The Absurdity and Danger of analogies to the Holocaust

The proliferation of memes suggesting a connection to current events with the Holocaust ought to give us pause as citizens of a Republic who have the right to Free Speech, and it ought to trouble us further as Christians called to be light in a world of darkness.

1. Every analogy is by definition a minimization of the true horror of the Holocaust.
In theology it is difficult to convey accurate analogies about God because God is unique, nothing truly compares.  Fortunately, the Scriptures contain a number of analogies offered by God, such as that of Father or Shepherd, which we can use without fear that we're straying too far from reality.
When the Holocaust is used as part of an analogy, whichever thing is being compared to it must be of a lesser degree because no event in history can match the Holocaust in terms of the totality of the evil involved, its depth and breadth, its purposefulness {See: The Final Solution}, how many people willingly assisted it {See: Hitler's Willing Executioners}, as well as the danger of those working to deny its reality {See: Holocaust Denial}.  There may be no minimization intended by the creator or the one sharing a meme that uses the Holocaust as its point of comparison, but by drawing a connection between two unequal things, minimization will often be the result.  In the end, the Nazis and their willing accomplices purposefully and systematically murdered six million Jews, eight million Soviet citizens (including civilians and POW's), nearly two million Poles, hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Roma, and the disabled.  Nothing of this magnitude has every happened in human history, whatever thing is upsetting you, it is no Holocaust.

* Exceptions to the rule: Other acts of genocide like that which took place in Rwanda in 1994, against the Armenians during WWI, or those perpetuated against American Indians after 1492.  A sober minded and fact conscious comparison of acts of genocide to each other (sadly, the three examples only scratch the surface in human history) can help us understand how and why this inhumanity has occurred and perhaps even work to stop (or mitigate) such evil in the future.  Let's be honest, comparisons between the Holocaust and the Cultural Revolution seeking to understand their similarities and differences are not what are flooding social media.

2. No American political leader (past or present) has anything like the vision or will of Hitler's embrace of pure evil.
I get it, you don't like (fill in the blank) politician and you're convinced he/she is plotting to destroy our Republic.  Even if that were true (and it isn't) he/she would be a far cry from the next Hitler/Stalin/Mao.  Along the same lines, you may despise this or that creator of news/propaganda, but he/she/they are not remotely in the same league as Joseph Goebbels.  The truth is, for all our failures as a nation, America has rarely produced people as vile as those who propelled the Third Reich, and even more rarely have such evil would-be villains gained true power here.  For example, while there is little positive to say about Senator Joseph McCarthy today, in the end his obsession with finding Communist subversives was defeated through the normal political process and the application of public opinion.  For the most part, America has rejected demagogues, leaving men like KKK founder Nathan Bedford Forrest as a cautionary tale, not a hero.  When we jump to the comparison of the person(s) we don't like as Hitler or Nazis, we once again minimize how truly evil they were, and we wrongly associate that evil with fellow Americans with whom we disagree.

3. America is not a few steps away from Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia.
One of the things that these memes and analogies assume is that we are but a few steps away from either a fascist dictatorship or a communist totalitarian state.  In other words, they view our Republic as an extremely fragile thing, discount those who would refuse to be led in that direction, and assume that millions of brave men and women that wear the uniform as soldiers, police, and other government agents would go along with the nefarious plans of the liberal or conservative threat that you're afraid of.  Those two countries, and others who have fallen prey to authoritarianism, had significant historical and societal differences from the United States, differences that matter.
In addition, if the analogies to Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia were anything close to the truth, the Church in America would need to be an entirely ineffective force, brittle and ripe for takeover.  These comparisons are not only a sign of a deep pessimism about our country, but about the Church here as well.  Thankfully, pessimism about both America and the Church here is overblown.

4. Holocaust, Hitler, and Nazi memes/analogies shut down dialogue, deepen already existing divisions, and make violence and civil disorder more likely.
Self-fulfilling prophecy is a dangerous thing.  The more we declare that our political adversaries in America are evil enemies who must be stopped at all cost before they enslave and murder us all, the more likely it is that somebody will hear that rhetoric and follow through with violence.  After all, what is the point of attempting to peacefully coexist with genocidal maniacs?  In addition, it is now well known that foreign countries, those who consider themselves to be our geopolitical rivals, are actively using social media to inflame the passions of Americans against each other utilizing fake stories.  The sad thing is, they hardly need bother at times as Americans themselves seem all too eager to proclaim that fellow citizens of this nation are so evil they should be incarcerated, if not lynched.

