Episode 24 — The Death and Resurrection of Our World

In this gripping episode of Tectonic Ministries, we’re joined by special guest Mark Johnston from Game Changer Intensive as we tackle one of the most pressing spiritual issues of our time: What happens when mankind replaces God with the State?

We explore the prophetic significance of Daniel 7, examining the identity and nature of the Fourth Beast—a dreadful, powerful force symbolizing a godless, global system of control. Could this be a prophetic image of modern-day communism, authoritarianism, and the persecution of the saints?

🔍 Key themes explored:

How God’s original design for leadership and dominion has been corrupted (Genesis 1:26–28)

The moral imbalance of modern society: protecting turtle eggs, ignoring unborn children

The rise of the beast: a look at Daniel 7:9–28 and how it parallels Revelation 13

The iron teeth and global dominion of the beast (Daniel 7:7, 23)

The persecution of God’s people and the endurance of the saints (Daniel 7:21, Revelation 13:7)

Why God allows the beast to reign for “a time, times, and half a time” (Daniel 7:25, Revelation 12:14)

📖 Key Scriptures:

Daniel 7:9–28 – The Ancient of Days, the Fourth Beast, and the saints receiving the kingdom

Genesis 1:26–28 – God gives man dominion, not the State

Revelation 13:5–7 – The beast’s war against the saints

Psalm 2:1–4 – The nations rage, but God laughs from heaven

Matthew 24:22 – “Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved…”

🔥 Main message:
Though the beast may rise and the saints be tested, God has already set the end. His judgment will be final, His kingdom eternal, and His saints victorious. Let this be a wake-up call: discern the signs, hold fast to the truth, and remember—Jesus is Lord, and His return is near.

"Follow us for more discussions on faith, scripture, and prophecy.
https://tectonicministries.com/

