+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE UNIFYING FACTOR OF WORLD RELIGION
by
ALAN MORRISON
www.diakrisis.org
AM@diakrisis.org
© Copyright Alan Morrison, Diakrisis International, 2001
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The scene is rapidly being staged for the realisation
of the key unifying factor of the world's religions today. It
has taken centuries for the various religions to adjust and transform
themselves to reach this condition of outward
parity and interfaithism. The recent destruction and terror in
the USA, coupled with the parallel demonising of
"fundamentalism", has cranked the religious scene even further into
a "world as one" mindset. That, of course,
has been a great part of its purpose.
Further acts of terror -- even more grandiose that
9/11 -- will catapult the religions (and governments) even
more closely into the facade of a global coalition, with the true teachings
of the Bible being sidelined as
"extremism" and those who believe in those teachings being stigmatised
as "fanatics" on a par with Islamic
terrorists.
But what IS the key unifying factor of the world's
religions today? It is the preparation for the coming World
Leader. The mainstream world religions and the theosophical movement
which lies behind the New Spirituality/New
Age harbour a teaching about a world leader who will appear in an apocalyptic
fashion supposedly to bring about
peace and justice on earth and set up a "Golden Age".
However, the vital difference between the (false)
religions of the world (including modern "Christianity"
represented at interfaith gatherings) and the (true) Christianity of
the Bible is that the only world leader envisaged
by the latter is known as the Antichrist and is the ultimate human
incarnation of demonic power. Thus, the
religions of the world are expecting a world leader who will be the
answer to the problems of the human race, and
true Christians are expecting a world leader who will be the greatest
deceiver ever to come into the world.
At present, numerous religious groupings and New
Agers are living in such an expectation. We have already
documented in a recent mail how Alice Bailey, mother of the modern
theosophists and New Spirituality, wrote in
1922 that a "World Teacher" would be born into this world before the
end of the twentieth century, and that
many occult initiates would be placed in key positions in government
and religion (including the churches) in order
to facilitate the revealing of this "World Teacher". (See her
book "Initiation, Human & Solar", Lucis Press,
pp.52-62).
But the world's main religions are also living in
expectation of just such a teacher. For example, the Shi'ite
Muslims believe that "God has designated a line of the family of 'Ali
to act as sources of spiritual guidance to the
community".[1] The various members of this family line are known
as 'Imams'. However, in the ninth century the
twelfth of the line disappeared, and this led to a hiatus in the manifestation
of the Imams. However, "the Shi'is
now await the return (raj'a) of the expected Imam, who will re-establish
a reign of justice and peace on
earth".[2] The significance to world events of this expectation
of the Mahdi, as he is called, should not be
missed. For the Shi'ites believe that
"towards the end of the world, before the Last Day
(Qiyama), a Mahdi, often identified with the returned Jesus,
will establish a reign of justice on the earth. In Shi'ism the
Mahdi is a vital figure, identified with the Hidden Imam
who will reappear and rule by divine prescription".[3]
The Ayatollah Khomeini was a Shi'ite Muslim and his
Iranian Revolution of 1978-9 was a Shi'ite-inspired event.
It is worth noting that after this Revolution, the Ayatollah Khomeini
became recognised as "Vilayat Faqih" or
supreme temporal representative in Iran of the Hidden Imam or Mahdi
who is still to come.[4] The power of the
Shi'ite Muslims worldwide is enormous. If a World Teacher was
to appear who could fulfil their expectations, his
powerbase would be immense.
But it is not only the many millions of Shi'ite
Muslims who are expecting a World Teacher to establish a reign of
peace and justice on the earth. Classical Buddhism also speaks
of the expectancy of a future World Teacher to
follow in the line of its founder Shakyamuni Gautama Buddha, who was
alive in the sixth century B.C. Establishing
the link even more profoundly, the name of their expected teacher is
Bodhisattva Maitreya, which corresponds
precisely with the name of the "Ascended Master" who expected to come
as the World Teacher by the New Agers
(see the table earlier in this section). There is yet another
interesting connection here: In Neo-Gnostic ideology,
the etheric retreat where the 'Ascended Masters' are reputed to live
is referred to as Shambhala. In the religion
of Tibetan Buddhism, the same name of Shambhala refers to
"a mystic kingdom ruled by the lineage holders of
the Kalachakra Tantra (Wheel of Time Tantra). It is said that
King Suchandra of Shambhala received this Tantra from Buddha in the
latter's eightieth year and entrusted it to
his successors, the last of whom, Rigden Pema Karpo, is expected to
return and establish Shambhala as a
universal kingdom".[5]
Once again, we discover in yet another religion this
idea of a coming World Teacher who sets up a Golden Age
on earth. Let us remember here that the Tibetan Buddhist Dalai
Lama, who is so influential in the New
Spirituality of today, occupies a similar role to that of the Ayatollah
Khomeini in terms of being the 'supreme
temporal representative' of the Buddha, until the coming of the Maitreya
to "establish Shambhala as a universal
kingdom". In anticipation of this occurrence, the Tibetan Buddhist
organisation known as Vajradhatu, with its
headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, has set up an imprint entitled the
"New Science Library Series of Shambhala",
which publishes many titles propagating the New Spirituality.
