When did Satan become 'the god of this world'?

Think of this: Rev. 7, the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude—especially the great innumerable multitude, from every nation, kindred, tongue and language—won't have the faintest idea of what a sacred name is. Remember that at the beginning of the Tribulation, you have the three-angels' messages come first.

fear God

preaching the Gospel

warning about the mark of the beast

When should you warn about the mark of the beast? Before it's implemented by force? or After it's implemented? Obviously, before!

The great innumerable multitude and the 144,000 of Rev. 7 are about two years into the last three and a half of the Tribulation. The Tribulation is seven years long, half peace, half the trauma and the Tribulation.

When you get down to it, you have to ask: Of all the languages that are in the world, who was the one who created all of them originally? God did (Gen. 11)! Whatever was in their mind, He changed the languages in all the people's minds according to their family grouping. Just like when He created Adam and Eve, He created them with a working language.

The Jews do not even know the correct pronunciation of the sacred names. You don't find in the New Testament any of the sacred names from Hebrew there. We do have a couple of Aramaic names that Paul put in there, which are Abba Father. Then you have the Aramaic that is there when Jesus said, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?' They put it in there 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani' (Matt. 27).

That shows that they spoke generally Greek as the first language; Hebrew or Aramaic as the second language; and Latin as the third language as it relates to some of the Romans, because most of the Romans spoke Greek.

Let's get into the topic. When did Satan become 'the god of this world'?

The question is asked supposing the context that there was a time he wasn't.

Yes, we'll find out that there was a time he wasn't!

Was it at the time of creation? Was it when Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord?…. [I'll change Yahweh to the Lord] …Was it at the crucifixion of the Messiah? Was it when Paul was alive? Could there be some other Biblical authority to tell us?

We will examine it all. We will answer all of those by Scripture.

First of all the place to begin is in the beginning. A proper reading of the first verse is very important. Then we will get other Scriptures that will pinpoint for us when Satan rebelled and when he became 'god of this world.' Those are two different events.

Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God…"—full stop in the Hebrew! That means God was there before anything else. How do we understand that? We don't, because that's at a level that God understands! We can just say, when we are born again into the Kingdom of God, the Family of God, then we will have greater understanding and we will be able to know.

"…created the heavens…" (v 1)—full stop! That means there's an indeterminable period of when God created the heavens.

"…and the earth" (v 1). That came after creating the heavens! That's why there's the full stop.

The earth is considerably older than the 6,000 years that many of the Protestants like to claim, because they fail to put the Scriptures together to determine how old the earth is. You can't determine exactly how old the earth is.

Verse 2: "And the earth was… [or became] …without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep…" There was already a flood by v 2!

How did that flood come about?

Did God create the earth in chaos and confusion and covered with the flood?

We will see here the flow of creation:

God

heavens

earth

But between heavens being created and earth being created, we will see that the angels were created. So, you've got:

heaven

angels

earth

rebellion

first flood

man

It doesn't give us any number of days, years, eons or anything like this. Let's see heavens being created, and think about this for just a minute: If God created everything 6,000 years ago and He lives forever, what was He doing up to time of 6,000 years ago? Nothing? We will see that the proposition of only a 6,000-year-old universe and earth is not true, and we will see why.

Job 38 will tell us some very important things. Remember when Job said, 'Oh, that the Lord would answer me.' Be careful what you wish for, Job, because God did!

Job 38:1: "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 'Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?'" (vs 1-2).

Sidebar: It's hard for people to understand what Job's sin was. He was righteous, like he said. All of it was righteousness that came from God, which is true. But his sin was he took all credit for it rather than giving God the credit. That's a summary as to why none of his three friends were able to find out what it was that he did because he was righteous.

This also tells us and gives us proof that by your own works, even though it's what God says, you can't earn salvation!

Verse 3: "Now gird up your loins like a man; for I will demand of you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?.… [there was a time when God laid the foundations to create the earth] …Declare it if you have understanding! Who has determined its measurements if you know? Or who has stretched the line upon it? On what are the foundations fastened to? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?" (vs 4-7).

Morning stars and sons of God are two classifications of angels. We will see before Satan sinned he was called the morning star.

What does this show at this point about the earth? All the angels were in agreement with what God did. They shouted for joy because that was to be their habitation. As we will see later, they left it! We will see why they left it.

We find that there was a time that the one who was called 'the anointed cherub that covers,' and 'the morning star' (Isa. 14), that there was no sin.

What caused them to sin?

Where can we find it in the Bible?

It is there!

It's interesting that the phrase 'son of man' is used of Ezekiel almost exclusively all the way through Ezekiel.

Sidebar: Jesus called himself the Son of man, especially when He was in Judea, because of all of the religious leaders there. There were a couple of times that He called Himself the Son of God. Then they came after Him with 'all barrels blazing' as it were.

Ezekiel 28:12: "Son of man, lift up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "You seal up the measure of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You have been in Eden the garden of God…"'" (vs 12-13).

Stop and think here! Who was in the Garden of Eden? Adam, Eve, the Lord and later Satan! After they sinned, only God was in the Garden of Eden and He put the cherubim with the swords to keep the way so they couldn't come to the Tree of Life or come into the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden was destroyed at the Flood.

"…every precious stone was your covering… (v 14): You were the anointed cherub that covers, and I set you so; you were upon the Holy mountain of God… [that's where the throne of God is] …you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire" (vs 13-14)—because it's all like sapphire stone and the fire is not necessarily heat; it's probably the reflection of the glory of God's creation.

Verse 15: "You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created…" First of all God created the heavens, then the angels, then the earth!

"…until iniquity was found in you" (v 15). When was iniquity found in him?

This also shows that it was a choice. He chose to do so. When did that occur? Isn't it interesting that this question could not be possibly answered for nearly 4,000 years in the writings of the Bible? But here in the very last book, the book of Revelation, God gives us a vision of what happened and why Satan rebelled.

Remember that God said He laid the foundation of the earth and the 'morning stars and the sons of God sang for joy.'

Revelation 12:1: "Then there appeared a great wonder in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and having the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." This is God's plan summarized in the woman who was to be Israel and the Church!

Sidebar: This woman changes meaning in Rev. 12: to Israel, to Mary, and because the woman had the man-Child who was to rule all nations, Christ; which brings up the question we can't answer: What is the reward of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the Kingdom of God in relationship to what the Father did in impregnating her with the Son of God? We don't know! Does this tell us something about it? I don't know! Verse 1 is the epitome of Israel and the Church.

Verse 2: "And being with child, she cried in travail, and was in pain to deliver. And another sign was seen in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads" (vs 2-3).

The prophecy of being with child projected forward quite a ways, but it came back to the time of when Satan rebelled.

Verse 3: "And another sign was seen in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads; and his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth…." (vs 3-4).

This is the rebellion of Satan and one-third of the angels. This is when the rebellion took place; this is when, maybe not the thought of sin, but the action of rebellion against God by his thoughts of vanity and sin that he had there in Ezek. 28 were manifested.

Then it projects forward to the coming of the Messiah, which was first prophesied about to Adam and Eve right after they sinned. Satan wanted to kill the child (Matt. 3) with the three wise men and Herod, etc., but God intervened.

We will see all the way through that Satan wants to supplant God and Christ. Here is the rebellion that took place; this is when he sinned. Was it when he found that God had another plan before He created the angels, that He didn't tell them about until He laid the foundation of the earth? We have to put the Scriptures together to get the story flow. It's not all in one place.

Ephesians 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly things with Christ."

Remember, if it is spoken of by God before it occurs, it is as good as done! The Scripture cannot be broken and God cannot lie.

Verse 4: "According as He has personally chosen us for Himself before the foundation of the world…" God had this plan before the foundation of the world, before we ever existed! That's what it's referring to, not that we existed somewhere before the foundation of the world.

