One of the hallmarks of liberal thought a century ago was that man was improving himself so much that society would get better and better.

Then the butchery known as the Great War commenced. It was followed barely a generation later by the barbarism of European and Asian dictators.

Now, in the Church, there is a sizable segment that believes in what is called “Dominionism,” which is the idea that the Church will grow stronger and stronger, and hand-off the Kingdom on Earth to the returning Christ (whenever that is).

And yet, what are we witnessing? A rising Utopia? Is the world getting better? This goes far beyond the old Reagan line, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” I would suggest we are watching so much end-times Bible prophecy being fulfilled, it’s hard to keep up with it all!

One of the watershed moments of my life occurred last evening, as I sat with my family to watch a movie. It was then I saw the S&P downgrade of the U.S. credit rating.

Then today we read that the U.S. Postal Service is near default. A few months ago it was awakening to the Japan earthquake that made the world tremble. European countries began discussing the possibility of shutting down some of their nuclear reactors.

And we all know how unstable the world economy is. Or do we?

For generations, Americans lived pretty much the same way. Little changed. Now our entitlement programs are on the verge of collapse, we wonder how we will receive mail, and a thousand other things occupy our minds.

Against this backdrop, the biblical view of society’s eventual collapse stands unshaken.

For example, in the book of Revelation, we read about the so-called “Mark of the Beast,” some type of tracking system humanity will need to engage in regular commerce. We are told it will be a mark in the hand or the forehead.

As Ron Rhodes pointed out on Jan Markell’s radio program today, one of the attractive features of going cashless, for banking systems, is the absence of counterfeit currency. Another is the fact that so many germs ride our dollar bills, electronic banking and commerce would eliminate that threat.

No, if we’re honest, the world is not getting better. It’s getting meaner. More cruel and selfish.

Won’t you consider that the God of the Bible is who He claims to be, and in Him is true peace? You have only to get your hands on a Bible translation you can comfortably read to discover the wonder and majesty of the God who can predict the future.