Welcome to Watchman on the Wall, a daily outreach of Southwest Radio Ministries and SWRC.com. God is still on the throne, and prayer changes things. Another jam-packed week of bringing clarity to the chaos is here. Author Amir Sarfati will answer the question, has the tribulation already begun? Tom Hughes will reveal how the world is already being prepared for the mark of the beast. And we'll celebrate the 30th anniversary of our Prophetic Observer newsletter. A special hello today to everyone listening to HOPE 940 AM KPSZ in Des Moines, Iowa. I want to personally invite you to register for our upcoming conference in Des Moines. Saturday, September 30th, come hear Micah Van Hus, Josh Davis, Michael Hoggard, and Larry Stamm. Call 1-800-652-1144 and secure your spot. This special one-day conference will encourage and inform your faith. The complete lineup of speakers, topics, and schedule are found at SWRC.com. Simply click on Events. Or you can call 1-800-652-1144. Saturday, September 30th, in Des Moines, Iowa. 1-800-652-1144 or visit swrc.com. Simply click on events. Here's Staff Evangelist Josh Davis to introduce today's special guest. We are privileged to welcome back to Watchman on the Wall one more time, Pastor Tom Hughes. He has a brand new book out and available now called Marking the Masses. And we're going to speak to him about the content of his book in just a moment. You do not want to miss it because over the course of today and tomorrow, we're going to be talking about the mark of the beast. We're going to be talking about the one world system that we see emerging. We're going to be talking about current events in light of Bible prophecy, and we're going to be giving you hope for the time that we face, and look to God's Word for that. Pastor Tom, we welcome you back to Watchman on the Wall. Thank you, Josh. It's just a blessing to be here. And like I said, before we launch into the content of your book, today is September 11th. Our nation is never the same since that fateful day. Pastor Tom, would you care to say a word or two about this day, September 11th? Of course. I remember when it happened on the West Coast and watching what happened in New York. The friend who said, hey, you need to turn on the TV right now. and then watched the second plane hit shortly after I turned on the TV, and it changed the world. It really did. I mean, there's different opinions on what was behind it, why it happened, but it did change the world. And it was that very week, by the end of that week, Friday, I taught a Bible prophecy update, and I said that everything's going to change from this point on to travel, things were going to be tracked. And I remember, Josh, I'm sure you remember it well, too, that for about one or two days, both the Republicans and Democrats were singing God Bless America or something like that. It didn't last long. And since then, we have seen our freedoms rapidly erode. And it's terrible. So many people lost their lives. Apart from the different speculation on what really happened, the reality of it is we can see It was like a catalyst that was used to further just lead this world down the path that we're going to be talking about today, using tragedy in a sense to take our freedoms. It's very sad, very heartbreaking. It truly was, and like you said, that morning changed our nation absolutely forever. And so, too, there's a flood of evil gathering strength in our day, and it's eventually going to culminate during the Great Tribulation. Now, we're not in the Tribulation period right now. I know both you and I agree that the church will be raptured out before the Tribulation begins. But your book starts with an event back in 1961 that set some things in motion to propel us closer and closer to a one-world system. Can you describe what happened back in 1961? Sure. I was a very young boy. I was born in 1959. And my dad, at the time, he worked for a company called Teledyne in Los Angeles area, Southern California. And he told me the story over the years. It didn't really matter much to me until I got older. And then about 30 plus years ago, I started teaching Bible prophecy. And he had mentioned it a few more times to me. And I decided, you know, this is everything that I talk about. I need to get conversation recorded with my dad. So working for Teledyne, my dad was a metallurgist. He had a master's in college working in chemistry. So he was hired within that company. It was the beginning of the tech industry as we know it. And it was a small company at the time. There were some real big names there. Henry Singleton. There's Arthur Rock. There's Claude T. Shannon, the father of information theory, who really was the one who has projected and helped to build the information and data collection that we have today. So my dad was right there in the beginning of it. And one day he's invited to a party in Bel Air. And you had some people from NASA there and some of these other from these other