"…in order that we might be Holy and blameless before Him in love" (v 4). We'll just short-circuit the rest of that: We would become the sons and daughters of God and be over the angels.

Didn't Paul say we will judge angels?

Doesn't the superior judge the inferior? Yes, indeed!

Is that when Satan rebelled?

When Satan found out the plan that God had and, instead of being the super-ruler that he thought he was, now he was going to be a servant to human beings, less than he was, and that they would have the privilege and destiny greater than his, as he was only a covering cherub, an angel. Human beings were destined to become after the God Family, after the God-kind.

You think about human situations. In human situations when someone finds out that this lowly person is going to be promoted over you, there would be rebellion. That's exactly what happened!

How long were the angels on the earth before the rebellion took place?

Before God revealed to the angels what His plans for human beings would be?

How that they would be made after the likeness and image of Godand the angels weren't?

What happened?

Jude 6[corrected]: "And the angels who did not keep their own original domain… [on the earth] …but deserted their habitation…" in rebellion against God to ascend to heaven to make war against God (Isa. 14), where Satan said, 'I will be like the Most High. I don't like His plan. I'm going to get rid of Him and I'm going to set up mine.'

"…He is holding in eternal bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the Great Day" (v 6).

Satan is called the one who is the power of darkness! So, he is in darkness and has no light in him. He's also the father of lies. Then we'll see some of the powers that Satan has with people.

When Paul was knocked to the ground, Acts 26:15: "And I said, "Who are You, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting.'"

Isn't that interesting? If you persecute the children of God, you're persecuting Jesus. God will take vengeance on them accordingly.

Verse 16: "Now arise, and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you as a minister and a witness both of what you have seen and what I shall reveal to you. I am personally selecting you from among the people and the Gentiles, to whom I now send you to open their eyes…" (vs 16-18)—to the Truth!

What did Satan tell Adam and Eve? 'I will open your eyes and you can decide.' What really happened was that their eyes were open to see evil, but not good. In other words, their minds were closed to the good of God, blinded as Satan does wherever he goes.

Would not God have known that Satan was going to rebel? If you give free choice, God does not intervene with free choice. I am sure that Satan had free choice. If he were a robot, then he would have been made a robot to be righteous only. But since Satan had choice, there was always the possibility that he could sin, but there was always the possibility that he would choose not to sin. Same thing with us, we have to choose.

He sinned because they—Satan and the angels with him—left their first estate. The first estate must have been fantastic and beautiful. Whether that was the age of the dinosaurs or not, I don't know. But it probably was.

Verse 18: "To open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the authority of Satan to God, so that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified through faith in Me."

When did Satan become Satan from Lucifer? or the morning star? or the covering cherub? When he began to form his rebellion! How long that was we don't know. How did he get a third of the angels to go with him? Probably promising them positions if they could overthrow God, then they would set the agenda for the whole universe.

When did he become 'god of this world'? He became 'god of this world' after it was re-created for man to live on and Adam and Eve sinned by listening to the serpent, instead of God! At that point he became 'god of this world,' or this age, the age of mankind. That's when he became that.

Note these Scriptures regarding Satan:

the devil means the adversary. Satan is only used once in the Old Testament (1-Chron. 21).

destroyer/Apollyon: "…the angel of the abyss…" (Rev. 9:11).

In other words, wherever all the angels are imprisoned, he is the one who is over them. A lot of them are not allowed on the earth, and they won't be until that fifth seal is opened.

One of the first things God is going to do is get rid of the unclean spirits in the land (Zech. 13). That tells us when Satan is bound, the demons will be bound with him also.

deceiver of the world (Rev. 12:9)

the prince or ruler of this world (John 12:31)

the prince or ruler of darkness (Eph. 6:12)

a roaring lion (1-Pet. 5:8)

You have the true Lion, which is Jesus (Rev. 5), the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Then you have the counterfeit, the lion Satan the devil.

Beelzebub, prince of the demons (Matt. 12:24)

the dragon (Rev. 12:7)

the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10)

that ancient serpent (Rev. 20:2)

a liar from the beginning, the father of lies (John 8:44)

He also has his children. Who are his children? Those human beings who worship him directly! That's vs the children of God, or the children of the Kingdom, who are us! So, there's a lot to it.

Luke 10 is when Jesus sent out the 70 to heal the sick, cast out demons, and they came back. He told them to go heal the sick, raise the dead, preach the Gospel.

Luke 10:16: "The one who hears you hears Me…" Why? The disciples and the apostles only taught the Word of God and the teachings of Christ! Never did they teach any of their own teachings. In one place, I think it is 2-Cor. the King James Version translates it: 'Keep the traditions that I told you.' That should be ordinances and is so in the Faithful Version.

"…and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and the one who rejects Me rejects Him Who sent Me" (v 16). Why? Because:

Jesus taught what the Father commanded Him to do!

He did what He saw the Father do!

He accomplished what the Father wanted Him to do!

He represented the Father, because He is the Son!

Sidebar on Son: Even the Pharisees and Sadducees understood that if He was really the Son of God He would be equal with God! That's why they tried to kill Him, because that was the ultimate blasphemy. Who could be like God? That's why in writing the book From a Speck of Dust to a Son of God—Why Were You Born? the last great revelation given to the Church to all the apostles and all the prophets is that we will be the very real sons of God the Father! Only those in the first resurrection will be in that category!

Whatever the category of the rest are, it's not in the Family of God. We will be the children of God the Father. All of those coming into the Kingdom of God after that through the Millennium, Jesus will be the Father of those: 'For unto us a Son is born, for unto us a child is given, and His name shall be called Wonderful, the Everlasting Father' (Isa. 9). That's talking about Christ, not referring to the Father, but to Himself as the Father, because He will be Lord over the whole earth, God of the earth. We will be there with Him in the Kingdom and all of those that come into the Kingdom of God during that time will be the children of Jesus Christ and the Church, the Bride of Christ. This opens up a lot of understanding when you put it together.

Verse 17: "Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us through Your name.'" Notice how the demons and Satan are connected together, just like they were in Rev. 12.

Verse 18: "And He said to them, 'I was watching when Satan fell from heaven like lightning.'" It is as he was falling from heaven, cast back down to the earth!

Everything that the angels had on the earth was destroyed, covered with a flood. How long the earth was in that condition, we don't know. How old the earth actually is, it is probably as old as they can calculate the age of the earth really is.

Sidebar on how old the earth is and how old bones are: If you find bones in sediment, which came first the bones or the sediment? The sediment!

Ever heard of the Piltdown man, the hoax in England? One man made the bones look real old, buried them in the ground, left them there for a couple of years. Lo and behold, he dug them up and said, 'Look what I found.' All the scientists came over and said, 'Yes, this is Piltdown man.'

You can never tell the age of the bones buried because there's transference of minerals, from the bones to the earth and from the earth to the bones. It even happens with plants. You ever heard of petrified wood? It's stone! How did it become stone? The minerals from the earth migrated into the wood! So how old is the wood? As old as the stone, because it's now stone. How old was it actually, because it fell on the ground, it had to be a tree that grew and when it fell to the ground, then how long was it becoming petrified? We don't know! So, the truth is you can never really tell how old anything is that has been buried in the earth!

In South Africa they unearthed a down-deep grave of so-called sub-human beings. They were probably some kind of human being. I think their research will be totally mistaken if they do not compare that with recent and alive Pigmies in Africa, because they are about the same size. So, you don't know. It will be interesting to see.

We will do what the Bible does. We'll tell you what we should do and then tell you what the schemes are.

2-Corinthians 2:11: "So that we may not be outwitted by Satan… [Satan is after us] …for we are not ignorant of his schemes."

