Will the Church (ever) Unify?

This is part of the exterior of the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain, created by Antoni Gaudí.

Gaudi’s vision was to create scenes all over the exterior of the church that would tell the story of the Bible.

The average person during Gaudi’s time could not read, so he felt these scenes would help communicate

the beauty of God’s message, and make it more accessible to the average person, thus unifying the church.

 

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “I tend to agree with what they say… until I don’t.” We may use that phrase to apply to politicians, pastors, public figures, friends, family, and even spouses. It is not always a bad thing; it’s just a confession that, as humans, we all have opinions, and, more often than not, we don’t agree. Today, I’m going to share my vision about a topic that is not short on controversy – our religious beliefs. There will be a point at which my perspective may not align with yours, so you may agree with me until you don’t. Please bear with me to the end. The conclusion may surprise you.

Shouldn’t there be only ONE Religion?

When it comes to opinions about God, there is no shortage of theories. If we just address the half of the world that believes that there is only one God (Monotheism), we might conclude:

IF everyone agreed that there is only one God,

THEN there should be only one religion.

Clearly, that’s not the case. Why?

God didn’t invent religion – man did!

Why do we have so many Religions?

The fact that we have so many different religions is not because God can’t make up His mind, it’s because humanity can’t make up theirs. We are (collectively) a selfish, stubborn, opinionated people. We do not like being told what to do, and we certainly do not like being forced to submit to anyone or anything! Typically, we gravitate toward people who think like us and share our values. When we encounter people trying to change us into something we don’t accept (like a government or a religion), we rebel. Our rebellion has been the impetus for overthrowing many a government and creating many new religions. Thousands of years has brought us to where we are today: A mass of religions that can’t agree, and a tangle of governments that are no different.

What can we learn from all this? I think the answer is simple: Humanity much prefers being in control than submitting to God’s truth. God never changes, so there is only one truth. But we can misunderstand that truth, or we can massage it into whatever version suits us.  Doing so enables us to fashion a world that conforms to what we want, rather than living with the limitations of what God wants. God requires patience, faith, and trust. When we are unwilling to accept things on God’s terms, we look for a person or entity that promises to give us what we want, when we want it. Unfortunately, that system has flaws. Religions are built on human perceptions of what God is like, and those perceptions are often flawed. God proved this concept in the Old Testament with the Jews. No matter how many times God tried, the Jews could not conform to God’s standard. The lesson was clear: As long as humanity had the freedom to think, they’d also have the freedom to disagree.

Why Universal Unity is the “Impossible Dream” (for now)

Rodney King is credited with having said, “Why can’t we all just get along?” He made this statement in 1992, during the Los Angeles race riots. It’s a sentiment that resonated with many people because, deep down, we prefer peace and harmony over conflict and division. Although this desire is baked into us, it often clashes with our desire for control. As a result, no one individual has ever been able to unify the world into peace and harmony. Even Jesus said:

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as it loves its own. But I have chosen you out of the world, so you don’t belong to it. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:18-19 NCV

And therein lies the problem – As Jesus put it, “If you belonged to the world,” you’d love it and look for it to solve your problems. This always leads to disappointment because only God has the solution. And here’s the foundational reason why we have so many, well-intentioned Christian religions:

They look to the vision of a person rather than to the God of creation.

This doesn’t mean that people inspired by the Holy Spirit aren’t being used by God. We know that God created a diversity of thought among humanity so His message could reach more people. But when we place more emphasis on the person bringing the message than on the God who sent it, we move further away from being unified. The truth is, much of the world isn’t looking to God to solve its problems. It prefers a charismatic visionary – one of its own – someone who can “show them the way” and lead them to the peace and harmony they desire. This plays directly into the hands of Satan, who is always more than pleased to help us find a substitute for God. In fact, Satan’s whole endgame is based exclusively on that very desire!

The Ultimate Battle of the Churches

The last book of the Christian Bible, Revelation, lays out how God and Satan will face off in their final battle before the world (as we know it) ends. Satan’s strategy hinges on providing someone (the Antichrist) whom the world will believe can solve all its problems. Timing is critical because the world will be in such bad shape when the Antichrist comes that his[1] ability to bring peace and harmony will be greatly praised. He will be accepted not only as a great leader but even as a god. Why? Because he will bring governments together that have never before been able to get along. He will convince the world that only he can solve the world’s problems. And, ultimately, he will declare that his power derives from the fact that he is the god we have always sought. His message will sound very much like the long-awaited Messiah, and the Second coming of Jesus – all rolled into one. And it will fool thousands. Thus, Satan’s twofold strategy to win over the world involves:

• Uniting the church.
• Uniting all government powers.