corporations. Again, they were very small companies at the time. One of the gentlemen came up to my dad and he said, hey, looking out over the Los Angeles Basin at night, he said, one day we're going to control everyone up here. I went into that conversation a little bit further with my dad since then. Now I recorded this conversation with my dad about a year and a half ago, coming up on two years ago. And since I recorded, he said, you know, he knew something was wrong with that statement. But I do, you know, we both, he knows now exactly what was meant, control the world. He said most of the guys that were working in the industry didn't have nefarious intentions, but a couple of them he felt did. And then at that point, my dad was asked to move up to the San Jose area of California with, I think it was Shockley Industries, and help begin what's now known as Silicon Valley, but he didn't go with them. But the whole thing projects from there, and it really set in motion my mind from a personal story to be able to connect the nuts and bolts for why we are where we are right now, what we need to know, and what we really need to do also. We're visiting with Pastor Tom Hughes and discussing his brand new book called Marking the Masses. And you can pick up a copy by contacting our ministry at 1-800-652-1144 or by visiting swrc.com. And you can connect with Pastor Tom and his wonderful ministry at HopeForOurTimes.com. That's HopeForOurTimes.com. Now how did that event in 1961 bring the mark of the beast into clearer focus in your thinking? Oh, everything from there projected to what I know about the Bible. So what it did is I went back in history. I have a lot of researchers to help me on this too. and went way back in history, a few thousand years actually, several thousand years, but then fast forwarded through the time of Morris Code, Samuel Morris, walked through the history there, the semiconductors, the transistor, 1948, and just continued to work through history. It's like, kind of like reverse engineering, leading right on through the time of H.G. Wells. You know, there's things that H.G. Wells was really the one who had put into paper, or put onto paper, the thought processes on what is necessary to bring about a global government, what's going to have to be eliminated. Looked at eugenics, religion. For example, H.G. Wells said, this is a hundred years ago, this particular quote was over a hundred years ago, he was talking about the minds of people and religion And he said, all of these obsolete values and attitudes with which our minds are cumbered must be cleared out if the new faith is to have free play. We have to clear them out, not only from our own minds, but from the minds of others who are to become our associates. And then, you know, it's a long quote. He goes on to basically say, look, we have to remove the thought of religion. Christianity is the biggest problem that we have, and we need a religion that will bring about this new global system. This is over 100 years ago. And we see all of it. You can see when you read these things. You look at the beginning of the tech industry from the time my dad was in it. Then you look at the HG Wells And then you look at the Yuval Noah Harari and you go, this is where they got their thoughts from. These things were designed a long time ago. We know it really comes from the devil. But when you look at it working out in man, you can go, wow, this was put in paper way back then. Okay. And so you start fast forwarding. I mean, take this into won't give them you have a gender twenty thirty you have uh... it's a blame shifting the point right wrong wrong right what's going on with america why certain things that america are happy are necessary to happen in order for the people to bring about their utopian world And I think you're touching on where I wanted to go to next, which is exactly why will this Mark of the Beast during the Great Tribulation period be presented as a solution to a problem? You're talking about all these massive problems that we have. Why will the Mark of the Beast be a solution to global problems? I think it's pretty simple for people to see right now. What the government does is they present their solution as the solution to the problem. Now, it can be a problem they create, and then they come along and give you the solution, which I think often is what happens. But also, I think it was Rahm Emanuel plus many others that have said this over the years, don't let a crisis go to waste. You take advantage of whatever it is that has gone wrong. and you are able to fill the solution i what i would like to have to go to josh that it's like the person who felt a lot start the fire in the backyard come from knocked on your front door to tell you a fire extinguisher yes you know they they create the problem give you the pollution and that we keep taking place uh... uh... you can even look at it with a hegelian dialectic where you you people are being moved