Let's add one more to the list of names of Satan. This is one I came up with: Infiltrator! Remember the last Passover? Satan possessed Judas and he was infiltrating the Passover ceremony. Then we'll see a little later, wicked spirits in high places: infiltrators! What happened to the Church of God? Got infiltrated! Agents of organizations whose god is Satan; ignorant of his schemes. He plots it; he plans it. Now we will see how Satan works.

2-Corinthians 4:1: "Therefore, having this ministry, according as we have received mercy, we are not fainthearted. For we have personally renounced the hidden things of dishonest gain… …not walking in cunning craftiness… [Satan's business] …nor handling the Word of God deceitfully… [Satan's business] …but by manifestation of the Truth…" (vs 1-2).

I think that was really very well put that way. That's why when we teach, when we go through the Bible, what do we do?

We go through the Bible!

We read the Scriptures!

We compare 'line upon line; precept upon precept; a little here, a little there'!

Put it all together!

That's exactly what we're doing here now!

"…by manifestation of the Truth, we are commending ourselves to every man's conscience before God" (v 2).

What does that mean? We say, 'Prove it in the Word of God! Don't believe what we say. We're not teaching ourselves.' We don't want anyone to follow us. I don't want anyone to follow me, but if I teach what is true in the Bible, then we all have to live by it, every one of us.

The Church gets in trouble is when they adopt some of the organizational schemes of Satan where there is the equal, that is all the brethren, and the more-equal, the hierarchy. The more-equal can do things that the equal cannot do, which is a satanic lie and one of his schemes. Now you know one of the reasons why the Church had to go down.

Verse 3: "But if our Gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing; in whom the god of this age…" (vs 3-4)—world! When did he become god of this world? When Adam and Eve believed him, followed him, obeyed him, and sinned against God! Remember what he told Jesus in the temptation. The temptation of Jesus is one of the most powerful sections in the New Testament.

Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, like one of a giant television screen, like today.

Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and said, 'All of these I will give you.' The reason he said that is because he knew that Christ was going to take them anyway. He said, 'I'll give them to you now IF you will bow down and worship me.' So, Satan became 'god of this age' when Adam and Eve sinned.

"…has blinded the minds of those who do not believe…" (v 4). Jesus said they are blinded, they don't see, they don't hear, because they don't believe and they don't obey (Matt. 13).

Whenever Satan comes in, sneaks in—we will see that he's organized and we will see that he has come against the Churches of God—he brings something that sounds blessedly true, but it's not. Then you begin to have spiritual blindness. After a while it all goes away. That's the work of Satan!

"…has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we do not preach our own selves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake" (vs 4-5). That's what it is, we teach the Word of God! That makes some people angry and mad.

We've covered these before, but let's put it into the equation here. Did not Jesus say there would be false christs? Yes, indeed! The christ of this world is a false Jesus. Jesus was never like that, but they are comfortable with it. They claim the name of Jesus. You can't worship Christ with the ways of the pagans.

What would happen if there was a Catholic who was really, really interested—maybe they got lied to, maybe there was a scheme against them, maybe there was something that took their money—and they're really angry because they have been lied to. Yet, they are good Catholics. If that presented an opening, you could say—especially if they're mad at the Catholic Church—'What if everything you believe is a lie, but sounds blessedly true?' That would be pretty hard to take!

2-Corinthians 11:1: "I would that you might bear with me in a little nonsense; but indeed, do bear with me. For I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God because I have espoused you to one husband…" (vs 1-2).

All those who are in the Church are espoused to Christ. However, there may be another revelation in the book of Revelation that narrows that down to certain ones in the Church that will be the Bride. Since I said it, let's turn there.

Let's understand that Rev. 7 tells us that those 144,000 are from the children of Israel and the great innumerable multitude are from all nations, tribes, languages and so forth.

Revelation 14:1: "And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb standing on Mount Sion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. Then I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of great thunder; and I heard the sound of lyre players playing their lyres. And they were singing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one was able to learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand, who were redeemed from the earth" (vs 1-3). Doesn't tell us when we're redeemed. Not from the tribes of Israel!

Here is a qualifier and a descriptive, v 4: "These are the ones who were not defiled with women…"

Who was the great whore? The religions of this world (Rev. 17)! They are likened to women, because the whore has daughters. Are daughters women? Yes!

"…for they are virgins…" (v 4). They never committed spiritual adultery! Would Jesus marry a virgin? Yes, indeed!

"…they are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes…. [not sidetracked] …They were purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb, and no guile was found in their mouths; for they are blameless before the Throne of God" (vs 4-5).

We will see if we can maybe get a clue as to who the second group of 144,000 are. They are different than the first group.

2-Corinthians 11:2: "…so that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."

What happens if they follow the false prophets? No longer virgins!

Could they repent and come back? Yes, but they are no longer virgin!

Verse 3: "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ…. [obey My voice] …For indeed, if someone comes preaching another Jesus…" (vs 3-4). They were doing that back then! The world's full of it today.

Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but the one who is doing the will of My Father, Who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name? And did we not cast out demons through Your name? And did we not perform many works of power through Your name?'" (vs 21-23).

He will say, 'Oh, welcome, blessed, come into the Kingdom.' NO! He will say, 'I never knew you.' They were using the name of Jesus, but following a different Jesus.

2-Corinthians 11:4: "…another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit…"—which comes from Satan the devil! Can he influence people? Yes!

"…which you did not receive, or a different gospel, which you did not accept, you put up with it as something good" (v 4). 'We're open-minded and want to listen to everything. We want to be fair and balanced.' If you're fair and balanced, then you have half-lies and half-truth. No longer virgins.

Verse 13: "For such are false apostles—deceitful workers… [preaching these things] …who are transforming themselves into apostles of Christ…. [not the real thing, but fake] …And it is no marvel, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light" (vs 13-14).

Isn't that what he did with Adam and Eve? Isn't that what he does for all people? 'We will bring you enlightenment!' It is indoctrination into darkness. What did Jesus say? 'If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!' So, it is a dark light, not the bright Light of Christ.

Verse 15: "Therefore, it is no great thing if his servants… [Satan has many servants] …also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness—whose end shall be according to their works." That's what we see going on in the world!

Let's come over here to Rev. 2 & 3 so we will connect the two together with Rev. 14. Sidebar: Jesus Christ says to every one of the churches, 'I know your works.' Therefore, it can't be by faith only. If it's faith only, it is dead (James 2). By works your faith is perfected, because you believe God and do what He says. They go hand in hand.

Church of the Ephesians, Revelation 2:2: "I know your works, and your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot bear those who are evil; and that you did test those who proclaim themselves to be apostles, but are not, and did find them liars."

But what happened? They got worn out, because they left their first love (v 4) and He tells them to repent. If you leave your first love, what is the first love? Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and being, and your neighbor as yourself, and the brethren as Christ loves us! If they left their first love, that means they are no longer virgins.

Verse 6: "'But this you have: that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate'"—which then is the hierarchy.

The Church of Smyrna, v 9: "I know your works and tribulation and poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who declare themselves to be Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan."

Did they succumb to that? No, they didn't! This tells us an awful lot!

They went into prison for ten years. They were killed, but they were "…faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life" (v 10). They were faithful under the most trying of circumstances unto death, no sin!

Church at Pergamos is full of sin. Where are they? Verse 12: "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos, write: 'These things says He Who has the sharp two-edged sword'"—His Word!

Sidebar: When I gave a sermon on this back in 1986—Ron Carey brought this up to me and I said what I'm going to tell you here now: If you go too far against God, Christ will fight against you! Did He not do that with the Jews in Jerusalem and Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon? He said, 'My servant Nebuchadnezzar, is going to come and take you down.'

Christ says, v 13: "I know your works and where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is…[Rome] …but you are holding fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells."

Did it affect them? Yes! Teachings of Balaam, teaching the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which He hates.

