Although the United States of America and Australia are a vast ocean apart, our core shared values mean that we often stand shoulder to shoulder through war, natural disasters and tragedy. Many people I have spoken to remain in shock, disbelief and tears over the assassination of Charlie Kirk. It is a reminder that speaking truth, particularly Biblical truth, is inherently dangerous in a world where truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth.
In a world where, in 2024, a little over a third of Stanford students said using violence to silence speech is acceptable, it is clear that the unbelieving and hostile world has a problem with truth. Why? Because of their genealogy. I speak not of their biological family, but of their spiritual family. You see, when your spiritual inheritance comes from the father of lies, you will see truth as antithetical to the vitality of your family unit. Because the unregenerate sinner is spiritually dead, only death can come out of their mouth. There is no doubt they value the principle of free speech for themselves. However, what we must understand is that free speech is seen differently in the kingdom of darkness than in the kingdom of light.
To the father of lies and his children, free speech is designed to tear people down, spread lies, destroy the witness of the church and stoke violence against those who wish to bring light to the kingdom of darkness. After all, let’s not forget what Jesus said as recorded in John 3:19: “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” They don’t just tolerate the darkness, they don’t just like the darkness, they love the darkness. Consequently, those who love darkness will hate the light because light is seen as the enemy of darkness and in their mind, an enemy needs to be destroyed.
In the Tribulation Period, we read of God’s two witnesses. After receiving news of their death, note how the “earth dwellers” (a name frequently used in Revelation to describe those who completely reject the things of heaven in favour of the things of earth) behave: “And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 11:10). In the Greek, the word for “tormented” is “basanizo”.
It is a word which means that somebody is under severe and persistent distress of body or mind which is hard to bear. To the earth dwellers in the Tribulation Period, God’s truth causes such severe physical and mental pain, the death of the two witnesses will be celebrated as an international holiday. How could people act so wickedly? Wonder no more. The vile reactions which have flooded social media in response to the death of Charlie Kirk demonstrates that the same blackened heart which exists in the future earth dwellers is just as prevalent in the church age.
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