The above verses and many others I could quote predict the collapse of Western civilization and the rise of the antichrist. Revelation chapter 13 is much more specific regarding the rise to power and reign of the "son of perdition" who is the antichrist.

In this article we will examine the downward philosophical progression which is causing the breakdown of Western civilization.

Ancient and Medieval philosophy concerned itself primarily with metaphysics which includes the nature of being, the immaterial aspects of man and the immortal soul. Centuries later a sharp turn took place during the "Enlightenment" of the mid 1700s in which the emphasis shifted to epistemology which is the philosophy of the nature and origin of knowledge. A false epistemology gave rise to modernism in which revelation (the Bible) was set aside and man's reason was employed to attempt to discover a new moral absolute. Man, not God, was regarded as the source of wisdom and knowledge.

Another sharp downward turn came in the mid 1800s with the rise of Darwinism and the philosophical emphasis became anthropology which is the study of the nature of physical man. The tragic result of this was that the dominant minds of Western civilization embraced the notion that people are nothing more than hairless apes that emerged out of random chaos. Human life was no longer regarded as sacred.

Thus was the groundwork laid for the genocides of the 20th century. More than 100 million people, mostly professing Christians and Jews, were butchered by atheistic German/Japanese fascism and Soviet/Chinese/Cambodian/Cuban communism.

The great tragedies of the 20th century, including two world wars and several genocides caused great pessimism on the part of humanistic thinkers. Post World War II saw the rise of the secular atheistic existentialists Albert Camus (1913-1959) and Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980). Sartre, in his book "Nausea" describes humanity as a useless passion. Camus' novel "L'Etranger" was about "an absurd man in an absurd world." This is nihilism and hopelessness.

This is the bitter fruit of Darwinism and it's implicit atheism. In the Darwinian view man is said to have come about by accident, have no intrinsic value or purpose and in time is headed for extinction. In this arid soil an antichrist figure can rise to power.

The Christian view is that man was created in God's image. Human life is therefore sacred. People have purpose in relating to God and serving Him and enjoying His fellowship forever. Redemption and eternal life is for those who turn to God through Christ to receive forgiveness of sins.

The whole edifice of Western civilization was built on the premise that God has spoken to humanity and this revelation is recorded in the Bible. God has given the moral absolute. Christian Europe was the first continent to abolish slavery. The biblical commands give the foundation for the dignity of man, the value of the individual and human rights.

In having rejected divine revelation (the Bible) Western civilization now crumbles under the weight of socialism (denial of individual rights) and abortion/euthanasia (genocide against the weak and inconvenient). This is in accord with what the Bible predicted centuries ago. We are indeed living in the last days.

The Bible is scientifically accurate! Find the evidence at www.icr.org.  

Steps to salvation: Jesus said "Ye must be born again." (John 3:7)

1. Believe that God created you and loves you and sent the Messiah (Messiah is Hebrew for Christ) to redeem you.
2. Believe that Jesus the Messiah came in fulfillment of over 300 Bible prophecies to die for you to take upon Himself the penalty for your sins. (Isaiah 53:5-6, John 6:29, Romans 4:5, First Peter 3:18)
3. Turn from sin and call on the name of Jesus to receive forgiveness. (Romans 10:13)
4. Receive Jesus as Savior and experience the new birth. (John 1:12, Acts 2:38)
5. Follow Him as Lord. (John 14:21)

"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13)

To receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:

"Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen."

If you prayed that prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!

Bill Nugent, Overcomer Ministries of West Harrison, New York, USA

(C) 2010 William P. Nugent, permission granted to email or republish if credit given

< DEFENDING THE FAITH APOLOGETIC ARTICLES Bill Nugent currently writes a series of articles called "Defending the Faith" which, as the title suggests, defend the Christian faith from the many attacks leveled against it in our postmodern world. The articles deal with such topics as evolution, UFOs, cults, modern/postmodern philosophy, liberal theology and popular culture. At the end of each article is an invitation to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. These articles are sent out over the Internet to several opt-in email lists. People who receive these articles are encouraged to resend them to their own lists and in this way reach their own unsaved relatives and friends with the Gospel. All Defending the Faith articles are © 2009 William P. Nugent, permission is granted to email or republish if credit given. To receive these articles which are sent out once per month fill in your email address below and click the SUBMIT button. *Security: Write the characters in the image above (Case sensitive)