Verse 16: "Repent! For if you do not repent, I will come to you quickly, and will make war against them with the sword of My mouth."

I said in 1986 that I see this happening to the Church that Christ is going to fight against His own Church because of their sins. Here we are many years later. Did it happen? Yes, it did! Those of Pergamos cannot be considered virgins. If they repent, they will be accepted.

The Church of Thyatira went into depths. Also, we find that Satan is organized: Synagogue of Satan; the throne of Satan. Here we have Jezebel, the harlot. Again, false doctrine and God tells them that they have to repent. If they don't repent, they are going to lose their salvation, because He's going to "…kill their children with death…" (v 23).

Verse 24: "But to you I say, and to the rest who are in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak…"—no longer virgins of any sort at all! Can they repent? Some of them are not going to!

"…I will not cast upon you any other burden, but hold fast what you have until I come. And to the one who overcomes and keeps My works unto the end…'" (vs 24-26).

That's what you have to do. If you do the works of God that He commands, you're not doing your own. It requires our full participation, agreement, working, doing, choosing and all of that.

The Church at Sardis is a corpse with a pulse. He says, Revelation 3:5: "The one who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments; and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life..."

Even if you may not have sinned greatly by having incomplete works, you are sinning to the point of being blotted out of the Book of Life. So, if you just hold to the name of Jesus and the Passover and the Sabbath, you'll probably be accepted. But if you leave that, blotted out, no longer virgins.

The Church at Philadelphia: No sin, withstood the synagogue of Satan against his organization. But notice, what did we read in Rev. 14? What name was on that 144,000? Name of the Father!

Verse 12: "The one who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall not go out any more; and I will write upon him the name of My God… [the Father] …and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven from My God; and I will write upon him My new name."

The Church of the Laodiceans are lukewarm and naked. They're not virgins. Out of the seven churches, two are virgins. If you have the attitudes in the seven churches existing all the way down through history and blossoming in the end-time, then this applies consistently through the history of the churches. That maybe helps explain the other 144,000.

Let's look at some of the schemes of Satan the devil and how he does it. Let's add one more to the name of Satan the devil, since there is no place in the Scriptures for this: entertainer and comedian! Next time you watch any comedies or any cartoons for children, how many are teaching sin or making fun of sin? The way you introduce sin is with a joke! So he is entertainer and comedian.

Let's see how he works. Every once in a while I get a postcard from someone who says, 'You say that Satan can inspire. I say only God can inspire.' What do I mean by 'Satan can inspire'? I mean he can put a thought into the mind of a human being! If that happens, that is inspiration. Acts 5: Ananias and Sapphira, remember that?

So they said, 'Let's sell all of our property and bring it in because there are so many disciples here, we'll share with everyone.' They said yes, we'll sell our property for so much. So, they got more. Then they decided to lie. Lying breaks the commandment, 'You shall not bear false witness!' They bore false witness to Peter saying we got it for so much.

Acts 5:2: "And kept back part of the price for himself, his wife also being aware of it; and he brought a certain portion and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, 'Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…'" (vs 2-3)—because you had the Holy Spirit within you and Peter had the Holy Spirit within him!

"'…and to keep back part of the price of the estate?'" (vs 2-3).

Did Satan put it in his heart? Yes!

Can Satan inspire? Yes!

We'll see how that works!

Have you ever gone along and then all of a sudden this thought comes into your mind? Where did that come from? You weren't thinking it! You didn't intend to do it! What you do is rebuke it, because that's coming from Satan the devil. If they told Peter they sold it for more, can they keep some of it? He probably would have said yes!

He says here, v 4: "Before it was sold, was it not yours? And after you sold it, was it not in your own authority? Why did you contrive this thing in your heart?"

Matt. 6 is where Jesus tells the apostles what's going to happen to Him when He goes to Jerusalem. Remember what Peter did? He took Him aside and rebuked Him. He said, 'No, Lord, this isn't going to happen to You.' With the impression, 'We'll fight for You. We'll save You.'

What did Jesus say? 'Get you behind Me, Satan, for your thoughts are not on the things of God, but on the things of men.' So much for the first pope. Of course, he wasn't the pope! On churchathome.org, we have 21 segments on Was Peter Ever in Rome?

Ephesians 2:1: "Now you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you walked in times past according to the course of this world… [being of the world; we're not to be] …according to the prince of the power of the air… [Satan the devil] …the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience" (vs 1-2). He has the power to project and give thoughts to people so they will disobey.

How do people all of a sudden come along and they're living just fine, and they run out and commit adultery. They run out and rob a bank. They do something else. Where did the inspiration come from? Satan the devil!

Verse 3: "Among whom also we all once had our conduct in… [here's what he appeals to]: …the lusts of our flesh, doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest of the world."

How does he do it? Remember the cunnings of the devil! Here's it's called the wiles:

Ephesians 6:10: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the might of His strength. Put on the whole armor of God…" (vs 10-11). God expects us to resist! God expects us to cast those thoughts down, to expel them from us!

"…so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood…" (vs 11-12). This is a spiritual battle!

Think of all the things that Satan has today to get into the minds of people. Television, portable phones, magazines, books, entertainment, music and movies. How many really good movies could you say glorify God? Zero! Maybe some come close to it. Who is behind it? Satan the devil!

Why? Because they never want to forgive anyone!

So we have to put on the armor of God! We stand against the wiles of the devil!

Verse 12: "Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities… [high level demons] …and against powers… [evil powers of this world; authorities in the world] …against the world rulers of the darkness of this age…" Those spiritual powers behind the super-elite who worship Satan the devil!

Then it shows what we need to do, v 13: "Therefore, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having worked out all things, to stand."

you have to stand against the enemy

you have to stand for the Truth

you have to stand for the Way of God

you have to stand for the Word of God

It's like that Kim Davis did. Got thrown in jail. It is true! We have to stand!

Let's understand something, too. In doing this, we have to do it with the Word of God. Satan's temptations are always presented as a benefit. Think about that. Isn't that what he did with Ananias and Sapphira? 'Look, you have a benefit. You get a little more money. Don't tell them anything about it.' Always a benefit that is not gained lawfully, but contrary to the Law of God.

Here's what we need to do spiritually, v 14: "Stand therefore, having your loins girded about with Truth, and wearing the breastplate of righteousness. And having your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace" (vs 14-15). Always walking in the way of God, that's what it is.

Verse 16: "Besides all these, take up the shield of the faith, with which you will have the power to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." A lot of those things come right through the television!

Verse 17: "And put on the helmet of salvation…" You've got to have your brain protected!

That's what's so evil with the coming of the mark of the beast. They are going to control your thoughts! What's the next rage? Implanted, high-tech! 'You will be the smartest around. You can control machines by your thoughts, wave your hand.' Won't tell you the end of it, but that's a benefit.

Helmet of salvation: protect your brain. It says to diligently guard the door of your mind (Prov. 4:23). That also means heart.

"…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (v 17). In other words, you must know the Word of God! What have you heard repeated over and over again your whole life in the Church? Study and prayer! There it is right there.

Verse 18: "Praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and in this very thing being watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

We know the wiles of the devil. We know his tricks. We know his benefits. We also know the Word of God. When we come to the Day of Atonement, then we're going to see what God is going to finally do with Satan the devil to remove him.

God loves the world so much that we need to put in here that even all of those people who have sinned against Christ, committed all of these horrible sins, if they haven't committed the unpardonable sin, they will be raised to a second physical life to have an opportunity for salvation, and Satan won't be around!

Within the context of the European Green Deal, the electrification of the energy sector is of paramount importance. Only by substituting fossil energies for electricity will the European Union be able to reach its objective of being carbon-free by 2050. Such an ambitious project requires a significant amount of technical infrastructure to sustain it, and this is precisely what the European Commission wants to achieve through what has been unofficially defined as the “European Super Grid”. This article explains more in detail what the European Super Grid consists of, what are its main challenges and what it involves for the European Union on both the local and international level.

