The End Times and Spiritual Discernment

I know that religious people who take their religion seriously as a spiritual reality (probably always a minority) have often thought they were living in the End Times. Whether it was during the Roman persecution of Christians or the later times of societal collapse and barbarian invasion or during the Crusades or the Reformation or during any number of wars leading up to the two great Worlds Wars of the 20th century, people have often seen the spiritual corruption and apparent triumph of evil in this world as signs of the latter days as prophesied in many religions but especially Christianity. This tells us that, in a certain sense, all times are end times in that the tendency to entropy always exists though it can be interrupted by creative breakthroughs now and then and by partial restorations. But in a material world there is always decay on all levels. Matter is intrinsically unstable and prone to dissolution unless supported and upheld by the power of spirit.

Nonetheless, there is something different about the present times. For one thing, the spiritual collapse is universal. It is global and though some individuals hold out, no society or even section of society has done. For another, there is not just spiritual collapse but actual inversion of spiritual values and truths which have all been transferred to the material plane where they have no meaning and actually work against their spiritual reality. At no previous time have atheism and materialism taken such a hold. They are not just options. They are the no longer needing even to be discussed bedrock of everything, even religion. For religion now sees itself in the light of the beliefs of this world. Spirituality has become a subset of materialism. It is defined according to the prevailing materialistic ethos. For example, you don't believe in equality? How unspiritual of you.

Whether you see these as the End Times or not is a matter of spiritual discernment. This is not something that can be conclusively proved in the way we normally understand proof but those who are meant to see will see. A strong intuition will work within them, maybe always present but maybe called forth by the extraordinary days we currently live in. God and his helpers in the higher worlds have sent many souls down to Earth now to act as points of light in the darkness so that people, uncertain, baffled, confused, alarmed, frightened, may have some guidance in these dark times. Many people will carry on as before. We have seen that most have done precisely that over the last year, the circumstances of which should surely have started to wake more people up to the reality of the situation. Most continue to sleep. But some will start to wake up and when they do it is important that they wake up completely. It is not enough to see through the lies of those in power, whether they be politicians, scientists, artists, the media, in short, everyone in positions of authority. It is not enough to see that human beings chase money and power and a small percentage will do anything to get those. You must go beyond this self-evident truth to see the spiritual causes behind things. You must wake up to the reality that this world has become a spiritual battlefield. No doubt, it always has been but the battle has intensified and recently taken a sharp turn for the worse. The battle is primarily on the level of the mind and that is where it must be fought. This means the most important thing you can do is see the truth. Then you must live it as much as possible but seeing it is the critical thing.

The last year has seen the Western world lose its freedoms with little or no resistance. The obvious excuse that this is for our own safety appears to satisfy most people even when the restrictions are extended which they regularly are. We are being made servants of the state with those who object to adopting the insignia of servitude increasingly shamed as enemies of humanity, stubborn contrarians who put their own wilful prejudices above the safety of others. This is an old manipulative trick used by those who have closed off their consciences to truth and goodness and compromised themselves to the dark powers.

For this is what it is all about. During the End Times the dark powers spread their evil over the human mind like a sickly miasma. None are immune who have not turned to God who is the only protection against the lies and deceit that spread throughout the world. This is a time that has been prepared for over many years. Small bridgeheads into human consciousness have been made from where new attacks are launched and new ground gained. If you stand back a little, it's all quite obvious. But if you are caught up in the world and how it thinks today or yesterday you will not be able to take a proper view. You must rise above the present time and present attitudes and take a longer view. Then you will be able to see how we have got to where we are now, spiritual beings who have gradually allowed their minds to be closed to their true origin and destiny. Ladies and gentlemen, we are being taken for idiots and, with all due respect, many of us are behaving like that. Perhaps we need a John the Baptist like figure to call us to repentance but that is not going to happen. Human consciousness has progressed and so the call to repentance must now come from within. From within our own hearts. We will be supported for God does not leave us comfortless, but we must wake ourselves up and now is the time.