Transcript

When
there is not a reliance or even an acknowledgement of God as creator and God as
the arbiter of all things moral and the replacement of the state essentially in
that, that's when things get out of balance and when you're not actually calling on
the foundations of university immutable laws that God has set in place,
that's when things are getting thrown out of whack and where we're seeing,
Adam was called to tend the garden and to look after the animals. So we have been
given the authority to do that. But what we're seeing is there is an imbalance Now,
we care more about an unborn turtle in a sand dune than we do about an unborn
child in the womb. You can go to prison or get fined heavily for trampling a
turtle's nest, but you can kill as many babies as you want in the womb. That's a
gross imbalance, no matter where you stand on the political spectrum. That is a
gross imbalance, and that is because we have substituted the state for God. We now
have no foundation for our morals and we don't bring it back to what is good in
its essence, what is God. Yeah, a little bit of a sidetrack but I think... I think
it's important because at the end of the day you hear communist and you don't,
in my mind at least, I'm not sitting here grasping the whole concept because that
breakdown helps me understand what's really going on. Yeah and again you can take it
back to Genesis 1. God created the man, he gave the wife to help, they had an
equal partnership in that, but he gave the man the authority to tend the garden and
it was his responsibility and it was a God given right and responsibility for a man
to be in his family unit to lead and to guide. It wasn't God set up a government,
and therefore they were to decide for each individual for the greater good of, if
that makes sense. Yeah, look, and the way I'm seeing it too, just as you're talking
about Adam, that the whole process, or I suppose the point of creation, was to be
in God's image after His likeness. It was never to control man. It was to be
fruitful and to multiply, to have dominion on the earth, not over people. And I
think that's what communism's doing. It's reversing the roles, where it's taking that
away from man by controlling him. And he hasn't really at the end of the day got
his own rights, which you said is our sovereign right to self -determinate, to choose
life, death, blessing and cursing. So I think that really in essence is the key
here. We were not created to dominate people. - No, no, I believe man was created
to lead the household. The first and foremost, he leads his house, and once he's
got that in order, then he can go out into his wider community and help in that
regard. - Very good. - And so when we talk about socialism and communism and all
those sorts of things, it's not given enough credence, I believe personally.
Historically, it's not. I listened to a lot of particularly political commentators who
are Christian, who place a lot of emphasis on this, and they really talk very
disparagingly about communism and socialism, essentially as a gateway into communism,
because they can see that underlying it all is a complete undermining of God's
structure that he set about, and a complete reliance on the state rather than a
complete reliance on God. to our Satan wants it. Yeah, it's exactly right. Now
that's great, guys. That's fantastic. We'll get back to clip 5. A little bit off
track on that one, but I think it's important because the question isn't asked a
lot and unfortunately the church is responsible for a lot of the direction of
society. It's supposed to be the shining light on the hill and it doesn't actually
take the bull by the horns for one of a better word. And actually go hang on a
sec, no, that is wrong. And give to its church members and the husbands and fathers
within that church and say, stand up and say, don't go down this track, don't just
negate your responsibility and let the government take it all. No, no, no, this was
your job to lead and to guide and to look after your family first and foremost and
then from from there, the wider community. And I think it's valid to understand that
when we're looking at this and looking at a beast system, essentially, and to
consider, quite possibly, is that communism
and then through that lens, look at that on a global scale, which is essentially
what we're doing here.
- So we read here before, before Daniel 7.
So this beast that will be one of the four beasts that are here on the earth just
before Jesus comes back, it says it was dreadful, horrible, extremely strong with
great alone teeth. So here we have another clue. So this is the fifth clue.
Who has said in very recent times, "Anyone that comes against us, we will smash
them against a wall of iron." Who said that? So it's another part in the puzzle.
Who said that, Dan? He's keeping the question.
We don't want to say mystery question. Well, all of these questions are.
Look, go and look them up for off and we'll run through the clues at the end,
but look, go and look. Who said this recently? One of the reasons why we haven't
been saying specifics on who we think might be, because one, we could be wrong. For
starters, we acknowledge 100 % that we don't know everything and we could be wrong.
But secondly, what happens, we have our own personal prejudice and if we hear
someone else say an explicit hard fact or what we believe and then people say what
if I've heard that.
stated in scripture go and now have a look at the who's who the big players in
the world you could probably guess by now who we're referencing but we're gonna
leave it well I think it's I think it's good because really if we don't look for
the signs and the clues we're just going to put our brain on the shelf right
Christians are good at doing that just put our brain on the shelf and
There's a book called The Silent Invasion, a guy by the name of Clive Hamilton,
it's worth reading, wrote it in Australia, an Australian author, a very good author,
and it's got no conspiracy theory whatsoever, it's just facts. This happened,
that happened, I can't control it, it's called The Silent Invasion by a man called
Clive Hamilton. If anyone should go and read that book. He doesn't exaggerate,
he doesn't go into conspiracy theories, he said look these are just the fact in the
political arena. These are the facts in the media. These are the facts in your