This trajectory is unsustainable.  Either we will, as a nation, pull back from this destructive path as we have in the past or we will continue to lurch forward toward making our own fears a reality.

The Mark of the Beast isn't what you think.

1. The Early Church context of the Mark were certificates attesting to worship of the emperor.
In 249, Trajan Decius seized the throne of Rome.  He believed that the empire's troubles were caused by the neglect of the old gods (traditional religion was in steep decline, in contrast to the growth of Christianity and Mithraism).  "For Decius the solution was simple: enforce sacrifices on every citizen, man, woman and child, or at least the head of a household in the name of all of its members...It was obvious that the group which had most systematically avoided sacrifices in the empire was the Christians, and the confrontation which now took place turned a pitiless spotlight on an intransigence which had often previously been unobtrusive.  In 250 the new imperial policy was implemented with bureaucratic efficiency.  Those who sacrificed were issued with certificates of proof, some of which have been preserved for us in the rubbish pits and desert sands of Egypt.  The order was coupled with punishment, usually imprisonment but in some cases death, for those who refused.  Two later emperors, Trebonianus Gallus and Valerian, revived the policy in 252 and 257." (Christianity The First Three Thousand Years by Diarmaid MacCulloch, p. 173, emphasis mine.)
The generation who first received John's Apocalypse did not yet face such a stark choice, and persecution was localized not empire-wide for several generations, but the pressure to worship other gods (and the emperor as a god) already existed, both social and governmental.  The historical context points to a very strong connection to public false worship as the key element.

2. There is a long list of things that turned out to NOT be the Mark of the Beast.
Social Security numbers, bar codes, credit cards, cell phones, RFID tags, and now an upcoming COVID-19 vaccine have all been viewed, by some, as The Mark.  There's just one problem, each in turn has proven to be a false alarm, as will the current identification related to a potential vaccine, because none of them were connected to false worship (#3).  In addition, there will only be one period in history with a Mark of the Beast, and that will be the one where the events of Revelation are unfolding, without those clear and obvious precursors, there will be no Mark.  In case you're wondering, "Are those events already happening?"  The answer is no.  Whatever the correct interpretation of John's vision may be, it won't be ordinary history.  Life on this planet proceeds as it has for millenia, when they begin to occur, the Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls of Revelation will not exactly sneak up on anyone.

3. Every use of the term in Revelation is connected to worship of the Beast (false worship), thus it is a sign of chosen behavior, not an unwitting trap.
In the 4 passages below, Revelation 13:11-18, 16:2, 19:20-21, and 20:4, the Mark of the Beast is specifically connected to false worship.  Those who refuse to receive the Mark also refuse to worship the Beast, those who receive it also worship.  The overall picture of the Mark is not one of accidental acceptance or trickery.  The choice presented to the people is clear: Worship the Beast or be cut off from commerce/killed.  Note: This is the same choice faced by the Early Church.  There will be no accidental acceptance of the Mark (whether or not it is literal or figurative), only a conscious choice between one side or the other in the final showdown between God and all that oppose his will.

4. Those in Christ already have the Mark of the Lamb, and cannot belong to another.
One of the things that baffles me about the ongoing fear of a potential Mark of the Beast among Christians is that those who are in Christ are the only ones with nothing to fear from this future either/or choice.  Why?  We've already made our choice.  Those who are in Christ have already been sealed with the Holy Spirit, and cannot belong to another. {Ephesians 1:13 New International Version (NIV) And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit}.  In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul lists all the things that might possibly separate us from the love of God, only to reject them all as impotent compared to our designation as God's children.  What God has begun in us, he will finish.  So, why are some Christians afraid of being duped into accepting the Mark of the Beast?  The answers probably vary, but one of them is likely to be a lack of understanding about the doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints. 

So, unless the COVID-19 vaccine is only given to those willing to publicly worship someone who claims to have been healed from a fatal wound (Rev. 13:12) as an alternative to adherence to Jesus Christ, it is not, nor can it be, the Mark of the Beast.