In a remarkable step forward, renewable energies reached and surpassed fossil fuels as the European Union’s main electricity source in 2020. According to a study carried out by the focus groups Ember and Agora Energiewende, during the year 2020 renewable power sources generated approximately 38% of the EU’s electricity, whereas fossil fuels accounted for about 37%. While this surely marked a significant stepping stone in the battle to reduce fossil fuel usage, the prized goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% before 2030 is still a long way off.

With the demand for electricity rising every year due to the electrification of significant portions of production, the European Union will need to provide European citizens and companies with increasing quantities of electricity while staving off the recourse to fossil fuels. Until now, the matter has generally been addressed by focusing on the construction of more and better renewable energy infrastructure. Nevertheless, such a course of action needs to be complemented by something else. This is because renewable forms of power production tend to lack stability, meaning they cannot provide a continuous flow of electricity to meet demand. Solar panels don’t work when the sun goes down, and eolian turbines can’t produce power when the wind stops blowing. The opposite is true as well: in some cases renewable power production may surpass demand, which would make the surplus power go to waste. This is where the European Super Grid comes into play.

The European Super Grid: what is it exactly?

The European Super Grid is an umbrella term to define a series of projects taking place in Europe and beyond. Upon completion, these projects would result in the creation of a power network interconnecting European countries between themselves and with other regions, such as North Africa and the Middle East. The Super Grid aims at both improving energy interconnectors and creating new ones between European areas, thus increasing the capacity and quality of power transmission among countries. Although the majority of the projects are still in planning phases, many have already begun production.

Concretely, the energy interconnectedness will allow for European states to sell their energy surpluses to other countries, and to buy others’ excesses in times of deficiency. This energy sharing is key in counterbalancing the effects of renewable energy not being a stable and reliable source of electricity. This dynamic can be better seen through an example: during the summer, the power production by solar panels in Southern European Countries increases exponentially, which can make the producing country end up with an energy surplus. Without the European Super Grid, that power produced would go to waste. Through cables and power infrastructure that same energy can be exported to other countries, for example Northern or Western European States, regions that due to a different climate are unable to fully take advantage of solar power.

The same can happen the other way around. During the winter, wind power from turbines or hydropower from dams tend to be more reliable and abundant than solar power. Northern or Western European countries can easily produce both thanks to geographical and climate-related reasons, and as such may be able through the appropriate infrastructure to export their surpluses to countries in need. This would effectively prevent European countries from falling back on fossil fuels for energy production during periods of deficiency.

This monumental project would be beneficial in two main ways. Economically, it is estimated that the Super Grid will make the European Union save between 12 and 40 billion euros every year. Environmentally, it would help remove fossil energy from electricity production for good.

The Super Grid and the European Green Deal: “a match made in heaven”

Within the context of the European Green Deal, the development of a fully integrated European Grid is of great importance. With the production and use of energy accounting for approximately 75% of its carbon emissions, it is one of the main interests of the European Union to decarbonize power production in order to achieve the 2050 goal of a climate-neutral continent. The construction of an interconnected energy system is thus one of the EU’s priorities, which explains its willingness to fund most projects related to the ESG. For example the construction of the Celtic Interconnector, a series of power cables that will connect Ireland to the European grid, is currently benefiting from European funds. The European Commission aims to achieve 15% of interconnection by 2030, meaning that by then each country should possess the appropriate infrastructure to export at least 15% of the electricity produced by its power plants. Considering the numerous projects that are currently under construction, this is an achievable goal.

But the main reason why the European Super Grid perfectly suits the needs of the Green Deal is the fact that it takes into consideration the differences in terms of energy mix of individual European countries. Many EU policies aiming at reducing carbon emissions were often criticised by Member States for not taking into consideration the disparities between countries, and consequently the difficulties that some may encounter to reach objectives that could be easily met by others. The Super Grid respects these differences, allowing countries to specialise in the types of energy production they find most fruitful. Although some broad objectives are defined, the Member-States are allowed to micromanage their specific cases as they please, having a lot of freedom to decide how to move forward.

The geopolitical implications of the Super Grid, a path to energy independence?

The EU’s new energy policy, defined through the European Green Deal, has three objectives: sustainability, competitiveness, and most importantly, security of supply. It is a well-documented truth that the EU remains extremely dependent on imported energy. Some countries of the Baltic and Central European regions are overwhelmingly dependent on one single supplier, Russia being one of the main ones. This puts Europe in an extremely vulnerable situation, with geopolitical incidents in either supplier or transit countries being a very real possibility. For example, the Ukrainian conflict that started in 2014 heavily affected gas supply all throughout Europe, causing inflation and shortages. In a similar fashion, the partnerships with Russia have proven to be convoluted and unstable, most notably due to the participation of the European Union in NATO and the continuous political clashes with the Russian regime over human rights.

Furthermore, with environmental crises making power supply incredibly volatile, the EU risks getting caught in troubles outside of its capabilities. The succession of energy crises that unfolded in the last few months confirm such theory: an increased global demand and a particularly cold winter skyrocketed prices for power and gas, leaving the European Union to deal with the consequences. Within this context of geopolitical uncertainty, the European Super Grid may act as a solution by reducing the reliance on liquid gas and oil, and most importantly by increasing power production within the EU itself. This would put the European Union on the right path to becoming self-sufficient regarding power supply, and thus closer to being energetically independent.

The implementation of the ESG would also increase European integration between Member States, creating a more interconnected and cohesive Union with the capacity to speak with one unified voice on the energy world market, on issues regarding power production, environmental crises or climate change. Diplomatically, an electrically interconnected European Union would carry more weight in the international decision-making arena, with more bargaining power and less concerns over the possibility of countries using resources as leverage in geopolitical negotiations. Furthermore, the Super Grid would not only concern the European Union per se but also its periphery, reaching countries such as Norway, Iceland and the Northern African region. This dynamic has the potential to promote the EU’s external policy objectives and values in other regions, thus increasing international cooperation.

Still a long way to go

As previously stated, the European Super Grid is far from being completed, but numerous projects are currently being built or under active planning. As mentioned before, the Celtic connector is now under construction between Ireland and France. Other examples include the Spain-France underground electrical interconnection; the LitPol link I, an electricity link between Lithuania and Poland, and many others. Work remains to be done, but considering that the objectives for 2020 set by the European Commission were reached and those of 2030 seem within range, the hopes are high for the European Super Grid to be up and running by 2050. Current projects vary in scope, reach, funding and size, but at the end of the day they all contribute to the construction of the most extensive electricity grid the world has ever seen.

The only issue that remains tied to the development of the project is the possibility of a climate crisis. Indeed, for the Super Grid to really start proving its benefits, a certain threshold of interconnection must be reached. Before that happens, the power produced by European renewables might not be enough to fill the need for electricity that could arise from an unforeseen climate event. In case this ever happens, countries would be forced to draw power from fossil fuels in order to keep prices from hyperinflating and retain a somewhat stable supply of electricity. Since climate crises are expected to get worse in the following years, the possibility of countries failing to completely detach themselves from fossil fuels is likely. This would effectively create a vicious cycle where continuous crises lead to more fossil fuels being used, and so forth. To successfully avoid this scenario, projects tied to the ESG need to become a top priority in the next decade in order to make the transitional phase between low to mid-levels of interconnection as short as possible.

According to statistics, Europe is already the largest internationally interconnected grid worldwide, with countries exporting significant portions of surplus power to neighboring states. But the European Union can’t allow itself to rest on the laurels of its achievements, and must push forward in order to make power-sharing the norm. The European Super Grid is not a panacea to all of the EU’s environmental problems, but it surely is a solid foundation upon which the rest of the European Climate Policies can be developed.