universities. These are the facts of your country. And it talks about who got
control of Australia back in 2017. We're now in 2025. So this system,
this What we're talking about, and I believe it is the same, I personally believe
this, is what we're reading about here. So people can read that book, you know,
it's called The Silent Invasion, Clive Hamilton. So if we look at, if we can read,
oh we won't read it because it's quite a long part of the scripture, but Daniel 9
-14 tells us exactly the timing of this. So we'll just if we can just read maybe
the first verse just maybe Daniel 9 so he's talked about the four beasts now he's
going and this dreadful beast with his iron teeth and that and now he goes maybe
Mark if you could just read verse 9 the Daniel verse 7 verse 9 7 verse 9 yes I
can do that and you're all 7 verse 9. While Mark's getting that ready,
the other thing that came to mind too with the reference to iron in that previous
verse that we were reading is the other major political term that iron has been
used for is the iron curtain as well, which again was a communist state so it's
interesting I actually personally hadn't really ever put the two together before
having this discussion so yeah maybe potentially just another little tick in the box
for that one yeah so Daniel 7 9 I watched till thrones were put in place and the
ancient of days was seated his garment was wider snow and the hair of his head was
like pure wool, his throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire." - This is
exactly the same as what John saw. So Daniel saw what John saw in Revelation.
And then you read through right through to 14 and it goes through the court
session, the judgment books are open. Then what happens is an angel so Daniel says
look I'm stuck here who was this fourth beast so and he asked an angel you know
who was tell me describe this fourth beast for me tell me what is this beast
what's going on here so let's just let's where he talks about the iron beast or
hang on that's That's the exact hiding, sorry, I'm getting my confuse to you.
So let's read verses 11 and 12, please Mark. - Of chapter seven. - Yep.
- 11 to 12, I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the
horn was speaking, I watched till the beast was slain and its body destroyed and
given to the burning flame.
As for the rest of the beast, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives
were prolonged for a season and a time. So what we spoke about before was,
God says, that's it. Time's up. I'm here. You're out.
Just these few words that throw him in the lake of fire, done this beast. So we
have to live through it, but we have to focus on that.
We have to keep bringing our minds back to it. No, God says one day you're three
and a half year period and right now we're in the very end of this three and a
half year period when they're killing a third of mankind. You've got a couple of
days, buddy, so go for it. You know, like I mean, I don't want to be flippant but
look get things in perspective get things in God just comes and God rocks up Says
no all over. I'm in control here. You're now gone. Thank you and God deals with
this beast Just so simply and yet we will if we're not careful,
we'll just get caught up in all of this You know worry and concern and anxiety
anxiety, and trouble, and all of that. - As a righteous judge, and I think to his
throne, is established injustice, and so it's always important to come back to God
as supreme here. It's not like he's a sadist, it's not like he wants this for
humanity, but there's a time lapse, there's a timeframe here where he's saying this
far and no more, because his whole plan and the grand scale of things is this has
all got to be redemptive in nature where I've got to get my plan happening in this
whole process. It's not just about wiping people out, it's also to warn and to
create that sense of urgency. Guys, things are happening. Turn to me,
respond to me. I mean ultimately the day is coming where everyone will have to bow
their knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord no matter what but this is at
least is God saying I actually have the reins over this for my purpose not man
thinking he has the reins over me it's just good to see that picture of God
because we can see him sort of like well he just flicks people does this does that
but he doesn't it's all for his purpose he's a loving creator but he's also
fearsome we should never lighten him down to something common. So to be able to
flick things and deal with things like this, it just shows you he's got the supreme
seed of authority. And what did Jesus say? Unless those days would be short and no
flesh would be saved. So if this beast was left to keep going, he wouldn't just
kill a third of mankind. He wouldn't know when to stop. He'd just keep going and
going and going. So then when you go to the seventh Trump at the Bowl. Jesus comes
back says, "Buddy, your days are over. Finished. End of story. You've had your turn.
Now it's our turn." So, yeah, and it's this real confidence and this is what
reading the scriptures and understanding this, it gives you this incredible confidence
in God and who is in control, you know. So... We want to sidetrack it completely
again with communism, but you look at every...
force that has crushed because they've gained so much power, they then need to be
crushed. So it's like, I'm not saying that, yeah, 100 % we've resolved that this,
we're looking at now, the beast is to be tied up with communism,
but it does go back into what Christ said unless he called it, no,
stop, enough's enough. Well, it's like a snake eating its own tail.
It's self -consuming because once you're established that there are no morals,
then you cannot trust. If you can't trust, then how do you build a society? It's
always someone's going to stab someone in the back and you better get them before
they get you. And it's like, it's going to end up at the point where they just,
everyone's walked out. Yeah.
Maybe we could read 15 to 18. I've checked the servant. Yes,
please.
I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit, within my body, and the visions of my head
troubled me. I came near to the one of those who stood by and asked him the truth
of all this and he told me and they'd known to me the interpretation of these
