Slavery On The Rise (part 3)

According to the website endslaverynow.org "there are an estimated 21 million to 45 million people trapped in some form of slavery today" (Slavery Today). A range of 24 million is a huge number, but that is because many countries either do not want to report this fact, or they do not have adequate means to report. Sadly, many of us in the United States are oblivious to this fact. We live in ignorance now, but during the time of Revelation, slavery will be common knowledge.

Each year The National Center on Sexual Exploitation posts their "Dirty Dozen List". According to their website, "The Dirty Dozen List is an annual campaign calling out twelve mainstream entities for facilitating or profiting from sexual abuse and exploitation" (Dirty Dozen List, 2020). For the 2020 year their list included the following companies: Amazon, Google, Massage Envy, Netflix, the state of Nevada, Seeking Arrangements, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, STEAM, Tik Tok, Twitter, Visa, Wish, and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. Exploitation does not always mean slavery, but it does include the sex slave trade.

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“And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver...13 and bodies and souls of men. (Revelation 18:11-13)

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The financial world mourns in this passage because, among other things, their profit from the slave trade ends. Human life has no value in the end times beyond monetary value. Remember that these events take place after the church is raptured. When salt and light are removed from the earth, evil is unrestrained. Every man will do that which is right in his own eyes. Praise God we will not have to live in such a world.

While we are here, we must preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the only hope the people around us have. Those who are not raptured will face evils, suffering, and depravation like they have never known before. Then, they will face the judgement of God in which most will hear "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:23).

Father, this world is evil. Sin abounds everywhere we look. It is hard for us to fathom that it can get much worse. Yet, your Word tells us that it will. Help us to proclaim Your salvation so that those around us may be saved. Help us to pray for them with all of our hearts, and may You be merciful and gracious on them!

Citations:

“Dirty Dozen List 2020.” NCOSE, 9 Dec. 2021, https://endsexualexploitation.org/dirtydozen-2020/.

Schwarz, Katarina, and Jean Allain. “Slavery Is Not a Crime in Almost Half the Countries of the World.” Phys.org, Phys.org, 13 Feb. 2020, https://phys.org/news/2020-02-slavery-crime-countries-world.html.

“Slavery Today: Different Types of Human Trafficking.” End Slavery Now, http://www.endslaverynow.org/learn/slavery-today#:~:text=There%20are%20an%20estimated%2021,is%20slavery%20at%20its%20core.