How many people have lost their lives at the discretion of those who could have controlled it?
Millions, not thousands, have lost their lives at the discretion of those who could have controlled it. The examples given are fifty million in World War II, fifty million under seventy years of Communist Russia, and fifty million believers martyred during the Dark Ages.
Les explains that the merchants and money men of this world are not concerned about the welfare of the poor individual on the street; they are concerned about generating wealth and never lose sight of that. As they generated wealth, the Scriptures say they also came down for the most part on God's people. He asks how many lost their lives: fifty million in World War II, fifty million in the seventy years the Communists ran Russia, and fifty million believers martyred during the Dark Ages. His point is that this is not thousands but millions who lost their lives at the discretion of people who could have controlled it. He then ties this world system to Satan, the god of this world, and says the events of Christ's Second Coming are cataclysmic and judgmental, bringing down materialism and all man's technology and efforts.