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Power Grab: Brussels Plots €600 Billion EU-Wide Electricity Takeover

The European Commission has unveiled a staggering €600 billion plan to centralize control over the continent’s energy grid—a project marketed as green progress, but seen by critics as yet another power grab at the expense of national sovereignty.

The scale is colossal: we are talking about an unprecedented investment aimed at interconnecting national grids, overhauling infrastructure, and ensuring the transition toward a green economy over the next decade—a key objective of the von der Leyen Commission in both its previous and current terms.

The stated goal is ambitious. According to the Commission itself, this investment will be used to strengthen cross-border interconnections, expand transmission and storage capacity, and facilitate the massive integration of renewable energy, which is unreliable and hard to store. The plan, which Brussels claims it will outline by 2026 at the latest, aims to create a deeply integrated “meshed electricity network” that would enable a single energy market, ultimately placing energy oversight under EU control.

Brussels’ justification: Green transition and energy security

The official explanation hinges on two major arguments: on the one hand, the need to advance the economy’s decarbonization to meet Europe’s climate commitments; on the other, the urgency of strengthening energy security after the crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine and the subsequent break with traditional fossil fuel suppliers.

The European Commission and its parliamentary partners from the European People’s Party (EPP) are promoting the idea that “being green is being patriotic” as a strategy to counter conservative criticisms of the lack of competitiveness stemming from limited energy accessibility for businesses and citizens. However, critics say this is little more than sloganeering.

Brussels defends itself by assuring that, although high, the investment will pay off in the medium term. According to ENTSO-e (the European association of electricity network operators), annual savings of over €38 billion could be achieved if cross-border infrastructures are properly developed. This, combined with the promise to reduce external dependency and improve the system’s resilience, is presented as an unavoidable step to prevent new episodes of energy vulnerability.

That is the narrative. The reality is far less reassuring. Renewable technology cannot be stored effectively, and dependency on its supply causes serious headaches.

Because of this, legitimate doubts and suspicions arise. The recent energy crisis in Spain, marked by a blackout that partially paralyzed the country for several hours, has served as a catalyst to accelerate the EU’s pro-integration energy rhetoric. Both MEPs and technical officials have pointed out that greater interconnection with France would have mitigated the effects of the collapse, reinforcing the message that the “solution” lies in handing over more competences to Brussels.

It is striking that this episode, already being used to justify the urgency of the European energy project, coincides with the political timeline. For months, the Commission has been warning about the “insufficiency” of the Iberian network and the need to strengthen interconnections. The question is inevitable: is this a real technical flaw—or just another manufactured justification to advance Brussels’ federalization agenda?

The discourse around energy is not just technical—it is profoundly political. The creation of a “genuine Energy Union,” as demanded by the Commission, is one of the key pillars to consolidate an increasingly centralized European Union that shows less and less respect for the autonomy of its Member States. Electricity isn’t just infrastructure—it’s influence. Subordinating its management to Brussels represents one more step toward building a European superstate that many citizens reject, deeply worried about losing their national identity and democratic control over vital sectors.

Official economic data from any government is always treated with suspicion by anyone with common sense. The US, for example, witnessed some of the most egregious statistical tinkering imaginable under the Biden Administration, not to mention outright lies and propaganda from the establishment media on the health of the economy. To this day no one has been fired (or tarred and feathered) for hiding the reality of the stagflation crisis. Any government or corporate economist that called the threat “transitory” should be stripped of their financial prestige and banished to a cash register at Arby’s.

And let’s not forget Biden’s misrepresentation of the labor market, portraying millions of new jobs for illegal migrants and visa holders as if they were jobs benefiting American citizens. In the US and across the western world, lying about the economy is generally seen by politicians as a temporary solution to secure reelection. However, in China, lying about the economy is treated as a national security imperative. If there’s anything in the world that gives communists a feeling of existential dread, it’s the fear that their ideological enemies will discover proof that communism doesn’t work.

The Trump Administration’s tariffs on China are not the initiator of the nation’s troubles, they are more a bookend to a process of decline that has been ongoing for years.

Overall tariffs on Chinese goods currently sit at 124%, but some goods will be taxed as high as 245%. Trump has given a 1 month exemption on electronic parts and devices, perhaps to offer manufacturers like Apple, Nvidia and Microsoft time to arrange sourcing from alternative vendors. The problem for Chinese manufacturers is not just the tariffs but the uncertainty of timing and sudden changes to policy. They say no one is willing to make a big move on production or shipments until the trade landscape becomes more predictable. This means most Chinese factories are frozen in stasis.

Trump’s tariff actions are widely criticized by the media as erratic or poorly planned, but what they don’t understand is that uncertainty is the real leverage, not the tariffs. What seems like a spur of the moment decision or a sudden capitulation on Trump’s part can be highly effective at throwing foreign governments and corporations off balance. Globalism requires a perpetual status quo, change of any kind is like holy water to a vampire.

Chinese shipments are on standby and orders are frozen. Nothing is moving.

At bottom, China will not be able to survive tariffs on the current scale for long (a single year of 124% tariffs would crush China’s economy beyond repair). The US is 15% of China’s export market, which may not sound substantial but their next largest trading partner (outside of Hong Kong) is Vietnam at 4% of exports. In terms of domestic buying, China is 11% of the global consumer market which is not too shabby, but compared to the US with its 30%-35% global consumer market share there is no chance that the Chinese will be able to fill the void domestically and stay afloat.

But the situation is far worse than most people know…

China has been suffering from a deflationary crisis since 2023. An uptick in exports during the pandemic was offset by the CCP’s draconian lockdowns. This was, essentially, fiscal suicide on the part of the government and China has been struggling ever since. Their property market has imploded, partially due to overbuilding through government subsidized infrastructure programs that flooded the market with poorly constructed homes and buildings that were then left to rot. Corporate defaults have run rampant and left investors with nothing.

There was some optimism that the government’s measures to end the crisis had been working to reinvigorate the market, but on Mar 31st, government-linked developer Vanke reported a record 49.5 billion yuan (S$9.1 billion) annual loss for 2024. It’s the company’s first full-year loss since its initial public offering in 1991, reigniting concerns about the sector and showing just how deep the problem runs.

When these projects do finally see some progress it is often due to dangerously poor construction standards and subpar workmanship; what many now refer to as “Tofu Dreg” buildings.

The deflationary spiral has been eating away at employment and has also resulted in numerous factories refusing to pay their workers on time (or at all). Unpaid wages are leading to frequent protests and a disturbing trend of factory fires. The government is limited in how it can respond to the problem. Stimulus is an option, but China’s overall non-financial debt is well over 300% of GDP already.

China’s attempts to hide the decay from the outside world are becoming less and less effective. With Chinese citizens able to access the internet beyond the “Great Firewall”, more and more videos are being leaked by people within the country who are tired of the misinformation. Again, the CCP views negative economic data as a national security threat and any citizen caught leaking this info could be subject to harsh punishment. Chinese citizens have taken substantial risks to get the truth out there.

It cannot be stressed enough that the global economy is largely a farce, but China is closest to the edge of the cliff in terms of consequences and crisis. The interdependency of globalism has left many nations without the ability to weather a trade dispute and China’s survival is almost entirely based on steady exports to the west and the US in particular.

Don’t let high paid TikTok and YouTube influencers fool you with videos of Chinese skyscrapers caked with LED lights or lavish parties with dancing robots. This is not the true China. Underneath the facade is a nation on the brink of disaster.


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AI Overview

China is facing a significant economic downturn, characterized by slowing growth, deflation, a housing crisis, and a rising debt burden. While China's official GDP growth targets have been achieved, many analysts believe the real growth rate is lower and that the economy is facing deeper structural problems. The collapse of the property sector, particularly the default of major developers like Evergrande, has triggered a financial crisis that has spread to creditors, suppliers, and local governments.

