End of Free Speech

Among the freedoms that totalitarian regimes can not tolerate is free speech. Thus we should expect to see an assault on free speech as the stage is set for the totalitarian world government the Bible says we'll have prior to the return of Jesus. Indeed there are rumblings of this very thing in the United States where free speech has been sacrosanct for so long...

The Federal Government has been talking about regulating Internet journalists and bloggers. President Obama’s man at the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Cass Sunstein, has been advocating holding blogs and alternative Internet news media “responsible” for the information they publish. Sunstein's book titled “On Rumors: How Falsehoods Spread, Why We Believe Them, What Can Be Done” discusses plans for imposing online censorship.

It seems that the Federal Government prefers the big corporate news outlets that they can depend on to promote their agendas. The blogosphere limits the effectiveness of the mainstream news networks which is effectively a check on the power of government thus the government is compelled to regulate it. And the day will come when it will be. This will be the role of the Antichrist's right hand man called the False Prophet in the Bible. Revelation 13:15 says, "He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed" (NKJ).

The world-wide government that is coming will not tolerate disagreement with the Great Leader. Many will scoff at this thinking that day is far enough off that we have time to make the necessary mid-course corrections. But a crisis can cause governments to seize power very quickly and since we are already seeing the birth pangs of the Tribulation, we can expect a series of ever more serious crises that governmental authorities will not let "go to waste."

Technology is a double-edged sword. While it can be used as a check on the government propaganda, governments can also use it to squelch dissidents. For example, Nokia-Siemens Networks just admitted accommodating Iran's brutal crack-down on anti-government demonstrators last year by selling mobile phone surveillance equipment to the authoritarian regime. Governments have access to technology that they can use to squelch free speech and they will not hesitate to use it when their power is threatened.

Free speech is a blessing from God. Jesus promised His followers that, "you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). It is a wonderful freedom to be able to speak of the great truths God has revealed to us in His Word. There is no greater privilege than to be a purveyor of His truth. This is something we should all take full advantage of before the window of opportunity closes. As Jesus said, "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work" (John 9:4).

Truth has an amazing way of becoming manifest despite the best efforts of those who seek to suppress it. Even if the Antichrist totally controls the Internet during the Tribulation, God will make it possible for people to learn the truth about Him. But this will be a much harder time to be a follower of Christ because the government will hunt down believers and kill them, see Revelation 13:7.

If you have not yielded your life to Jesus, don't delay; all indications are that this present Age of Grace is rapidly coming to a close. Start following Jesus today and you will join us in the Rapture. The longer you delay, the greater your eternal soul is at risk.