The Bible has much to say about the “last days” and “time of the end” describing the revolution in communication technology and forewarning of the increasing dissemination of misinformation. “… Shut up the words,” God said to Daniel, “and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro [a reference to the availability of rapid mass transportation] and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4, emphasis added throughout). The time of the end is the era of the “increase” of “knowledge.” Our age is rightly called the information age as Daniel’s prophecy implies.
Bible prophecy also predicts a global culture of violence and self-absorbed pleasure culminating in the rise of a world dictatorship and massive religious deception. A political leader referred to as “the beast” and a religious leader the Bible calls “the false prophet”will powerfully manipulate the world-wide news media to dazzle the world with apparent supernatural acts most people will erroneously think are divine.
Revelation 13:13-14 explains that the false prophet “performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast …”
At around the same time the prophesied appearance of the “two witnesses” will take place. Although these men are public witnesses to God’s existence and the world needs to heed these biblical warnings, most people will not believe them, even though the Bible indicates they will be seen and heard throughout the entire world.
We then read in the book of Revelation people of every nation will simultaneously see the murder of these two prophets of God in Jerusalem: “And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city … where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 11:8-10).
After these events, the whole world will be astonished when they view the resurrection of these two witnesses and their ascension to heaven: “Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them” (Revelation 11:11-12).
These astounding prophecies clearly describe technological developments that have only occured in our lifetime when, via television and more advanced electronic media, news is simultaneously broadcast throughout the world.
