A few years ago, I wrote an article against the theory that FEMA camps are the US government’s plan to confine the non-compliant.  During the COVID-19 crisis, this idea has evolved.  Americans seem particularly preoccupied with the threat of authoritarianism.  The reaction is to over-compensate into anarchy.  Both extremes are destructive.  There’s reasonable historic precedent for such concerns, such as the Nazi control of Germany.  However, for this to happen globally, requires a supernatural coordination of very disagreeable authorities.  Oops, did I say our authorities are disagreeable?  I meant to say they can’t agree with each other on anything ;-).  The foundation of democracy seems to be disagreement.

The FEMA theory

Some think that Civil Defense organizations have been usurped to enforce a global totalitarian world government; that they are planning for the necessity to round up those who would rebel against their plan into concentration camps e.g., Christians.

Civil Defense is one of the most vital government agencies.  We need a body that is ready to manage any disaster, including mass evacuations.  If a city like Auckland were to go volcanic, we must be ready to pop up refugee camps for millions of evacuated citizens.  In times of such crisis, lawlessness can run rampant as people take advantage of unusual circumstances, so preparations must be made for stricter population control.  This is a very unfortunate necessity when regular order breaks down and otherwise nice people get desperate.  In various depictions, "looters are shot on site" because law enforcement doesn’t have the usual time and resources to imprison people until a regular trial might be held.  In disaster, society could quickly turn to the "Wild West".

The resources of these vital organizations can just as easily erect mass concentration camps as is common to fascist and communist revolutions.  Even America had POW camps to contain the risk of Japanese Americans during World War 2.  It’s reasonable to be wary of the misuse of this vital civilian infrastructure.  We continue to see concentration camps when military control is asserted e.g., the Yugoslavian war, ISIS, Congo, North Korea, and China.

The COVID-19 theory

Similar theories are currently doing the rounds around COVID-19.  Some think that COVID-19 is something insignificant our governments are exaggerating to justify confining us to our homes and preventing us from seeing what they’re really up to.  They see a coordinated effort of all governments around the world to ruin their economies so that a globalist totalitarian government can be created.  Somehow, to control the population, they’re going to sneak a microchip the size of a grain of rice through a <1mm needle with that DNA-altering “vaccine”, which is “really” the Mark of the Beast.  This theory totally ignores the primary purpose of the Mark in its connection with worship of the Beast.  They also ignore the fact that the Mark comes 3.5 years into the Tribulation – after over half the world population has been killed by a series of apocalyptic catastrophes.  Scaremongering around the COVID-19 vaccine has been fueled with manipulatively sensational headlines like “Government orders pre-filled syringes with RFID tracking chips”, when we read the article, we learn that the packaging has the usual RFID tracking stickers, which is nothing to do with the content of the syringes.  I wonder how they’ll justify this being injected into the forehead.

Claims of a DNA-altering vaccine are about the new mRNA technology, which is used in some of the COVID-19 vaccines.  This new technology has been in development, but not used before.  But as with penicillin, it’s important to investigate new options for medical treatments.  They might be miraculous, or they might be totally useless.  They come with unknowns and reasonable concerns.  Any present claims of “The” vaccine are misleading at best because competing companies in opposing countries are using very different technologies to develop a potential vaccine.  I understand mRNA vaccines work by simulating the virus’s characteristic protein, rather than the classic method of using an inert version of the real thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA_vaccine: The mRNA is translated in the cytosol.  Therefore, there is no need for the RNA to enter the cell nucleus, and the risk of being integrated to the host genome is averted.

This sounds like genetic alteration is less likely with this strategy than others - quite contrary to claims that this new technology means a “clear genetic alteration of humans”.

It’s suspicious that a vaccine takes less than the usual 2-5 years to develop; and concerning that good scientific protocols might have been skipped.  The fact is, that the sense of urgency has eliminated typical red tape and encouraged generous donations where scientists typically struggle for years to secure the necessary funding to support their research.

Many combine a poor understanding of end-times scriptures into QAnon conspiracy theories to fuel the idea that the world is descending into, or even in the Tribulation.  This follows from the trend since forever of naming political rivals as the Antichrist.  At the root of QAnon is an anarchist, hacktivist movement called Anonymous.

Common to these theories

Common to these theories is a mistrust of Government, particularly when they fulfil their duty to plan ahead for disaster scenarios.  These theories defy the biblical mandate to establish government, and support and pray for the authorities God has appointed over us, for our good – our government, our teachers, our parents, and our boss.

Romans 13:1 Let everyone submit to the authorities over them.  Because there’s no authority without God.  They are appointed by God.

Those denouncing other parts of the Church and our governments are the apostacy.  Like Sodom and Gomorrah, they only look after themselves and cause the destruction of others.  We should help cover and care for the less presentable parts of the body, not flaunt them.