Key issues contributing to China's economic crisis:

Property Sector Collapse:

The tightening of borrowing requirements on property developers in 2020 led to a crisis that has severely impacted the sector, which once contributed about a quarter of GDP.

Deflation:

China has experienced deflation for the past two years, with prices falling for the first time since the 1960s.

Debt Crisis:

China's total debt-to-GDP ratio is high, especially at the local government level, with concerns about the ability of local governments to repay their debts.

Slowing Growth:

China's annual economic growth rate has decelerated significantly, with recent reports suggesting that actual growth may be lower than official figures.

Weak Consumption:

After reopening, private consumption has recovered more slowly than anticipated, with retail sales remaining below pre-pandemic levels.

Youth Unemployment:

The youth unemployment rate has risen significantly, with many young people discouraged by poor working conditions.

Possible explanations for the crisis:

Overinvestment in Property and Infrastructure:

China's rapid growth in recent decades has been fueled by significant investment in property and infrastructure, which has led to high debt levels and potential overcapacity.

Government Regulations:

While regulations aimed at controlling the property market were intended to prevent over-heating, they have also contributed to the current downturn.

Global Trade Tensions:

Trade tensions with the United States and other countries have also put pressure on China's economy, particularly its export-oriented industries.

Internal Political Factors:

Some analysts suggest that the leadership's priorities and potential reluctance to implement radical reforms may be hindering the country's ability to address the crisis.

Possible solutions and challenges:

Stimulus Measures:

China has implemented stimulus measures, including monetary policy easing, but these may not be sufficient to address the structural problems.

Fiscal Support:

Experts suggest that China needs to implement fiscal support measures, such as infrastructure spending and tax cuts, to stimulate demand.

Debt Restructuring:

Some suggest that China needs to address its debt problems, including through restructuring local government debt and allowing some defaults.

Economic Liberalization:

China may need to implement deeper economic liberalization measures to encourage private investment and consumption.

In summary, China's economic crisis is multifaceted, with the collapse of the property sector, deflation, and rising debt burdens being major concerns. While China has taken steps to address these issues, the challenges are significant and may require deeper reforms to achieve sustainable and balanced growth.

It was like a real-life Rock ’em Sock ’em.

The rise of the machines seems closer than we might like to think. Freaky footage captured the moment that a humanoid robot seemingly snapped and lashed out at its handlers like something out of a dystopian sci-fi thriller.

“This is what the machine uprising might look like,” Belarusian TV outlet Nexta captioned an X clip of the alleged attack, which boasts over 100,000 views.

In the unsettling clip, which was shot at an undisclosed factory in China, the bot is seen dangling from a construction crane on the factory floor near two men looking on cautiously.

They appear to be testing the humanoid droid’s capabilities.

The two are chatting away when, all of a sudden, the automated biped goes berserk, flailing its arms and legs about in a spectacle that evokes a failed prototype from the “Robocop” movies.

At one point, the raging machine lurches forward while swinging, dragging the stand along with it as the men try and avoid getting robo-bopped.

During the ruckus, the computer falls to the floor while several other items are knocked off the table.

The clip concludes with one of the men flanking the “angry” automaton and dragging its stand back into place in an attempt to stop its cybernetic rampage.

Viewers saw the malfunction as a sign that a robo-revolution was upon us, with many appropriately referencing the “Terminator” films.

“Went full terminator,” said one digital doomsdayer, while another apocalypticist wrote, “Sarah Connor was right.”

“This is what worries me about robotic surgery,” observed another concerning synthetic surgeons becoming increasingly ubiquitous in operating rooms.

Indeed, this shocking incident comes as anthropomorphic-seeming machines are becoming more integrated into our everyday lives. This past winter, Chinese tech firm Pudu Robotics unveiled the very “I, Robot”-esque D9 humanoid robot, which is designed to revolutionize the way we interact with machines.

Its cutting-edge capabilities include walking 4.5 mph — faster than the average human stroll — navigating stairs and even maintaining balance when knocked off-kilter.

In February, Clone Robotics uploaded a video showcasing the “Protoclone,” an eerily realistic humanoid robot that’s purported to be the “world’s first bipedal, musculoskeletal android.”

While the versatile bot is programmed to complete helpful tasks ranging from food preparation to cleaning and conversation, skeptical viewers deemed the Frankenstein-esque creation “dystopian” and “terrifying.”


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Humanoid robot springs to life: ‘Straight out of science fiction’

It’s alive!

An eerily realistic humanoid robot — purported to be the “world’s first bipedal, musculoskeletal android” — twitched to life in a viral clip, which viewers have slammed as “dystopian” and “terrifying.”

Created by Clone Robotics, the faceless “Protoclone” is manufactured with a body to look as lifelike as possible — muscles, tendons, joints and all.

In a video posted on X, which has scored over 32 million views, the Protoclone is suspended in the air as its limbs jerk and spasm, its arms moving at the elbows and legs bending at the knees. While the company celebrated its technological fete, users weren’t impressed.

“While every normal person looks at dystopian sci-fi films as cautionary tales, nerds see them as instruction manuals,” scoffed one critic.

“Creepy declared another user. “Why is the human race hellbent on self-destruction?”

“We had a good run, fellow humans,” one defeated person wrote.

“I actually feel sick after watching this,” someone else chimed in.

The company claims that the Protoclone android can walk, talk, complete chores and more — just like any human could.

“Do it yourself once. Clone will do it forever,” the tagline on the company’s site reads.

The bot, which will be available for preorder this year, memorizes the layout of your home and kitchen inventory, washes dishes and clothes, makes sandwiches and pours drinks, sets the table, holds and retrieves items, vacuums and cleans, shakes hands and even talks.

Protoclone, which is also championed for its ability to walk “naturally,” is equipped with a “Telekinesis training platform,” meaning it can learn new skills.

According to Clone Robotics’ website, the android contains muscular, skeletal, nervous and vascular systems.

The durable robot has the same number of bones as humans — 206 — which are made from “cheap and durable polymers,” as well as joints that are joined by ligaments and connective tissues that mimic the human body.

The artificial muscles are made of myofibers, while its nervous system is comprised of a network of sensors and four depth cameras for vision and feedback. Its vascular system operates similarly to that of a human as well, but instead of pumping blood through the body, it pumps water through its “hydraulic powering system.”

Online, the android — with soft exterior “as plush as a stuff animal” — is touted for its “biomorphic design,” which its creators claim is “straight out of science fiction.”

The cutting-edge creation rivals that of Tesla’s Optimus robot, which CEO Elon Musk previously claimed would be able to complete daily tasks and chores — from shopping to yard work — as well as serve as a babysitter, dog walker or bartender. Other companies are also experimenting with humanoid robots. Boston Dynamics unveiled its robo assistant last year, while Meta is reportedly creating a bot of their own as well.

“The future where you have humanoids at home folding your laundry is a lot closer than you think, and the price will be a lot lower than most people imagine,” 1X CEO Bernt Børnich, whose company recently released a robotic home assistant called NEO Beta, previously said.

“We can manufacture this at a cost of a relatively affordable car.”

Oregon company Agility Robotics has completed the construction of the world’s first factory for human-centric, multi-purpose robots or humanoids.

The first humanoid robot factory.

RoboFab is the first full-scale humanoid robot factory in the world. It’s the home base for producing our robot Digit and the athat go with it. Located in Salem, Oregon, RoboFab is a shining example of American manufacturing excellence.

The New RoboFab Factory

Last year, Agility began construction of a 70,000-square-foot facility that will open this year. Now, the factory has officially begun assembling robots and robotic fleets. About 30 miles from Agility’s engineering center, the facility has the capacity to produce hundreds of robots within the first year.