Another important factor to recognise, in relation
to the global expectation of a World Teacher who will usher in
a Golden Age on earth, is that the Jewish people of the world are still
awaiting their Messiah (Hebrew, Mashiyach)
to bring a reign of peace and justice on earth. This fact takes
on sinister proportions when one considers that
enigmatic statement of the Lord Jesus to the Jews that, although they
would not accept Him as Messiah, "if
another comes in his own name, him you will receive" (Jn.5:43).
Here we begin to gain an insight into the true
identity of this World Teacher expected by so many of the world's religions.
As Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430)
rightly states, concerning the words of the Lord Jesus to the Jews
in Jn.5:43: "He intimated that they would
receive Antichrist, who will seek the glory of his own name".[6]
Now we can see where the modern state of
Israel will figure during the closing days of this present age.
Surely Israel will figure as a key element in the
acceptance and promotion of the Antichrist whom the world will regard
as its great new teacher, having believed
his lies and been deceived by his sorceries and false miracles.
Numerous other cults and groupings hold beliefs
which are significant to this concept of the coming World
Teacher. Among them, the American Indian Hopi tribe has been
lending support to the spiritual timetable of the
New World Order. Special dates have been given in Hopi prophecy
as being auspicious to the approaching
quantum leap in evolution which is associated with the coming of the
World Teacher. Another fact pointed out by
the New Spirituality people is that all the prophecies of the Mesoamerican
Mayan culture –– for whom they have
great admiration –– culminate in the year A.D. 2011, by which time
they expect their earthly millennium to have
been well-established.
What are Christians to make of all this millennial
expectancy and the advent of a "World Teacher"? Surely, just
as the idea of a future Golden Age on earth has been fabricated by
the powers of darkness as their strategy for
the Last Days, as a way of seducing people away from the fact of eternal
life in the New Heavens and New Earth,
so they have also dredged up the idea of a coming World Teacher who
will set up a reign of "peace and justice" on
earth –– all in crass counterfeit of the Second Coming of the true
Christ, who will establish a heavenly kingdom
after the final judgement has wreaked its havoc on this earth.
Many of the New Gnostic sects even refer to their
coming World Teacher as 'The Christ' –– a description which will no
doubt be used to persuade untaught and
undiscerning persons who profess to be Christians that this character
is the actual returned Jesus Christ. Surely,
it is not impossible that such a one as this expected "World Teacher",
who will have great occult powers and
enough political panache to satisfy all, will actually come in the
near future.
The people of the world today are crying out for
a strong leader to steer them through the insecurities of the
twenty-first century. Naturally, such a leader would have to
be highly ecumenical if he is to satisfy the
requirements of all the sects and religions who are awaiting his coming.
But that is not beyond the bounds of
possibility, given the present syncretist outlook of the world (see
our article "The Hidden Agenda of the
Ecumenical Movement" for details of this). However, if and when
such a world leader does appear, he will surely
be the Antichrist shown by the Bible to appear and rule on earth for
a brief time as Satan's figurehead before
being destroyed in the return of the true Jesus Christ (2 Th.2:3-11).
In view of the Scriptural data, it is clear
that there will be a large degree of deception about this event when
it comes to pass (2 Th.2:9-11), especially
when we consider that there are a great many professing Christians
who are also expecting Jesus to set up a
kingdom of peace and justice on the earth! We should remember
the warning of the Lord that false christs can be
so beguiling that they have the potential to deceive even God's people,
if such a thing is possible (Mt.24:24).
Remember also how He added emphatically, "See, I have told you beforehand"
(Mt.24:25).
The details that we have revealed in this brief
article give some considerable credence to the idea that the
powers of darkness have carefully planned out an occult agenda which
will be most compelling in its power and
global in its execution. The question is this: Will we be taken
in by its subtle seduction, or will we be informed
enough to resist it successfully? And if we resist it, will we
be courageous enough to accept the consequences?
Do not be taken in by those who tell you that you will be "raptured"
off the planet before things get that bad.
What an escapist deception that has been! Instead, be prepared
to suffer and die for what you believe in.
If you are a Christian believer, you will not have
to go through the Final Judgement on this planet, when it is
poured out; but we will be an important witness during the time of
persecution and delusion known as the Great
Tribulation.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
REFERENCES:
[1] John R. Hinnells (ed.), The Penguin Dictionary of Religion (Penguin,
1984), p.161.
[2] Ibid., pp.162-164.
[3] Ibid., p.198.
[4] Ibid., p.58.
[5] Ibid., p.294.
[6] Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John,
Tractate XXIX, §8.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
October 11th 2001
© Copyright Alan Morrison, Diakrisis International, 2001
Diakrisis International
AM@diakrisis.org
http://www.diakrisis.org
===============================================================
© Alan Morrison, Diakrisis International, 2001