along willingly uh... they're even giving up their freedom for whatever the government is offering and man i mean people are willing to surrender the freedoms for almost everything out in a prior generation that's been great but now Going along with the system that is being created. We're part of this system We're part of this beast system that is being built in a real time while we're here I think you're absolutely right and I think it comes back to what people value and we see that they value a sense of safety and security more than they do freedom our founding forefathers valued freedom more than they valued safety and security, and they were willing to risk their lives to purchase and provide the freedoms that we're willing to just shovel away and do away with at a moment's notice so that we can feel safe and secure and healthy and everything else. We're visiting with Pastor Tom Hughes describing his brand new book called Marking the Masses as he unpacks the history and the biblical view of our approach to the Great Tribulation and the Mark of the Beast, and we look to Bible prophecy as well. So, as we're talking about this Mark of the Beast, many people have said, what if you get tricked into it? And that's a common question that I hear people say. What if you don't mean to receive it and you actually do? During the Great Tribulation period, will people get tricked into receiving the Mark of the Beast? No. It won't be by trickery. It won't need to be. But the dynamic, again, is this conditioning that's taking place right now. I mean, people are being conditioned in every single avenue of society. Every age is being conditioned to receive what's coming. But people won't be tricked into it. They're going to know exactly what they are doing. People are going to make a willful decision to reject the true God, reject Jesus Christ, and to worship Antichrist. it's whoever's received his mark and worshiped him. So it's a conscious decision that people are going to make. They're not going to be tricked into it. And certainly, Satan via antichrist is going to want the people to make that conscious decision. But if we look at it with the dynamic of things that are going on right now, also, where Romans chapter one, the people exchange the truth for a lie. It's a willing decision. I don't want the truth. I would rather be lied to We have, in 2 Peter chapter 3, in the last days, scoffers will come and say, where's the promise of His coming? For this, they're willfully ignorant. There's a willful decision by humanity at large to completely say no to the truth, even though they know it's true, and yes to the lie. So they're not going to be tricked into it, but they're going to willingly reject it. You know, it seems so strange, doesn't it? that even though they know they're believing a lie, but they're going to go along with it anyways. Just amazing because they just don't want the truth. The truth bothers them too much. Yes, that's true. You spend a lot of time in the book talking about our world being shrunk and our world becoming smaller and smaller and smaller. Two areas that you touch on are technology and science. Let's deal with the first of those for a few minutes. How do you see our world being shrunk by technology? Good questions, they're all good questions. With technology, I think I quoted already from Samuel Morse, Morse Code, where prior to Morse Code, you had to have ships that would go across the ocean, whether it takes weeks or months, whatever it is, to get a message from one people, group to another, from a continent to another, or somebody who's got a hike or whatever across the country or horseback. So it's a long time to get a message there. Morse Code comes along, And all of a sudden, you have this change that happened instantly. And I believe the first message that was transmitted via Morse code was from the book of Numbers, Numbers chapter 23. What God hath wrought was the message translated or transmitted. So you have that. And then you move from there to radio, TV. The biggest of all to this point has been the transistor, which becomes the silicon chip. And through technology, the world has shrunk. You go back to the Tower of Babel, and what do you have? God devised the world according to languages. Well, technology has been the thing that's been able to shrink the world and bring the world together in a tool that's being used, the tool that enables the world to use, whether it be you can have Google Translate or an app like that now, so you don't have language barriers anymore. Even that is being removed, along with obviously transmission of information in real time. So the world has shrunk in the sense of technology. You know what's interesting also, and I talk about the Tower of Babel in the book too, is that with the Tower of Babel, I believe that it was Nimrod's promise of peace and safety. I'll build a tower up to the heavens. Why? So judgment, like the flood of Noah can't come, won't