allow the trustworthy to roam freely under heaven while making it harder for the discredited to take a single step.” 

The problem is, the Chinese government trusts no one. 

Fortunately, most western nations have publicly condemned China’s social credit system. But that’s only a public posture since most of those nations are also struggling to solve problems like #terrorism, tax evasion, #voterFraud, and #crime. And many of them are quietly considering systems similar to China’s. 

Canada’s law enforcement agencies have instituted something called the “Risk-driven Tracking Database.” They are busily collecting all kinds of information, ostensibly to locate “at-risk” young people. 

If you’re a Christian in Canada, you should take note of this system. The Bible says many things that the Canadian government considers hate-speech. Will we reach a point where Christians will be arrested as a preemptive measure? 

It certainly seems we’re headed in that direction, and we’re headed there fast. 

Finally, with everything hurtling toward the apocalyptic climax of the end of the Age of Grace, this could be a time of terrible despair. But it doesn’t have to be. 

Our despair turns to joy when we come to know God’s greatest promise of all — Jesus Christ. 

More than two thousand years ago, Jesus stepped out of the Judean hills claiming to be God’s long-promised Messiah. Thousands believed Him. Others rejected Him as a fraud. 

For twenty centuries, Jesus has been the most controversial figure in the pages of literature and history. Great good and colossal evil have been done in His name. Wars have been fought over this gentle, Jewish prophet. 

On this week’s program, I am going to examine some of the reasons why I am firmly convinced that Jesus Christ is precisely who He claimed to be — the Messiah. 

Don’t miss this week’s Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, various local stations,www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings. 

PROGRAMMING NOTE: For those of you who watch The Hal Lindsey Report on TBN, I want to remind you that the program that airs on March 29 will be our last edition on TBN. I have been a regular on Friday evenings on TBN for the past 12 years, but financial considerations are causing us to alter our airtime commitments. However, you will still be able to find The Hal Lindsey Report on Daystar in our regular Sunday night slot, and on CPM Network, www.hischannel.com, and various local stations at our normal times. Of course, you can find all of my programs on demand at any time on my website,www.hallindsey.com. 

Thank you, TBN, for a wonderful and productive partnership the past 12 years for this show, and more than 40 years for me personally. Only God knows how many have been added to His kingdom through this partnership. And thank you, my blessed partners, for supporting this ministry through all of those years. You will share in a great reward for your faithfulness.

God Bless,

Hal Lindsey