We have been talking about how the stage is being set—religiously, geopolitically, technologically, historically, and prophetically—for the fulfillment of the Second Coming prophecies. Nowhere is this preparatory process more evident than in the modern Ecumenical Movement.

The word “ecumenical,” derived from the Greek oikoumene, means “general, universal, catholic, or worldwide.” The Ecumenical Movement, then, is seen by some as an effort to establish a global religious order encompassing many different faiths.

Philip Schaff, the famed 19th-century church historian and ecumenist, envisioned a utopian age when the distinctions among all churches and sects will be done away with and “something wholly new will gradually arise,” like a phoenix, from the ashes of old religious conflicts (America, 1855).

More recently, ecumenists like Richard Norris have questioned the wisdom of Schaff’s vision of a worldwide super church (“What Is Christian Unity?” in One in Christ 18 [1982]: pp. 117-130). They are reluctant to entrust one worldwide institution with so much power and influence.

Yet this is precisely what the Bible says will happen at the end of this age. The world’s political institutions will come together under the authority of the Antimessiah and his global government, and its religious institutions will come together under the auspices of the False Prophet and his worldwide religious order.

The Ecumenical Movement, then, is preparing the way for the Antimessiah and the False Prophet in at least two ways. First, it minimizes the priority of correct doctrine. Ecumenists tend to dislike doctrine. They see it as unnecessarily divisive.

However, it is wrong to assume that unity and truth are mutually exclusive. In reality, they are inseparable. True unity, in fact, is always based on truth. Jesus made this clear in His prayer for unity in John 17, where He said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (v. 17). Also, the unity of the Early Church was based on “the Apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42).

Second, the Ecumenical Movement provides common ground upon which diverse religious traditions may unite. Ecumenists say we are all sons and daughters of God, no matter what we may believe. They teach that all religions have validity, and that there are many ways to come to God, rather than only one way. But their gospel of inclusivism is not the Gospel of the Bible.

As we approach the time of the end, we can expect to see more high-profile religious leaders joining this ecumenical crusade. In this respect, the December 24, 1999, edition of CNN’s Larry King Live program may have been a harbinger of things to come. The theme of the program was “Religion in the New
Millennium.”

The three guests—linked by satellite from different parts of the world—were Dr. Robert Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral (Reformed Church) in California, Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), and South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

In response to one of Larry’s questions, Schuller said he was visiting the Middle East at the invitation of one of the world’s leading Muslim leaders, the Grand Mufti of the Great Mosque in Damascus. Archbishop Tutu was live at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, and Hinckley was at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City.

At one point in the program, Larry King asked the Mormon leader, “President Hinckley, do you think, really, it’s possible that Reverend Schuller’s dream [about bringing Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious leaders together] and what Archbishop Tutu just said can happen? Do you think that all peoples, all religions, despite your differences, can come together?” Hinckley answered, “Well, I would hope so. I hope that’s a possibility. I think that things are better than they’ve ever been. We have differences, of course we do, but there’s a greater spirit of tolerance. I think a greater spirit of acceptance of other religions. We must recognize that all our men and women are sons and daughters of God. If they’re sons and daughters, they’re brothers and sisters. We’re all of one great family, the family of God. And we must learn to get along, one with another, respect one another.”

Those were the words of the Mormon president. Is he right? Should we respect other peoples’ right to hold their own religious beliefs? Yes, of course we should.  But is it true that all of humanity is “the family of God,” and that Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims are all brothers and sisters? No, it is not.

Anyone who has not received the Lord Jesus Christ is not part of the family of God: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). The only way to become a child of God is by faith in the Messiah (Gal. 3:26).

Is there anything wrong with different Christian denominations coming together and working in cooperation with one another? Certainly not—that is, as long as essential doctrines (like the virgin birth of the Messiah, His deity, the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, and salvation by grace apart from works) are not compromised. Unity is desirable whenever it can be achieved without compromising the fundamental truths of God’s Word.

Indeed, Jonathan Edwards, the distinguished Congregational preacher and scholar, as early as 1747, called for unity in the Body of Messiah in a monograph entitled Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of God’s People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth Pursuant to Scriptural Promises and Prophecies Concerning the Last Time.

It was this desire for unity that later gave birth to the Evangelical Alliance in England (1846), followed by the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in the US (1908), the Interchurch World Movement (1919-20), the Faith and Order Movement (Lausanne, 1927; Edinburgh, 1937), and the Life and Work Movement (Stockholm, 1925; Oxford, 1937), just to name a few.

It is perfectly natural for true Christians to want to cooperate and fellowship with one another. The Bible vigorously denounces schisms and divisions in the Body (1 Cor. 1:10; 3:3; 11:18). The problem with ecumenism, however, is not in its desire for unity, but in its willingness to modify basic doctrinal beliefs in order to achieve that unity.

Ecumenism, in fact, has now evolved to the point where it has the power to attract adherents from many different religious traditions, including non-Christian faiths like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Bahai Faith, African Traditional Religion, and Islam.

This is precisely the kind of drawing power the Antimessiah will need to bring together the religions of the world during the coming Tribulation Period.

Summary

To the untrained observer, these developments in our world may seem like random occurrences, unfolding without rhyme or reason. But is it really true that life on earth is driven by random forces of chance, like a roll of the dice? Is it merely some remarkable accident that so many prophetic benchmarks have intersected at this specific point in history, in our generation?

Surely not. The evidence for a divine guiding hand is overwhelming. According to the prophetic Scriptures, the next two major players in God’s end-time drama will be the Beast (or Antimessiah) and the False Prophet. As we have seen in this series of studies, the stage is being set for the advent of this demonic duo in numerous ways.

Religiously

The 20th-century Ecumenical Movement is the precursor of a 21st-century, global religious order including all of the world’s major faith traditions, both Christian and non-Christian. This movement will provide a platform from which the Beast and False Prophet can press their campaign for world domination.

Geopolitically

The so-called “New World Order” is not new at all. It is merely an extension of the ancient Roman Empire, which extended European rule throughout the known world two millennia ago. The Roman Empire has risen again in our generation for a repeat performance.

Technologically

Satellites, wireless communications, and computerized microchips are the basis of a global infrastructure that makes true world rule possible for the first time in history. A Visa or MasterCard from your local bank will work anywhere in the world.

Television programming can be seen simultaneously in every major city in the world. E-mail delivers messages instantly between computers thousands of miles apart. The net effect is that the world is smaller—and therefore easier to govern from one central location—than it has ever been.

Historically

The prophetic Scriptures show us that all the events of history are moving toward one grand, apocalyptic climax. The Prophet Daniel, with amazing precision, outlined four successive world empires spanning history from the 5th century BC to the 21st century AD.

Prophetically

Prophecy, after all, is history written in advance. All that the prophets have declared must come to pass: “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isa. 46:9-10).