Revelation 13:11-18 New International Version (NIV)
11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

Revelation 16:2 New International Version (NIV)

2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

Revelation 19:20-21 New International Version (NIV)

20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Revelation 20:4 New International Version (NIV)

4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Revelation 7:3-4 New International Version (NIV)

3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

Revelation 14:1 New International Version (NIV)

14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

Sermon Video: Heaven: Only Jesus look-alikes allowed - 1 Corinthians 15:44b-50

Having established our upcoming transformation at the resurrection, the Apostle Paul now focuses on the differences between our earthly beginning in Adam and our heavenly destination in Jesus.  The conclusion is stark: Our current state (flesh and blood, earthly, in Adam = rebellious state alienated from God) cannot enter the Kingdom of God (heaven).  Who can enter Heaven?  Only those who look like Jesus.  What picture of Jesus is painted in the Gospels?  Compassion, zeal, commitment, purity, love, humility, obedience, self-sacrifice, integrity, faith, hope, etc.  What chance have we of achieving this on our own? ZERO, NONE.  Our only hope is to accept God's grace through faith in Jesus.  Then, and only then, can we look like Jesus.
Have you put your trust in Jesus?  Have you turned from sin/evil in order to follow Jesus?  If you haven't, it is your only hope, as Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, the life, no one comes to the Father, but by me."  If you have, please get connected to a local church, become a part of what God is doing here in our midst.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Is COVID-19 a sign of the End Times? The danger of being The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

As the global pandemic from COVID-19 continues to disrupt our world in ways not seen since the Spanish Influenza, the predictable sermons referring to this particular outbreak as a sign of the End Times have also begun to multiply.  There are however, important reasons rooted in proper biblical interpretation, history, and evangelism to caution any Christian, let alone a minister of the Gospel, from declaring that he/she sees current events as a sign of The End.

Biblical Interpretation: The proper foundation for interpretation of Scripture, or of any written or spoken statement for that matter, is exegesis.  That is, drawing out from the text what its author intended to be there, rather than eisegesis, which is putting into the text our own thoughts or biases.  The need to do this is especially acute regarding the Word of God, as our primary focus must be to determine what message God intended to send through the human authors he inspired.  If we ignore the intended message, and replace it with an interpretation that is derived from what we want the text to say, we not only disrespect the Scriptures, but are functionally denying the doctrine of inspiration as well.
The danger of eisegesis is very present when seeking to interpret prophetic texts whose prophecies we believe to have not yet been fulfilled.  The reason is simple: every generation is tempted to see these prophecies as being fulfilled in their own lifetimes through the set of circumstances they are living through.  We need only look at the period of history before the life of Jesus to see this in action.  Numerous false Messiahs rose to prominence, exciting the people's expectations that the messianic prophecies were being fulfilled in their midst, only to have those expectations amount to nothing when the 'signs' turned out to be falsely interpreted.  Part of the problem revolved around this reality: There could be only one Messiah to fulfills God's promises, all others must needs be false alarms, either willing or unwitting charlatans.
So it is with the prophecies concerning the End Times.  Since they were given, an unknown but sizable number of those who believe in the validity of the prophecies in question have thought themselves to be living in the times in question.  There is evidence that some of the Apostles themselves believed that Jesus would return in their own lifetimes (John 21:22-24 for example), but they were wrong, the desire of God to further spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth continued beyond them.  When Rome fell, it was interpreted as the beginning of the End, but it was not.  And so on throughout Church History, as crisis after crisis and unexpected event after unexpected event were viewed through the lens of the End Times, and would-be Antichrists were 'identified', all to no avail.  The End had not yet arrived, the various interpretations of Scripture that claimed it had was faulty.  Only one generation can be correct on this matter, each and every preceding one will be wrong.
What differentiates this pandemic from the Spanish Flu or Black Death as being a 'sign of the End Times'?  What makes this government response a plot of the Antichrist as compared to previous government actions?  The only answer can be an act of eisegetical interpretation.  "Because I say so" is not a stable foundation upon which to understand and apply the Word of God.

In the end the words of Jesus must be authoritative.  I will be scoffed at by those who claim to 'see' what is going on, called a fool or a patsy perhaps as well.  But there is no way possible to get around the explicit statements of Jesus on this topic, the only workaround is to ignore them.  Immediately AFTER a detailed series of signs about the beginning of the end, Jesus says, "But about that day our hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36)  And then the very next statements of Jesus are multiple instances of warning about being in a constant state of readiness, no matter what, precisely because nobody knows when The End will come.  Hear this: It was not Jesus' purpose that one specific future generation would hear his words, interpret them correctly, and thus guess what "only the Father" knows.  How could they?  Rather, Jesus' purpose throughout the passage in question is that EVERY generation to come who would walk by faith would do so knowing that The End will one day come, as a surprise, and that each and every generation must live as if it will be interrupted by these cataclysmic events, and as if they will live out their days to a natural conclusion.  It is the tension of not knowing for sure when, but still knowing for sure, that we as disciples of Jesus are to embrace.

