In the Book of Daniel, Daniel has a prophetic dream about five empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece (under Alexander the Great), and lastly the Anti-Christ's empire (Dan 2). At the time Daniel was living under the Babylonian Empire. Since then all but the last empire have come and gone. That last empire is built upon three pillars:government, economy, and religion (Rev 13\17). To get an idea of where we are prophetically, we must compare our world as it is today to the world of the Anti-Christ.
One World Government:
The last world empire is a global government headed by a political leader, the Anti-Christ. Anti-Christ simply means in place of Christ. Two things have to happen for world government to transpire. One is for the nations of the world to start coming together. This is already in progress. First there was the League of Nations followed by the United Nations. GATT and The World Trade Organization have tired together regions into political and economic unions. The 21st century has seen the push toward Globalization and open borders. These are all stepping stones toward a world government.
Second, the United States must fall. There cannot be a global government as long as a lone super power exists. This is also in the process of happening. Much like Rome in the last days the United States is in a state or moral and economic decay. The US has accumulated so much debt that it can never repay and the dollar is no longer worth the paper it's printed on. The world is looking for alternates to replace the dollar as the world's reserve currency. When the dollar finally dies the power will shift to the opposite side of the globe.
One World Economic System:
The Anti-Christ uses an economic system that controls what is bought, sold, or traded. Such a degree of control was not possible before modern technology. With the advent of computers and the internet, digital money has replaced paper money as the currency of choice. Unlike paper money however, digital money is not anonymous and can easily be tracked and controlled.
The Anti-Christ will also use a special mark to force people to swear allegiance to him. Anyone that doesn't take his mark cannot participate in the world economy. It's been speculated this mark is some sort of RFID chip or Tattoo placed on or under the right hand or forehead. This technology currently exists.
One World Religion:
The one world religion is headed by the Anti-Christ's partner in crime, the False Prophet. There are several contenders for a world religion:Islam, The environmental movement (which is basically Pantheism), Interfaithism. Which one will it be? I don't know, take your pick.
So how close are we? Close. Much of the foundation has already been laid. The stage is set, the actors are in place, and the last act is about to begin. I want to elaborate on what the last days or end of days mean. It's not the end of the world as some have surmised, but the end of an age and the end of human government. It will be the darkest period in human history but there is light at the end of the tunnel. After the final seven years God set's up his kingdom of peace that last 1000 years.