By doing all that, Satan believes that the world will be his!

The Trend Towards Unifying the Church

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”[2] And, if you don’t know how God works or what His plan is, a movement to unite the various offshoots of the Christian church may seem like a good idea.  And, in fact, a well-intentioned group of people who just want the world “to get along” has already begun that effort. Despite the impossibility of the task, some believe that all Christian religions could reach a compromise and form a single, cohesive Christian church. All divisions and diversities would be erased, giving way to a universal understanding of who the one and only true God is and what He wants from us. Sound good?

The goals of a universal church would be to erase the hate and infighting that currently keep all Christian religions from working together, so they can all focus on taking care of the needs of humanity. If successful, the church would finally become the universal force for good that it was always supposed to be. All people would see each other as God’s children, erasing all racism, bigotry, and hatred. The movement to do this is not crazy, just idealistic.

I first read about this movement in a blog written by Amir Tsarfati. Amir is a Messianic Jew, meaning someone who is born a Jew but has converted to Christianity. He has authored many books on Biblical prophecy—especially focusing on the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation. He is a passionate speaker and advocate for Christians and Jews to unite in their faith, emphasizing the importance of seeking what unites us rather than what divides us. I couldn’t agree more with that view “… until I don’t.”

In his February 16, 2026, edition of his blog (“Bible Bites Devotionals”) he offered insights into how he views this united church will come together. He proposed that “I believe that there is an existing religion that is ready to act as a shell for something new that is being injected into it” – a universal church. The idea driving this movement is the belief that God’s Church needs to be united to defeat Satan in the last battle. At that time, it will be us (God’s people, the church) against Satan. Amir believes he knows which church will prevail. He points out that the word “catholic” means universal; thus, “it belongs to everyone.” This idea has progressed to the point where the Catholic Church has “for the last at least seven, eight years… (made) an unbelievable concentrated effort with hundreds of millions of dollars that are being poured in to reach out to every part of the world population in order to bring them all under a new concept of the Catholic Church.” Amir then asks, “Could these things be setting the stage for the ‘universal’ religion of the Tribulation?”

The Final Battle Between Faiths

Now, as much as I respect Amir and usually agree with him, this is where I don’t. Amir’s position is that the church needs to be united to defeat Satan. Yet, anyone who has studied Biblical prophecy knows that the last seven years of human history will be so bad that, midway, Jesus will come and rapture all Christians off the face of the earth. There will be no Christian church nor any Christians left to battle Satan!

Thus, the good intentions of people wanting to strengthen the church will open up opportunities for Satan to use the church. Here’s what I mean. John’s vision in Revelation devotes two chapters (two and three) to Jesus’ comments on “the seven churches in Asia.” None of these churches are perfect; all are Christian churches, and none are united. Some scholars say these two chapters reflect the history of the church – flawed, because mankind is flawed. This explains our lack of unity, and BTW, mirrors exactly the failure of the Jews in the Old Testament. Thus, as we proceed through Revelations, there is no indication that an organized Christian church is battling Satan or the Antichrist. In fact, as we shall see, during the last 3 ½ years of this world, the church will become an instrument of Satan used to deceive the people.

The Bible predicts (in both the Old and New Testaments) that the Antichrist will accomplish many difficult things.[3] His wisdom and power will be so great that the world will make him their King. The Antichrist, as the King of the world (and our One-World Leader), will promise peace and security to the world as long as they do what he says.  At the pinnacle of this King’s power, three key events will take place (Scripture quoted out of Daniel 9:27 TLB):