History: When looking back on history, we are not remotely living in times that justify a, "how could things get much worse?" attitude.  During the Middle Ages, the Church endured countless invasions of murdering barbarians intent upon taking women and children into slavery, who also regularly desecrated churches and slaughtered priests, as well as the unprecedented horrors of the Black Plague.  But these in time faded, with missionaries converting many of the pagans, and life improved. At the end of World War I, with the Austro-Hungarian and German Empires crumbling, Russia in the throes of Revolution, and four years of bloodshed on a scale unimaginable previously fresh in the collective nightmares of much of the world, Spanish Influenza swept the globe killing more than the war had.  And yet, it was not The End.  In those generations, there were many who 'saw the signs' and yearned for the Second Coming, but such was not the will of God.

One popular interpretation of the Apocalyptic literature in Scripture revolves around the notion of a One World Government (referred to these days as the New World Order).  In a previous generation, the United Nations was the sign of the One World Government, but the UN has sadly proven unable to prevent either war or genocide, let alone bring the world's nations together.   The European Union was supposed to be the harbinger of this, but now that unity is fracturing and far more likely to weaken than strengthen.  Nationalism is on the rise once more, not cooperation.  And yet, the response to COVID-19 will usher in a New World Order?  This is not the direction that the world is heading in, and even if it was, the interpretation of Scripture that sets forth this One World Government/New World Order as a 'sign' reflects the political/philosophical views of those promoting it (what they fear), not an exegetical interpretation of the relevant prophecies.  Remember, that the writers of the New Testament lived in an Empire spanning the entire Mediterranean world, and that our concepts of civil rights, personal freedoms, and constitutional liberties are foreign to their frame of mind, as is the fear of a government spanning multiple peoples/ethnic groups.  The history of the Ancient Near East was a history of multi-ethnic empires.  Therefore, when the interpretation of Apocalyptic literature in Scripture supplied by post-modern American Protestants happens to focus heavily on the this very fear, with a strong Isolationist and Libertarian element, how is it that this is supposed to reflect the original intent of authors to whom these concepts would be foreign?  How is this interpretation supposed to be one that could have been understood by the original audience?
Long story short, if the current interpretation of Scripture is more reflective of our own worldview than that of the authors, how can any 'signs' that we may see, even if they're seen correctly, be valid?  In other words, the 'sign' that you think you see is no sign at all if it has nothing to do with what the Word of God was actually predicting.  History has shown that even great theologians of the Church are not immune to reading God's Word through their own perspective and coming to erroneous conclusions because of that bias.  In the case of COVID-19, those who proclaim certainty regarding the End Times are guilty of both a recency bias (where current events outshine past ones in our minds) and the interpretation of Scripture through a post-modern American lens.

Evangelism: What, in the end is the danger of shouting, "The sky is falling!" prematurely?  We know The End is coming, what's the harm if we jump the gun?  The most immediate impact will be a distrust of our own government (not exactly a commodity with room to spare), as well as international medical associations, treatments, and vaccines that will lead people to, erroneously, balk at safety measures that they now view as tools of the Antichrist to institute the One World Government.  If this leads to violence, it will be doubly dangerous, but it will almost certainly lead to unnecessary deaths from this pandemic, especially if a vaccine is developed and refused by millions.  As dangerous as the implications may be in the public health/political sphere, they extend further.  What danger does it pose to the reputation of the Church and the sharing of the Gospel?
You don't want to be the next Millerites.  Who were they you ask?  The baptist lay preacher William Miller used calculations of Daniel's 2,300 Day prophecy to determine that the Second Coming of Jesus would occur on October 22nd, 1844.  When that day passed, those who had believed Miller's prediction suffered The Great Disappointment, and while most returned to their lives as they had been before, some sought explanations as to why Miller's calculations were slightly off, offering new dates in the near future.  Miller had tapped into a feeling of expectation that would be continued by the Adventists (whose doctrine of the Investigative Judgement is an attempt to explain the delay), the Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Mormons.  While one of those three retains orthodox trinitarian beliefs, the Witnesses and Mormons have left behind the teaching of the Apostles.  Church History has shown that 'certainty' about the date of the Second Coming is NOT a positive for the people of God, but a danger.