harm you. I'll be the one who keeps you safe. I will be your God. This is the same lie that the devil always uses, that Antichrist will use. I will keep you safe. And they're building a tower to heaven, so to speak, with technology right now. And the promises are all there, peace and safety, you'll live forever, all these different promises are there. So technology really is shrinking everything. Wow, and that's a powerful point that you make there and you also touch and spend a lot of time actually in the book talking about science and how that science is shrinking our world and people are pushing just follow the science. How is that impacting this world today? Yeah, follow the science, no doubt. So really, I guess if I could break it up into two simple things. It used to be science, you know, when I went to high school, you actually examined evidence and you're allowed to question things. I mean, that's science you question. Yes. But then you go into Darwinism and you get all these different things that were pre when I went to school, but nevertheless, When Darwinism came along, you started being challenged on whether or not you were to question things, including evolution. So when I was in high school, I went to public high school in the 1970s, questioning Darwinism was not really an option. You just went along with it. It was almost 50 years ago when I was going through that kind of science. But the rest of science you could still kind of question. You can't question the science anymore. So science has been turned into some form of religion, and you can't question it. And it's necessary also to bring about this new system. And what science has become is politicized and popularized. So from the political standpoint, it's for whatever political thought, ideal is being driven for political purposes. And anybody that questions that thought is deemed as, that's not true science. We own the science. You're hearing statements like that come out from World Economic Forum. We own the science, the UN. You know, one thing Bible prophecy does when it's properly understood it helps people to realize, wow, the Bible really is true. The Bible is true about the events that are coming. I mean, it's really hard to not see them now. You read your Bible, man, it's really hard to not see them. You have to be, as Peter wrote, willfully ignorant. You have to choose to reject the truth because everything is so clear. God couldn't make it more clear when it comes to Bible prophecy. And Bible prophecy also proves that Jesus came the first time And Jesus himself said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me. What we are being sold as lies, Jesus comes along and says, I am the truth. And here's the truth. All of us are sinners. We've all fallen short of the glory of God. And we need to be forgiven of our sin. Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord, the Bible says, will be saved. But sin simply means to miss the mark. And the mark is holiness. The mark is perfection. And is anybody out there a sinner? Yeah, all of sin. Everyone is a sinner. But a person, in order to receive His forgiveness, must be able to humble themselves and admit they're a sinner and say, Lord, I want to be forgiven. And also admit the truth that you know something's wrong with this world, and you know that you're not right with God. And according to the Bible, we're not good enough to be able to work our way into heaven through practicing religion. The only way is through Christ. Christ will forgive anybody who comes to Him that is genuine in their desire for forgiveness. He'll forgive anyone that comes to Him. In no way, Jesus says, will I cast out anyone. But a person just needs to admit the truth, admit that they're a sinner, admit their need for a Savior, and come to the place of surrender to Christ. Well, thank you, Pastor Tom. We look forward to continuing this important discussion tomorrow. Thank you. Can't wait, Josh. More from Tom Hughes is coming up on our next program. Today, we have Tom Hughes' brand new book entitled, Marking the Masses. Marking the Masses is a wake-up call to both believers and unbelievers alike regarding an agenda that was set in motion by an elite group one night in 1961. Since that night at the dawn of modern computerization, the plan to enslave society has been woven into every aspect of our lives. Today, 60 years later, the pieces are now in place, and the catalyst to trigger the rapid and conclusive collapse of the world as we know it is about to begin. And you're already a part of it. Marking the Masses by Tom Hughes reveals if the world knew what was coming, they would fear for the future. Order your copy of Marking the Masses when you call 1-800-652-1144. That's 1-800-652-1144. Or you can order Marking the Masses when you visit our website, swrc.com. Today, September 11th, marks the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States. Larry Spangermino and Micah Van Hus are taking some