While Bible prophecy only hints at China’s role in the end times, the country’s actions reveal how it may enable the Antichrist to dominate the world.
The Global Reach of the Antichrist
The Old Testament prophecies from Daniel and Ezekiel describe future battles led by the Antichrist against Israel with solely regional countries. These prophecies only hint at nations outside of the Middle East and North Africa.
Yet in the book of Revelation, we read about how the Antichrist’s reach will extend to the whole world. He will demand worship from all peoples, control world trade and even kill every person who does not pledge allegiance to him.
It is evident today that Israel’s prophesied foes lack the global reach that the Antichrist will ultimately hold. So how will this massive gap be bridged in the days to come?
To truly have a global influence on trade, communications and technology, the Antichrist will need resources the Middle East lacks. To gain these things, he will form alliances with countries that will ultimately yield their power and authority to him (Rev. 17:12-13).
The seeds of these alliances are already forming today, but only one of these alliances has the potential to provide the global reach of the Antichrist: China.
China’s Global Intentions
China leveraged its massive profits from inexpensive exports to build a formidable modern military, acquire foreign real estate and lend money to governments to increase trade.
No longer content to remain within its borders, China’s goal is to replace the U.S. as the world’s dominant superpower. Along these lines, China initiated the One Belt One Road program in 2013. The OBOR plan is to build a modern Silk Road through $1 trillion in infrastructure investments in nearly 70 countries.
OBOR’s goal is to connect China’s trade routes by land to Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. By sea, it will join its trade routes from the China Seas and the Straits of Southeast Asia through to the Indian Ocean and East Africa. In doing so, it will secure energy supplies and raw materials for China.
China is also gaining a foothold in global communications. Chinese wireless company Huawei is installing its 5G equipment worldwide. 5G will enable new technologies through connected smart devices in the “internet of things”—autonomous vehicles, smart cities and connected factories. This technology will be ubiquitous, used by consumers, businesses, infrastructure and national defense. This is precisely the type of communications technology the Antichrist will need to monitor and control the earth’s population.
Interestingly, China’s Middle East interests are starting to grow in the countries prophesied to lead the Antichrist’s war against Israel.
The Seeds of China’s Interests in the Middle East Sprouting
China’s OBOR initiative includes significant investment and economic ties to Iran and Turkey, both of which are destined to invade Israel under the Antichrist in Ezekiel’s prophecy of the war of Gog and Magog.
Under the OBOR initiative, China entered a 25-year “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” with Iran. According to a document leaked to The New York Times, the deal will lead to China investing billions in Iran. China will invest in Iran’s energy, transportation, banking and cybersecurity sectors. The draft also raises the possibility of cooperation on weapons development, intelligence sharing and joint military drills.
Turkey also stands to gain under OBOR. Turkey lies in a natural trade route, connecting Europe and Asia and was part of the original Silk Road. By establishing this new Silk Road, Turkey will build wealth under one of the most dangerous Middle Eastern regimes led by President Erdoğan.
Since 2016, Turkey and China have signed 10 bilateral agreements in areas such as health and nuclear energy. China propped up Turkey when the lira fell and has invested billions in bolstering support for Erdoğan.
As for Israel, China has attempted to invest in infrastructure projects, including its ports, water plants and telecommunications. However, the U.S. has pressured Israel to deny such projects over security concerns.
This is significant because while China is building bonds with Turkey and Iran through its large investments, it is being restricted from building such bonds with Israel. This aligns China’s interests more closely with Turkey and Iran than Israel because where its treasure is, its heart will also be (Luke 12:34).
But China lacks the hostility toward Israel that Turkey and Iran exhibit. Could financial interests be enough for China to take the side of the Antichrist against Israel?
Servants of the Same Master
China is trying to appear like a hero to the world in its global infrastructure investments. Its propaganda presents a benevolent superpower that has no interest in colonizing countries, unlike empires of old. But while it shows this image to the world, its actions within its own borders reveal its spiritual roots.
A servant will take on the appearance of its master. We see this in the final beast of Revelation, whose seven heads and 10 horns mimic the appearance of the red dragon, Satan (Rev. 12:3, 17:3).
Likewise, we can recognize the servants of the red dragon and antichrist spirit through the traits described by Daniel and John.
1. Deception and false prophecy: China is currently rewriting the Bible, defiling it with elements of Buddhism, Confucianism and Communism.
2. Enforcing allegiance through trade: China has implemented a social credit system with consequences such as determining what schools your children can attend, what jobs you can get and what business contracts you can enter.
3. Monitoring for compliance: China contains nine of the 10 most surveilled cities per capita globally—and under COVID-19, increased surveillance, installing cameras directed at people’s doors and inside their homes.
4. Demanding allegiance or loss of life: While China is not at the point of openly killing Christians, it will ruin the lives of those who refuse to bend their knees to the communists. It is destroying churches and imprisoning pastors. Its human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslims serve as an example of its capabilities.
5. Does as it pleases: China exhibits this behavior by exerting military power in the western Pacific, stealing intellectual property, perpetrating human rights abuses, polluting the environment and spying on other nations to steal their technology.
From these traits, it is clear that China is already in the red dragon’s grasp and under the antichrist spirit. In time, the Antichrist will rise in the north and will gain the power of 10 kingdoms. China is the most strategic “kingdom” the Antichrist could acquire to enable the capabilities described in Revelation 13. {eoa}
Kevin Connelly is the author of West Clouds Rising, a blog which posts signs of the end of this age and explanations of biblical prophecy.
Follow breaking news like this and more in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.
See an error in this article?
To contact us or to submit an article