1 Peter 3:15 New International Version (NIV)
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

We are called upon to offer a explanation for the faith that we have.  That explanation becomes less comprehensible to those outside of the Church if they witness those acting in the name of Christ repeatedly proclaiming that they see 'signs' of the End, only to have the crisis pass and life return to some semblance of normal.  When the boy cried, "Wolf!" the villagers at first rushed to assist.  After several more false alarms, they ignored his final call.  The message of the Gospel is far too important for us to place an unnecessary barrier between ourselves and those with whom we hope to share the joy of faith in Christ.

An analysis of Rev. Danny Jones, "Is this Coronavirus a Sign of the End of the World?": 1 part very poor interpretation of Scripture, 2 part conspiracy theory = a danger to the Church

Recently the YouTube video of a sermon by the Rev. Danny Jones of the Northlake Baptist Church (GA) has exploded in popularity, and is currently being shared throughout my Facebook feed by various people.  So I watched the whole thing, took notes along the way, and offer this analysis:

If you want to watch the video, use the link below as it is from the church's own YouTube channel (thus no fear of editing) and the time signatures will match up with my comments {bold bracketed in italics}.  Note: I have no prior knowledge of this minister, am making no comments about his ministry as a whole or that of his church.  The matter at hand is the techniques, focus, and conclusions of this particular sermon.

Is this Coronavirus a Sign of the End of the World? - by Rev. Danny Jones, Northlake Baptist Church (GA)

24:30 - The sermon begins with a reading of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 with only a few comments
28:30 - Matthew 24 is referenced
29:30 - Daniel 2 is mentioned
30:24 - The interpretation of Daniel 2 is that no world empire is possible after Rome. {Daniel makes no mention of other empires beyond the 5 in his dream interpretation.  The Babylonians were certainly not a global empire, only a regional power.  Knowing that something will happen in the future does not preclude other things from happening.  This interpretation is adding to the limited point that the prophecy is making; perhaps not egregious, but a sign of things to come.}
30:30 - Daniel's 4th empire is connected explicitly with Western Civilization {Another eisegetical leap, while Daniel makes a connection between the empire of iron (typically thought of as Rome) and its follow-up, that of iron mixed with clay, to say that this must be something derived from Western Culture is not from the text itself.  Western Christians have always assumed that the Antichrist will be one of their own.  Is this a weird form of pride, as if our culture is the only one important enough for Satan to work through against God?}
30:44 - The terms "final world empire" and "One World Government" are first utilized in connection with Daniel 2.  {Daniel's prophecy says nothing about the prophesied empire being one that spans the world (the previous ones in the vision did not), thus is makes no claim that the empire of iron/clay will rule the whole world under one government.  This conclusion from Rev. Jones likely is drawn from other texts, such as Revelation, but not from Daniel 2.  Note the exact text of Daniel 2:39-43 below}
30:47 - "It will be weaker than the other empires, because they're going to try to build their New World Government by mixing and mingling the various ethnic groups around the world is what Daniel tells us."  {If this isn't a not very subtle critique of mixed-race marriages and other forms of integration, I'm not sure what to make of it.  Daniel is saying nothing of the sort; his text makes no mention of ethnic groups, and certainly isn't saying that an empire of mixed ethnic groups is weaker.  What kind of mixture will the people be, what will keep them from being united?  The assumption that this is about race/ethnicity is from Rev. Jones.  This is certainly eisegesis, hopefully it isn't racism too.}

Daniel 2:39-43 New International Version (NIV)
39 “After you, another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.  