Jude 1:7 Similarly, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, indulged in sexual immorality and followed those who were corrupt.  They’re presented as an example of suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.  ⁸Likewise, these filthy dreamers defile themselves, despise government and speak evil of authorities …

¹⁰But they speak evil of things they have no experience in, but only what they know naturally, as brute animals – they corrupt themselves with such things.

Satan is the accuser – don’t work for him.

The Holy Spirit is the comforter – work for him.

As a boy, I participated in a Civil Defence exercise in Blenheim.  The scenario was that a major earthquake struck near Christchurch a few hundred kilometres away.  We had damaged buildings, injuries, and displaced people.  I was to act a boy who didn’t know where his parents were.  I hung out in the child-care facilities, with snacks and lunch provided.  That afternoon, as things settled down, me and my mate invented a more interesting scenario: that I’d been struck by rocks falling from a building and had split open my skull and had amnesia and a broken arm.  Lol, boys! ;-)  Wasn’t it “interesting” that 30 years later, this scenario came true?  Had the government been planning this all this time and now they’d finally unleashed their nefarious plan?

Civil Defence and other government bodies hold regular drills based on realistic potential scenarios, to practice that they have everything in place, and to learn from weaknesses in their plan.  These scenarios need to be detailed.  Such scenarios were rehearsed after the swine-flu, that something similar might become pandemic, starting in China, and spreading across the world.  Their projections were so realistic, it catches the attention of those prone to thinking the government is out to get us.  I was fascinated to learn that in the late 1800s, the USA held war-games simulations that the British Empire would invade.  This would start with a surprise invasion from Canada into the central states.  The most important counterattack would be to cut off the supply routes from England.  Of course, this scenario never happened, but such practices are vital to national defence.  Today, the scenario just seems absurd, but back then it was a real possibility.  In the later 1900’s we built survival bunkers in preparation for a possible nuclear war.

While our governments might not be great, we must be careful to uphold the biblical theme of respecting, honoring, and supporting our authorities.  See https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Human-Authority,-Instituted-By-God. This theme is portrayed particularly in response to bad governments: Joseph loved his Pharaoh, Moses' encounters with Pharaoh were civil, David placed himself under the authority and protection of a Philistine king, and he executed the man who claimed to kill King Saul who’d been hunting him.  Daniel loved Nebuchadnezzar - the Hitler of his time – who brutally murdered and exiled his people, destroyed his city, desecrated his Temple, and ordered Daniel’s own castration.  I think Paul was doing some self-therapy as he wrote from prison, encouraging submission to the authorities who were responsible for killing so many Christians.  Even when he did blurt out a true critique, he repented:

Acts 23:5 Paul replied, ‘Brothers, I didn’t realize that he was the high priest.  Because it’s written, “Don’t speak evil about the ruler of your people.”’ ^{Exodus 22:28}"

I am appalled with so many slandering our governments on Facebook - particularly Christians.  This is completely unacceptable.  When governors act against godliness, that must incite us to pray all the more for them - that God would bless them and give them Godly wisdom.  There is no biblical precedent for exposing the potential wicked plans of the government and certainly not inciting revolt against them because of their wickedness.  Such things are rooted in political rivalry, not the Bible.

Romans 12:17 Don’t take revenge on people.  Be careful to do what’s right in the eyes of everyone.  ¹⁸If it’s possible, as far as it’s in your power, live at peace with everyone.  ¹⁹Don’t take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath.  It’s written, ‘It’s my job to punish.  I’ll pay them back,’ says the Lord.  ²⁰On the contrary, ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him.  If they’re thirsty, give them something to drink.  In doing this, you will pour burning coals on their head.’  ²¹Don’t be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.

Conclusion

There are powerful people who are promoting globalism.  It sounds like a wonderful ideal that all countries come together in peace, to look after each other, like the ideal of the European union.  The reality is governments are full of selfish, self-serving people who can’t agree with themselves, let alone those with very different world views and agendas – they’re a bit like you and me ;-).  Last time we had a global government, the defiance against God led him to strike Nimrod’s empire with the confusion of languages at Babel.  Today we’ve pretty much overcome the division by languages with AI technologies like Google translate.  It’s a wonderful thing to be able to converse with people whose language we can’t understand.  I can keep up with friends, guests and homestays who typically post in their native language.

A global government isn’t going to happen without God allowing it.  I don’t see the world gradually learning to get along.  That delusion is rooted in the ancient philosophy of evolutionism.  They think that as we put aside religious dogma and divisions, we’ll finally be able to get along to build a global utopia, where everyone has plenty to eat, and there’s no corruption.  In the end, atheism is just another religion.  This stands quite contrary to the reality that we’re just as selfish and manipulative as our ancient ancestors.  Instead, in a time of increasing international hostility, the Antichrist will rapidly rise to power and so charm the world with his world peace plan, that they’ll all gather under him.  But this guy is not going to be revealed until the Restrainer is taken away by God.  Until then, all the plotting and scheming of the secret power-mongers will amount to nothing.