Dictators - Precursors to the Antichrist

I read a lot, but I'm interested in most subjects. I guess I'm just about as eclectic in what I read as in the music I listen to. I have been reading two different books at the same time. One is "Caribbean" by James Michener. The other is "Talk of the Devil" by Riccardo Orizio. The first is a fictionalized retelling of historical events in the Caribbean Sea, the second is a collection of interviews with deposed dictators and/or their spouses.

At first glance you would not think they had too much in common. Michener has a tendency to focus too much on the "bawdy" details that help him sell his books, but detract somewhat from recognizing their historical accuracy. Orizio's book is mostly a "first-person" telling of his encounters with various despicable individuals.

Additionally, "Talk of the Devil" is fairly quick reading, but "Caribbean" is HUGE, more than 650 pages! In all honesty, were Michener to have written it simply as a history, it still would have been about half as long.

Both of these books cover the topic of dictatorships. Both somewhat humanize these individuals in such a manner that you can see that they thought what they were doing was needed at that time.

Does that make them right?

Throughout history there have been many more dictatorships than all other forms of government combined. Some few were relatively benign. Very few resulted in an improvement in the human condition.

As you might expect, most dictators were egotistical scoundrels of the first order.

Does the Bible speak of dictators?

"Woe to them that make wicked laws: and when they write, write injustice: To oppress the poor in judgment, and do violence to the cause of the humble of my people: that widows might be their prey, and that they might rob the fatherless." (Isa 10:1-2)drv

-and-

"So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun."
(Ecc 4:1-3)kjv

But, haven't dictators always been around?

"Now it happened on it certain day, that Joseph went into the house, and was doing some business without any man with him: And she catching the skirt of his garment, said: Lie with me. But he leaving the garment in her hand, fled, and went out. And when the woman saw the garment in her hands, and herself disregarded, She called to her the men of her house, and said to them: See, he hath brought in a Hebrew, to abuse us: he came in to me, to lie with me: and when I cried out, And he heard my voice, he left the garment that I held, and got him out. For a proof therefore of her fidelity, she kept the garment, and shewed it to her husband when he returned home: And said: The Hebrew servant, whom thou best brought, came to me to abuse me. And when he heard me cry, he left the garment which I held, and fled out. His master hearing these things, and giving too much credit to his wife's words, was very angry. And cast Joseph into the prison, where the king's prisoners were kept, and he was there shut up." (Gen 39:11-20)drv

Obviously, they have been here for quite some time.

"And the king hath done according to his will, and exalteth himself, and magnifieth himself against every god, and against the God of gods he speaketh wonderful things, and hath prospered till the indignation hath been completed, for that which is determined hath been done. And unto the God of his fathers he doth not attend, nor to the desire of women, yea, to any god he doth not attend, for against all he magnifieth himself." (Dan 11:36-37)ylt

There will never be a "good dictator," of that there cannot be any doubt. But, why have we had so many? Possibly more important, why would a nation, like ours, be gradually turning from a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" to one that is increasingly dictatorial? Just overcoming the ingrained prejudices inherited from past despotism has taken hundreds of years!

Why give these advances up now? What foul influence is contaminating so many people?

Actually, I think a lot of it is to establish precedence for evil. That way, when the ultimate dictator, the Antichrist, takes over, there will be a massive majority that believe, "We've always had dictators. What's wrong with that?"

Look around you, today. How many times have you heard... "We've always had crime," or murder, or floods, or infidelity, or tornadoes, or disease, or wars, or inflation, or dishonest politicians (choose any). Dictators? Big deal! That's what they will say. We've always had dictators.

But, why? What is it about repetition that calms peoples' worries? Could this continuing tendency toward despotism have a satanic origin?

Please remember that Satan does know Scripture, and he does know people, as well. We like to feel we are comfortable with events as they transpire. We look at the weather, and say, "I expect rain." Cold, wind, heat, hurricanes, it doesn't really matter, we like to feel like WE are in charge. The devil plays us all for fools in these matters. Why else would people keep consulting fortune tellers or horoscopes?

