Nearly all world religions teach that this world will pass away and become (or be transformed into) a utopia. It has already been stated that according to the Biblical account and other end times writings, that a great war will be the catalyst for the Garden of God being established. When examining numerous texts on this issue, one learns that there are several significant events that will lead up to this great war. This initial period, and the events that will take place within it, are known as “birth pains”. What is the reason for such terminology? In the same way that during the birth of a child the mother suffers tremendous pains, but in the end these pains give way to great joy when she holds her child for the first time; so too will the sufferings that precede the establishment of the Garden of G-d be remembered no more by those who will enter into this Garden.

The birth pains will begin with numerous events that will bring about an instability in the world. First, there will be a significant change in the morality of people. Most of the world will become more tolerant toward behaviors that were once considered inappropriate. However, there will be a substantial minority that will become very intolerant and exceedingly violent to perceived violations of their moral and religious views. These differences will be a basis for conflict that will bring about several negative consequences. There will be sharp divisions between people. Those who embrace these strict moral positions will do so based upon religious convictions. These differences will also give rise to political and social instability. Such instability will not only be based on religious views, but varying political philosophies. 

POLITICAL PHILOSOPHIES

There are two basic political philosophies that can be manifested into a multiplicity of different political movements. The first philosophy places the power and rule within some government leaders and supporters. These leaders have vast power, which is eventually used to oppress the masses. Individual rights will become less valued and prevalent. The second political philosophy is vastly different. Governmental leaders are seen as merely representatives of the people. The power does not rest within the government, but with the people. The power to replace the governmental leaders is exercised frequently, and there are numerous checks and balances to ensure that the people’s power is not usurped by leaders. Human rights and freedoms are foundational to this political philosophy and must be cherished by its citizens. Rights such as the freedom of speech, protest, assembly, religion, and to possess weapons are essential to the survival of this political philosophy. Two other ingredients are the press and a judicial system. The press must be allowed to investigate and publish or transmit journalistic presentations freely to the public. The judicial system must preserve the equality of all citizens, regardless of personal factors such as race, religion, ethnicity, etc.

ARE WE HEADING TOWARDS A GLOBAL COLLAPSE?

As this world moves to the beginning of the birth pains, there will be a shift among those nations which practice the second type  of political philosophy to the first type. In other words, when a person sees the aforementioned rights and freedoms being stripped away in the countries that have enjoyed such liberty previously, then this one should give consideration that the birth pains are near. There will not only be social and political instability, but economic instability will likely be the greatest reason for moving the world forward to the end times. There will be several sources for a significant economic down turn. First, there will be an increase in costly national disasters such as earthquakes. These disasters, mixed with a gross fiscal mismanagement of civil authorities (governments), will have a tremendous negative effect on the economies of the world. The major economies of the
world will not be rich, but rather greatly in debt. As more and more of these nations struggle with debt, they will not have the  means to stop one country after another from suffering economic collapse.

THE UNITED STATES AND ITS IMPLICATIONS IN PROPHECY

The United States of America is not the wealthy nation that people think; rather, America is the greatest debtor nation. It is not simply a matter of how much debt does a nation have, but the debt, in ratio to the country’s revenue, is also a major indicator of a country’s economic condition. In the United States, this ratio is growing at an ever-increasing rate. Despite much rhetoric from government leaders, U.S. debt continues to mount and is projected to become significantly worse. America’s weakening economy has been a major factor in the lessening of the United States’ ability to influence other nations. Today, more than ever, it is clear that the United States of America is not the world leader it once was. Terrorist groups and rogue nations have taken notice of America’s crumbling economy. For them, a weak America and global financial instability serve as an invitation to press forward with their objectives. These objectives make the world a much more dangerous place, denying an ever-increasing number of people throughout the world basic human rights and freedoms. In actuality, fear and creating financial problems are the primary
goals of terrorist groups. 

TERRORISM ON A GLOBAL SCALE

The purpose of most terrorist activity is not to cause the greatest number of casualties, but rather to inflict the largest financial costs as possible. Simply the threat of a terrorist act in major urban areas like New York City can cause the government to expend great sums of money. In November 2015, Brussels was literally shut down due to the threat of a terrorist act. The financial loss to the city was staggering and although no one was injured, the terrorists scored a major blow to the city’s economy which was felt throughout Belgium.