More than 500 workers will be able to work the factory at full capacity, in addition to Agility’s other previously built locations. Agility’s new RoboFab facility will be able to produce over 10,000 robots annually.

Agility Robotics’ Digit

Agility Robotics began as an Oregon State University spin-out in 2015. The lab’s immediate push was to create a basis for locomotion and stability in bipedal robots. In 2017, the company unveiled a full-size robot known as Digit. About six years later, in 2023, the current model of the Digit was made available.

Designed from the ground up, Digit operates the same way people do, following assignments to do tasks such as bulk material handling. Digit provides a robotic utility to take the place of humans, taking care of assigned tasks both safely and efficiently.

Once the facility moves to full capacity, Digit will be of additional value, working in the same factory as its production. The bot will be able to load and unload totes moving alongside humans, replicating simple human-centric tasks.

The Agility Robot Manufacturing System

RoboFab is a CapEx light assembly facility. That means no heavy machinery or costly industrial equipment is used to produce the Digits that come off the assembly line. The facility itself, as well as the Agility Robot Manufacturing System (ARMS), is highly scalable to meet the immense commercial demand for Digit.

At peak capacity, RoboFab can produce 10,000 robots per year. However, we will ramp up to eight units per shift in the first year, which will allow us to refine the system while we avoid wasting time and resources. More importantly, we will produce a large number of robots right out of the gate.

The assembly line is divided into work cells for the major sub-assemblies, including legs, arms, torsos, and actuators. It is designed to produce each sub-assembly in roughly the same amount of time. Our unique system is tuned for an entire robot to come together simultaneously and then move on to final testing.

Each work cell can quickly expand or be duplicated to increase production capacity. It's a structure that allows for high-rate manufacturing and producing robots in large quantities without requiring expensive modifications to the process or shutting down the assembly line to make adjustments.

With ARMS, we have a blueprint for quickly and cost-effectively building more RoboFabs as needed.

Are these tasks being done in your facility?

If so, it's time to bring Digit in to help expand your labor pool.

Tote Load & Unload:

Digit is a revolutionary piece of automation technology, the ultimate connector of existing technology and infrastructure. Digit can load and unload totes to support many different workflows.

For example, we've successfully integrated with many of the world's biggest AMR vendors, and the list is growing.

Using a mobile manipulator like Digit minimizes downtime and maximizes throughput, enhancing overall productivity. Load and unload totes from just about any source or destination: AMRs, Racks & Shelves, Units Sorters, Goods 2 Person Systems, Conveyors

Tote Recycling:

By efficiently managing the recycling of totes used for material transportation within logistics and manufacturing workflows, companies can optimize resources and re-task employees where they make the most impact.

This process minimizes downtime and enhances efficiency by ensuring totes are readily available, and at the right locations.

Tote Stacking, Tote Destacking, Tote Nesting

Tote Palletizing & Depalletizing:

By efficiently managing the recycling of totes used for material transportation within logistics and manufacturing workflows, companies can optimize resources and re-task employees where they make the most impact.

This process minimizes downtime and enhances efficiency by ensuring totes are readily available, and at the right locations.

Palletize and Depalletize from/to: Conveyors, Racks, Carts, AMRs

"World's first humanoid robot factory" will ship Digits in 2024

Agility Robotics is well into construction of a 70,000-sq-ft (6,503-sq-m) facility in Salem, Oregon, with the capacity to produce more than 10,000 units per year of the company's Digit humanoid robot – which will work alongside humans on the factory floor.

The new "RoboFab" manufacturing plant is set to open later this year, with customer deliveries expected to begin in 2024, and "general market availability" to commence in 2025. Agility expects to build "hundreds" of Digit humanoids in its first year, and scale up from there.

In the video below, Agility COO Aindrea Campbell compares the RoboFab factory to Henry Ford's first manufacturing operation.

"There was a point in time over a hundred years ago," she says, "when we had the world's first automobile factory. I think this is the same moment where we're now having the world's first humanoid robot factory, and someday, just like automobiles, humanoid robots will be all around the globe."

So what is Digit? Well, it's a 175-cm-tall (5-ft 9-in) tall bipedal robot weighing around 65 kg (141 lb). It can carry loads up to 16 kg (35 lb) in a pair of claw-like gripper hands, and it charges itself autonomously to theoretically stay on duty for 16 hours out of 24 – the equivalent of covering two full-time shifts.

It runs a similar set of bird-like backwards-looking legs to the company's Cassie robot, which broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest 100-meter sprint by a bipedal robot in 2022. Both have short upper legs that typically stay oriented forward in a knees-up stance, then long "calves" extending back behind the torso, and a high ankle joint where you'd normally expect to see a knee, leading down to smallish toe pads in contact with the ground.

The advantages here are that Digit can fold its legs up behind it in a way that would cause loud noises from the average human. It can also squat down in front of shelves to grab boxes without its knees protruding forward, so it can pick them up with less of a need to lean forward.

Equipped with camera vision and LiDAR, Digit has been around for several years now – you may remember it being proposed as a parcel-delivering robot by Ford back in 2019 – which would be remarkable. Who remembers things from 2019?

It can be controlled via a gamepad-style tablet (and e-stop shutdown initiator) and hard-coded with various tasks – mainly in the 'picking things up and putting them down' category. Interestingly though, in the last few months, Agility has been experimenting with using large language model (LLM) AIs, effectively to get Digit to program itself in response to natural language verbal commands.

Digit will start out moving boxes and totes around Agility's own factory, and those of its early customers. Next, the company hopes to get it loading and unloading trucks. There's little mention of more complex tasks at this point, so it seems Agility is happy to keep early use cases very constrained.

As to whether RoboFab is technically the world's first humanoid robot factory, well, that may be gilding the lily, since Chinese company Fourier Intelligence announced in July that it would have 100 of its GT-1 humanoids built and in the hands of customers by the end of this year – each with the capability to carry nearly its own weight.

Either way, it adds to a growing pile of evidence that the workforce is about to see yet another substantial change. There are now dozens of companies who have decided, and convinced investors, that the dawn of humanoid robot workers is very nearly upon us. Brace for change.


Also:


Amazon says its new warehouse robot can work 20-hour shifts and 'feel' items

Amazon's latest Vulcan robot is the company's first system that can sense touch. The devices can reach places where workers would ordinarily have to bend or climb a step-ladder. Amazon says fulfillment centers will still need human workers, especially for higher-tech roles.

Amazon warehouse workers' newest high-tech colleague has a sensitive side.

The e-commerce giant's latest robot, named Vulcan, is its first system that can sense touch, enabling it to handle a wider selection of oddly shaped items than older models.

"In the past, when industrial robots have unexpected contact, they either emergency stop or smash through that contact," Amazon director of applied science Aaron Parness said in a statement.

Vulcan's arm uses force-feedback sensors that allow the robot to detect how much pressure it can apply without damaging an object, and Amazon says the tech enables the robot to pick and stow three quarters of the kinds of products that are kept at a typical fulfillment center.

The tech is currently in use at centers in Spokane, Washington, and Hamburg, Germany. Amazon plans to deploy more units across the US and Europe aver the next few years.

Apart from its ability to work 20-hour shifts, Amazon also says the Vulcan robot complements human workers by helping reach items from high bins without a step-ladder, and low bins that would require crouching.

That frees up workers to focus their efforts on objects stored in mid-height bins, which the company calls their "power zone."

Vulcan works alongside our employees, and the combination is better than either on their own," Parness said.

Parness also told CNBC that Amazon fulfillment centers will still need human workers, especially for higher-tech roles that involve installing and maintaining the expanding robot fleet.

"I don't believe in 100% automation," he told the outlet. "If we had to get Vulcan to do 100% of the stows and picks, it would never happen. You would wait your entire life. Amazon understands this."