So we say, "Hey, but I believe in God! I'm a Christian!"

God's Word says, "You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder." (Jas 2:19)web

You must constantly be aware that there are evil plans afoot. You must prepare for them, and assist others to reach an understanding of what God has said, and what the future holds. Above all, do not fall into the trap of trying to "pin God down" as to dates and times. Remember, "But of that day and hour no one knoweth, not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone." (Mat 24:36)drv

Salvation is NOT an insurance policy!

God does not want you to live an evil lifestyle, and then get saved "just in the nick of time." He wants your all!

Consider these words of Peter's. "Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you; as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they do also to the other scriptures, to their own destruction." (2Pet 3:15-16)web

It isn't just the ignorant and unsettled who "twist" God's Word. One is coming who has made it his top priority to keep as many as possible from God's kingdom
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Don't let Satan be your dictator!

Scoffers

I wish we could just call them "doubting Thomases" but, unfortunately, they represent something far worse than that. These are people who are so influenced by satanic forces that they actively oppose God's Word.

Mind you, I do not mean to include those who are uncertain, nor those who are merely trying to figure out what it is they want to believe. I want you to know that there are many who aggressively fight against God. This group includes (but is not limited to) proponents of: witchcraft, naturalism, mysticism, evolution, and brain-damaged politicians who maintain that Christians "cling bitterly" to their religion.

We find warnings in the Bible about these individuals.

"First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will come scoffers who will do every wrong they can think of, and laugh at the truth. This will be their line of argument: 'So Jesus promised to come back, did He? Then where is He? He'll never come! Why, as far back as anyone can remember everything has remained exactly as it was since the first day of creation.' They deliberately forget this fact: that God did destroy the world with a mighty flood, long after He had made the heavens by the Word of His command, and had used the waters to form the earth and surround it. And God has commanded that the earth and the heavens be stored away for a great bonfire at the judgement day, when all ungodly men will perish. But don't forget this, dear friends, that a day or a thousand years from now is like tomorrow to the Lord. He isn't really being slow about His promised return, even though it sometimes seems that way. But He is waiting, for the good reason that He is unwilling that any should perish, and He is giving more time for sinners to repent." (2Pet3:3-9)tlb

Remember, God's time is His own. It is not up to us to decide when predicted events will happen, and it never has been so. Do you remember when Mount St. Helens blew up? There was an old man living up there, with more than a dozen cats. Many pointed out to him that the mountain was unsafe, due to the near-continuous shaking, and all the steam escaping from the ground. The old guy told one reporter, "Nobody knows this mountain like me." He stayed. The mountain blew up, and took him and his cats with it.

You see, it is easy to scoff, but you might not be right. Without God, you cannot be. Never doubt that which God has said will come to pass. He gave us His Word on it.

Peter did have a few more things to say on this subject.

"Dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen and for Him to come, try hard to live without sinning: and be at peace with everyone so that He will be pleased with you when He returns. And remember why He is waiting. He is giving us time to get His message of salvation out to others. Our wise and beloved brother Paul has talked about these things in many of his letters. Some of his comments are not easy to understand, and there are people who are deliberately stupid, and always demand some unusual interpretation - they have twisted his letters around to mean something quite different from what he meant, just as they do the other parts of the Scripture - and the result is disaster for them. I am warning you ahead of time, dear brothers, so that you can watch out and not be carried away by the mistakes of these wicked men, lest you yourselves become mixed up too. But grow in spiritual strength and become better acquainted with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be all glory and splendid honor, both now and forevermore. Good-bye." (2Pet3:14-18)tlb

Once again, we are reminded to spread the Word. It is why we are still here. Our Lord is not willing that anyone should lose the battle against evil, and his soul. While you are busy spreading the Good News, pray for everyone, even those who have doubts, and especially for the scoffers!

Remember this! Paul actively fought against Christianity! Jesus reached him, and turned him into an evangelist, probably the greatest of all time. How many more may there be?

Do right by God. He is counting on YOU!