things. Those great beasts which are four are four kings which arise out of the
earth but the saints of the most high shall receive the kingdom and possess the
kingdom forever even forever and forever. Again backing up what we just read before
God says no that's it your time's over now it's our turn I just love that I love
devoured, broken pieces and trampled the residue with its feet. And the ten horns
that were on its head and the other horn which came up before, which three fell
namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words,
whose appearance was greater than his fellows. I was watching and the same horn was
making war against the saints and prevailing against them, until the ancient of day
came and a judgement was made in favour of the saints of the most high and the
time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
We read in Revelation the same thing where the enemy, this Antichrist,
this beast will actually overcome the saints. The only way he can overcome us if he
causes us to deny the Lord. That's what it's saying here. But then God steps in
and brings this all thing to an end. So clue five is the iron teeth,
as we said before. Who's made that declaration in recent times? Clue six is Who is
the one currently speaking blasphemy and wanting himself to be lifted up as a God?
I sort of, because I deal with people in other countries in India and you hear,
you know, where there is people now saying, "No,
if you've got Jesus up there, you put me up there as well on the prime, take the
prime place in your churches. So there are people now that are doing that in the
churches. Russia tried to do it before Russia went through the Cold War.
But until they realised, look, Christianity is like it's the best way to go. And
there are many great, wonderful Russian Christian brothers and sisters. And they
pretty much have a free reign in Russia to serve God how they want to. There are
some countries where that's not the case, where there are leaders of that country
standing up. So no, no, I'm the one that's to be exalted here. I'm the one that's
to be lifted up. - Sounds like history repeat itself.
Nebuchadnezzar, all the kings, all the Caesars. Wanted to be Lord and God. - It
never stops, we'll never wake up, Mark. - We're narcissists and at its best.
Exactly. So verse 23, so one of you guys want to read that?
Yeah, I've got it open. "Thus he said, 'The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom
on the earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the
whole earth, trample it and break into pieces.'" Again,
eighth clue, as we said before who's going control of country after country who's
going controlled getting going in control of the political arena the monetary system
the you know and people will jump and say oh it's America no it's not America
can't raise an army of 200 million this colors us not red blue and sulfur it's the
the clues have all got to fit together It all has to be where, "Okay,
I've looked at all the clues, who is this?" And then make your own decision,
that's what we're saying. Can we read verses 24 to 26? Yeah. "The ten horns are
ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom, and another shall arise after them.
He shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He shall
speak pompous words against the most high, shall persecute the saints of the most
high, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saint shall be given into
his hand for a time and times and half a time.
- That's where we read, right through scripture,
Times time and half a time, time, times and half a time is three and a half
years. Very nothing is. And it says 42 months, 1 ,260 days,
and Daniel 12, it says 1 ,290, and I don't know what that other 30 days is,
I haven't looked into it enough, Daniel 12 talks about that. But he's got a short
time. He's basically This one that is going to kill a third of mankind, trample the
earth, will only have a short. They'll have a three and a half year reign. It'll
be very, very short. Think of the last three and a half years. How quickly has it
gone? So we just have to, you know, just stay close to God,
keep praying, keep talking, keep staying community, keep loving your brothers and
sisters and we'll get through it. - Yeah, and I think when you said earlier too,
will he find faith in the earth? - When it comes back. - It's impossible to please
God without faith. So at the end of the day, God's not pleased if we're not
choosing to believe in His greatness in this moment. The overall scheme of things.
He is the alpha, the mega, the beginning and the end. - Yeah, amen. - He's the big
kahuna, he's the boss. Trust the big one. And that's why it's great to read how
easily he dismisses all this. And same with Revelation and all others,
God's God.
So the last one is, the last clue is, right now, who is exalting himself above God
and doing everything within his power to exhaust the saints. Again,
I see in India where Modi has made a declaration that he's going to get rid of
all Christians in India, but his colours aren't red, blue and sulphur. He made that
eight years ago and he said within six years there won't be any Christians in
India. And I hear just one story after another, I've got my phone is full of the
worst, horrific suffering you can ever imagine, and the persecution is horrendous.
And so it's happening, it's happening in so many other countries. We don't have any
Christians persecuting anyone. Tell me one place in the world where the Christians
are persecuting the Muslims or anyone. You know, we want them to know our God,
There's not one other person being picked. Why are we being first? Why is it
Christians if it because it's the truth? It's real. It's God. It's the only one God
therefore Everything else wants to attack that one God. I'm reminded of Psalms - you
know, what are the nations? rage against God
It's the same sort of concept and you know what happened History is going to repeat
itself whenever they put pressure on the church, the Philipsis, they persecuted the
church, it just kept getting more bolder. - Yep, and growing. - Yep, they just jumped
out of the box every time they tried to put it in. - Mm, mm.
- Yeah, sounds good. Thanks for joining us and we'll see you on the next one.
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