31:30 - Daniel 7 mentioned
32:10 - Daniel 8 mentioned
32:40 - "This Antichrist will be a diplomat, a politician." {The text of Daniel 8 calls him, "a master of intrigue...He will become very strong but not by his own power." (Daniel 8:23-24).  This is a minor point, but part of the pattern of making assumptions and taking the prophetic texts further than what the authors are actually saying.}
32:55 - Daniel 11 mentioned
34:02 - Revelation 13 mentioned with respect to a "world government"
34:35 - Daniel 12, "transportation and information will increase, we've witnessed that during our lifetime." {Was Daniel talking about cars, planes, and the internet?  The text of Daniel says, "Many will go here and there to increase knowledge." (Daniel 12:4)  To state that Daniel was talking about the 20th century's technological increases is once again reading into the text what isn't there.  Why not the invention of the printing press, public education, steam trains and ships; why right here and right now?  Because it fits the overall narrative, not because it fits a proper exegetical interpretation of Daniel.  FYI, transportation and information have been increasing significantly for a thousand years, and have been on the rise since the time of Daniel.  Was Marco Polo a sign of the End Times?  He went 'here and there to increase knowledge'?  The point is simple: Making Daniel's words about "our lifetime" is entirely arbitrary.}
34:55 - "We've watched this Mystery of Iniquity in our time, for at least the last 100 years, billionaire bankers and businessmen have been trying to sell the world on a One World Government."  {A reference back to 2 Thessalonians 2, but once again one that makes huge assumptions.  #1 That Paul is talking about businessmen (and super rich ones at that) rather than any other type of influential person, #2 that Paul is talking about human beings at all, what prevents the 'secret power of lawlessness' from being from the spiritual realm?  #3 and that the Apostle Paul was talking in this text about a OWG.  Where in the text are the billionaire bankers trying to set up a OWG?  They are there in his interpretation because he needs them to be here to fit the narrative, not because Paul wrote anything to imply it.  Again, why now, why in our generation as opposed to a previous or future one?  Paul's words are no help in answering that question.}

2 Thessalonians 2:7 New International Version (NIV)
7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.  

Here ends the interaction with Scripture, roughly 1/3 of the way through the sermon, 8 texts have been mentioned in 11 minutes, none have been examined in detail.  What the listener is left with is an impression of a broad Scriptural foundation for the next 2/3 of the message, but is in reality only a cherry-picked collection of references that are not nearly as connected, nor as clear, as the specific interpretation offered by Rev. Jones is claiming.  Significant questions are not touched upon: Are the texts of Matthew, Daniel, 2 Thessalonians, and Revelation all talking about the same time period?  The same person?  If previous generations of Christians saw these passages differently (and they did, some equally applying the interpretation to their own times, also using eisegesis), what makes this interpretation better than theirs? (given that they were wrong, Napoleon wasn't the AntiChrist, the Reformation wasn't the start of the Millenial Kingdom, etc.)  Daniel's prophecies are 2,500 years old, those of the NT are 2,000 years old; on what basis is the conclusion made that they are being fulfilled right now, and that this is the only interpretation of that fulfillment?  Context matters, authorial intent matters, original audience interpretation matters; none of which have been examined here.  The perspective is us, here, now.  If we don't start our interpretation with them and there before considering its implications for us, here, our conclusions will reflect our circumstances and our priorities, not those of the Word of God.

From 35:44 to 1:02:37, Rev. Jones issues a string of conspiracy theory culprits, workers in the vast web of the OWG that he is weaving together to call into question everything about the COVID-19 pandemic.