time to remember and reflect on that day and on the impact that those events are still having today. September 11, 2001 started out like any ordinary day. It was a Tuesday, and Tuesday mornings we had staff devotions at Southwest Radio Church in Oklahoma City. On that Tuesday, I was leading a staff Bible study. I was teaching from John 11, The Raising of Lazarus. In fact, I still have the spot marked in one of my Bibles. I just started my Bible study when one of our phone operators, Yvonne Williams, came running in and cried out, Turn the TV on! We're being attacked! New York City is on fire! I remember Yvonne's words like they had been uttered yesterday. Now, I'm originally from New York City. It's my hometown. And I wondered how everybody was doing. I went to school there, and I know the New York City skyline. 9-11 did not just destroy buildings, it destroyed America's sense of security. War had now come to America. No one was safe any longer. Well, those are some of my comments. Micah, what are some of the impressions and recollections that you have of 9-11? So it was my third or fourth year down at Pensacola Christian College, and I was at work at Abeka Book, the Christian book publishing company that they run down there, on my forklift when I heard the news about the attack, and so my, obviously I continued working, but I can remember sitting and watching the news with the rest of the guys the next few nights as events unfolded, some of them deciding, you know, did they drop out of college and join the military? It was a very big event, obviously, that happened, and very memorable on my young mind. Well, I can imagine. Well, you know, 9-11 drove me to read the Quran, the Muslim holy book. Many were saying that Islam is a really peaceful religion, and a few terrorists had hijacked a peaceful religion. So I didn't know what to think about Islam. Is it a peaceful religion? Is it a violent religion? And so, in 2009, Just a few years after that, I went to Pakistan and met with a group of Christians there who were starting a church. I also met some Muslims, so I said, this is going to be interesting. I found many of them were very friendly to me. They knew I was an American pastor. The ones I got to talk to had a great desire to know the truth. Is the Quran the word of God? Is the Bible the word of God? They were searching, looking, reading, and digging deeper. Mike, I thought that was very commendable. I wish more Americans would have that heart hunger to know the truth. I do believe that God loves Muslims, but I can't deny the fact that there are some who are very violent. Mike, I know you're a deep thinker. You do a lot of good writing. What are some of the aftereffects, do you think, of 9-11, things that we're still feeling today? Well, the Patriot Act, for sure, one of the most prominent things to have happened to our freedoms here in the United States, the aftermath. And you mentioned the folks in Pakistan. I spent, from 2006 to 2011, I was in Iraq and Afghanistan for one of those years. And I had a similar experience. Of course, I was in the military, not over there with the ministry. The people were very nice. I'm a praying man, I know you are too. I'm seeing a lot of good pushback against the wokeism and all the bizarre beliefs that are coming in America. I think a lot of people are standing up. I'm praying that we're gonna see an awakening. I think we're seeing an awakening now, and I think what's been going on has shaken many Christians. We're just too complacent. We took too many things for granted. You know, we say, Flip the light switch, the lights go on, it'll always go on. No, that's not so. I'm praying hard, I know you are, and I know Southwest Radio Church is, and we're trying to give our listeners the best material for them to think about, to pray about, and certainly to honor the Lord Jesus Christ. May his name be lifted up in America, in the Muslim world, and all over the world. Marking the Masses by Tom Hughes reveals if the world knew what was coming, they would fear for the future. Marking the Masses is a wake-up call to both believers and unbelievers alike regarding an agenda that was set in motion by an elite group one night in 1961. Since that night, at the dawn of modern computerization, the plan to enslave society has been woven into every aspect of our lives. Today, 60 years later, the pieces are now in place and the catalyst to trigger the rapid and conclusive collapse of the world as we know it is about to begin. Order Marking the Masses by Tom Hughes when you call 1-800-652-1144. That's 1-800-652-1144. Or you can order Marking the Masses when you visit our website SWRC.com. Tomorrow, Tom Hughes continues his look at the marking of the masses. Be sure to tune in on your favorite radio station or by subscribing to our daily Watchman on the Wall podcast. Watchman on the Wall is a production of Southwest Radio Ministries and is supported by faithful listeners like you. Visit SWRC.com.