What does the Bible say about world conspiracy theories? Do they belong to the prophetic Word? In this series, we go into this and other connected questions. Read here Part 7.

Even in Revelation 1:1, the whole theme of the book is made clear: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” The book of the Revelation shows us in a unique way the glory of the Lord Jesus. He is the Lamb who is worthy and the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He opens the book with the seven seals and determines the events that take place on this earth and has control of them. 

In Revelation 4:5, we read, “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices….” With this, it becomes quite clear once again: God is not a passive onlooker, who ultimately allows some secret organization to be in charge for decades, but He is the active One. All the judgments which come upon the earth, come from His throne upon an unprepared humanity. Whether they be the seals of judgment, the trumpet judgments or the vials of wrath, it is the exalted Christ who gives the command and thereby overthrows all the plans of mankind.

In Revelation 6, He—and not some secret brotherhood—gives the rider on the white horse the victory. He takes peace from the earth. He—and not the FED or the Bilderbergers—sends famines and economic crises. He allows the powers of darkness, death and hell to invade. Even at the sixth seal, there is nothing to be seen of a conspiracy or steering by humans. The mighty men of the earth attempt to hide from the wrath of the Lamb in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains.

Then in Revelation 8 and 9, the seven trumpet judgments of the seven seals develop. Once again, mankind is completely taken by surprise by the first four trumpet judgments. At the fifth trumpet, another invasion by the powers of darkness takes place. In chapter 9:6, it becomes apparent how mankind loses all control. The people want to die and cannot. Also, the collision of the armies of this earth at the sixth trumpet does not come from any secret conspiracy plan, but from the judgment acts of God. This same thing applies to the seven judgments of the bowls. They are God’s judgment, which men and their mighty leaders can do nothing against.

Now to Revelation 13 and the appearance of the beast. We know that this beast, the Antichristian empire, will arise out of the sea of nations. The Bible does not give us any clear hint, however, that this arising is preceded by a decades-long or centuries-long master plan of a secret organization. Think of Hitler again, the forerunner of the Antichrist, who did not even take ten years to arise and develop his power out of the chaos of the Weimar Republic—even against the political trend of that time, which appeared to be driving Germany rather in a Socialist direction.

In Revelation 13:1, the beast (as also the other beasts in Daniel 7:3) arises out of the sea. In Isaiah 51 it is about God’s mighty acts in history. This chapter makes it clear how, in spite of all people and powers, He is carrying out His plan, “I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is his name” (Isaiah 51:15). In the first place, it is about God’s power and magnitude, which are demonstrated for us in the so incalculable powers of nature. The roaring sea is a picture for the world of nations in the books of the prophets. In Revelation 13:1, it is clear who stands above the arising of the Antichristian kingdom and holds the strings in His hands—even if Satan, according to Revelation 12:17 and 13:2, attempts to play his last trump card through this.

If there is any mention of a conspiracy, then this is only in three places. Once in Revelation 13:11. There another beast is spoken of, the false prophet, who seems to confirm the rule of the Antichrist through false signs and wonders. The second place is in Revelation 16:13-16. Through the deception of demonic spirits, the world’s armies are gathered for the battle of Armageddon. Finally, in Revelation 17:12-13, there is mention of ten kings who give their power and strength to the beast. But all this, including the worship of the beast and the dragon by mankind, takes place after the appearing of the beast and not in a long-term plan in stages.

When we read Revelation 12 and 13 together, there is something further we need to note. The woman in Revelation 12, who gives birth to the Lord Jesus, is Israel. The dragon attempts to deal with her and destroy her. He is not able to do this. And so he pulls out all the stops in Revelation 13. All the promises of the first and second coming of our Lord are inseparably connected with the land and people of Israel. If the devil were able to destroy both, God would be a liar.

Allow me the question again: who is the target in the majority of these conspiracy theories? It is the USA, the Freemasons, the Bilderbergers—all systems which allegedly are controlled in the background by world Judaism. Against whom does the dragon—through the beast in Revelation 13—fight? After a time of deception, ultimately to do away with Israel, the eternal trouble-makers and bringers of misfortune of world history. Just as Hitler did this. Do you understand my question any better now, what these conspiracy theories are about, when the Antichrist ultimately (like Hitler) appears on the scene as the great exterminator against the alleged Jewish conspirators?

The conclusion we come to from the books of Daniel and Revelation is the following: in the time preceding the Antichristian empire, we find no trace of a decades-long conspiracy or master plan of any kind of secret brotherhood. God remains the sovereign One on this earth, in spite of all the apostasy and the influence of the powers of darkness which precede the appearing of the Antichrist.  

(MR0811/473)