35:44 - Marxism and the Hegelian Dialectic are posited as the lens through which the conspirators are operating.  It is insinuated that 'globalists' are the cause of terrorism, the global warming 'hoax', and various pandemics, all to be able to offer 'pre-packaged' solutions of more government control.
36:50 - Trump's presidential election {See 100:00:05 for the conclusion that no politician can stop the OWG.  That being the case, why would the globalists try to impeach Trump if he is powerless against their plotting?}
37:33 - When impeachment fails, the globalists next move is COVID-19 {Just one problem with the timeline, COVID-19 was already spreading BEFORE the impeachment process began.  Later, Rev. Jones states that COVID-19 was in the works even earlier as part of the globalist plot.  The 'globalists' are portrayed as nearly all powerful, able to shape the world, yet unable to remove one politician standing in their way?  Consistency is lacking, that's not a good sign.}
37:40 - Rockefeller, George Soros, Bill Gates, and Henry Kissinger listed as part of the conspiracy {Two Jews in the list of headliners, I don't know if this is a coincidence for Rev. Jones, but it isn't for many who agree with him.}
39:10 - Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey, and Ted Turner added to the list; along with the start of an anti-vaccine stance that will grow toward the end.
39:45 - The Davos meeting mentioned, will be repeated, as the cabal where billionaires plot to take over the world
40:20 - The US Army is involved (through DARPA)
40:40 - Bill Gates' Netflix movie, Pandemic (2017), "Is Bill Gates a prophet or is it a plan?" {The idea that Bill Gates planned and put into motion a global pandemic is hinted here, not with subtlety.}
41:15 - Johns Hopkins work with a Chinese doctor is mentioned, "interesting to note" {More guilt by association, more inferences for the true believers to nod at and say, "Oh, I see."}
42:00 - World Military Games in Wuhan in 2019 {Why mention this if not to imply that the US Military is part of the conspiracy?}
42:50 - Dr. Anthony Fauci mentioned, primarily as a dupe of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
45:01 - "Novel means Corona didn't come crawling out of the woods, makes you wonder where it did come from?" {It takes 30 seconds and Google to show how much nonsense this sentence is.  Novel actually means: not previously identified.  It says nothing about the origin of the virus, simply that we have not previously experienced it.}
45:50 - "I was planning on being a doctor, I was a pre-med major" {Less excuse for the last statement then.}
47:45 - "Something is going on there..." {Conspiracy theories, insinuations, these are not fitting for a preacher of the Word of God.}
48:10 - Bill Gates calls for a shutdown
48:45 - Where did it come from?  Either man-made by China or U.S. {Clearly a false dichotomy, one that dismisses the natural cause for a nefarious one, without proof.}
49:15 - "Bottom Line: This novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is a manufactured crisis, designed to deceive people to accept a radically different world" {First question: What has any of this to do with the text of 2 Thessalonians?  Second question: How does he KNOW, not suspect, not think, know?}
49:35 - Not saying people don't get sick or die from COVID-19 {Something, at least.}
49:45 - Flu comparison {Debunked over and over by real doctors, real professionals.}
50:25 -  30k deaths compared to a "low flu year" {The problem, of course, is that this sermon aired on April 19th, the number in the US has doubled since then, and is only going higher.  The flu comparison was wrong when he made it, is getting worse each day.}
50:35 - "Why are we being deceived and where are we going with this?"  According to Daniel and Paul: The Mystery of Iniquity to prepare for the Antichrist.  {Daniel and Paul said nothing of the sort, that's your conclusion being paraded as the fulfillment of their prophecy; this sermon doesn't serve the text of Scripture, it uses it as a prop.}
51:15 - Former President Obama thrown in for good measure
54:45 - With sermons now given online, "All of our words are being saved and stored in the NSA's new and huge data center in Utah, which as long as we have a government that's ok with Christianity is ok, but what if our New World Government is more like China?  Then our very words will be used against us in a criminal trial."  {Where to begin, evidently Big Brother is coming for us all too; and soon.  My sermons are public, always have been, I'm happy to have anyone hear them, including the NSA, if they're listening, which they are not.}
100:35 - Will you take the vaccine when it comes out?  The vacccine for COVID-19 is connected to biometric tattoos, Bill Gates, MIT, Davos, etc.
101:10 - Revelation 13, no longer about the vaccine, now about the Mark of the Beast with the U.N. named as the One World Government.  {The anti-vax movement is growing, and it will cost lives worldwide from preventable diseases.  If millions refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine because of conspiracy theories like this, people will die.  The 'this is the Mark of the Beast' false cries have been repeated endlessly; terrifying to know that now they will be used to scare people about life saving medicine.  This is entirely irresponsible, and morally repugnant.}
101:40 - Roman Emperor Domitian's persecution cited as a parallel, those who get the vaccine (it is implied) are one step closer to denying Christ.  {If that isn't the implication, why bring up that moment in Church History when Christians were given a choice between obeying the government and holding to their profession of faith?  Those who believe Rev. Jones would be fools if they accept the COVID-19 vaccine if/when it is a reality; if they believe him and refuse, some of them will die of COVID-19.}
1:02:37 - Is COVID-19 a sign of the End?  Don't know {A surprising conclusion given the past 45 minutes, but actually the correct answer.}

In the end, the interpretation of the Biblical passages is both brisk and faulty (eisegesis), 2/3 of the message has nothing to do with Scripture and everything to do with politics and conspiracy theories.  This message is dangerous, and there are many more like it.  Why?  Because it has real world implication for people's health and well being, AND it portrays to the Lost that followers of Jesus are anti-government, anti-vaccine, and not to be trusted regarding facts and truth.  COVID-19 is a controversial topic, but handing the Word of God this way in response is helping no one, and potentially harming many.