1. The Rapture: As already pointed out, the Christians of the world will suddenly disappear as they are taken away by Jesus in something called The Rapture. The Antichrist will love this because, without any Christians, it will be much easier for him to form a single religion from those that remain. Imagine the chaos and confusion that will take place when millions of Christians just disappear!
2. The Rebuilding of the Jewish Temple: “This king will make a seven-year treaty with the people…(presumably the Jews and the Muslims).” Since Jews and Muslims are not Christians, they will still be around, but, for some reason, the Jews will be a group that the Antichrist will specifically want to appease. He will enter into an agreement with them to rebuild the Jewish Temple[4] and to allow sacrifices to resume (something that has not been done since 70 AD). Yet rebuilding the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (its original site) would be a true miracle, as the Muslim shrine, the Dome of the Rock, currently stands there. I believe that, to accomplish this miracle, the Antichrist will need to take a major step in the direction of unifying the Jews and the Muslims. Otherwise, how would the Muslims agree to tearing down one of their most sacred shrines to build a Jewish one when they believe that Jerusalem belongs to them?[5] One thought is that Muhammad (the founder of the Muslim faith) was a descendant of Abraham through his son, Ismael (born to Abraham via Hagar, Sarah’s slave), and Jacob (the father of the Jewish faith) was also a descendant of Abraham via Isaac and Sarah. It appears that the Antichrist will find a way to exploit this family history to bring about this miracle. Perhaps he does this by focusing on the holy ground where both structures were built. On this site, there is a huge rock. By tradition, the Jews hold that this rock is the very rock where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac to God. That same rock was included inside the Holy of Holies for both Solomon’s Temple and the Second Temple that existed during the time of Christ. It is the most sacred rock on earth to the Jews. In one of the weirdest coincidences ever, the Muslims hold that this same rock is the exact spot where Muhammad ascended to heaven on his white horse. One can only marvel at how the Antichrist will be able to get the Muslims to agree that the Jewish Temple is more important than the Dome of the Rock, but Revelation says he does!
3. The Abomination of Desolation: “But after half that time (3 ½ years), he (the Antichrist) will break his pledge and stop the Jews from all their sacrifices and their offerings; then, as a climax to all his terrible deeds, the Enemy (the Antichrist) shall utterly defile the sanctuary of God. But in God’s time and plan, his judgment will be poured out upon this Evil One.” This is where God’s holy war against Satan and all those who follow him begins. The term “Abomination of Desolation” says it all – it is when the Antichrist declares in the Holy of Holies of God’s sacred Temple, that he is the true god!

Look at what is happening here! The Christian church is removed from the scene – warts and all. The Jews are duped into doing a deal with the devil, and they will soon regret it. I suspect that the Muslims are not pleased either. But what really strikes me is the irony of all this for the Jews:

• They are God’s Chosen People. At one time, they had God all to themselves, and it wasn’t enough for them! Sound familiar? Maybe like Adam and Eve?
• They had Jesus all to themselves, and they rejected Him because He didn’t fit what they were looking for.
• Finally, they were fooled by an instrument of Satan – the Antichrist because of a promise to rebuild their holy Temple. Proving once again that, if you give the people what they want, they’ll do almost anything!

Before we heap another burden on the Jews, let’s stop and think for a moment. Are the Jews any different from the rest of us? As I’ve pointed out several times in this blog, humanity has traded ideas. people, comforts, convenience, and selfish ambitions in exchange for God. The Apostle Paul warned us of this trend when he said:

I beg you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so that there won’t be splits in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. I Corinthians 1:10 TLB

Yet, the idea of unity, at this point in Earth’s history, will be completely out of the question!  But take heart, Satan does not win! The Jews are not fooled for long, and, in fact, the ultimate victory over Satan is accomplished by Jesus, His angels, and 144,000 Jewish warriors fighting together! It is a thrilling victory with many nuances you must see. I can’t cover it all here, but it is covered in full detail in my book, “God (still) has BIG Plans for the Jews!”

The Last Word on Unity

When the dust clears, Revelation 20 declares a mysterious 1,000-year period where “the faithful” will reign with Jesus. Many scholars have weighed in on what this period is for. Amir calls this period the “universal church of the Tribulation.” And, in a way, I agree, but probably not in the way Amir does. I proposed a vision in my book, where I have the audacity to suggest that God will not abandon His Chosen People – that there is a path for them to receive salvation through Jesus Christ. But, as God once remarked, “They are a stiff-necked people,” and thousands of years of tradition were impossible for them to just throw away when Jesus first came, so they rejected Him. After Jesus left, there were arguments about having Gentile converts circumcised, forcing them to adhere to Jewish dietary laws, and restricting their access to the Temple. Paul called it a “blindness” that was necessary so the Gentiles would have an opportunity to know Jesus. As a result, my view of the Millennium is simple: In Jesus ‘second coming, He will take the Jews and the Christians aside and help them appreciate each other in the context of both the Old and the New Testaments! If you want more details than that, click here to read a more detailed blog on the Millennium.  THIS is where the church will FINALLY be unified!

Jesus will teach both the Christians and the Jews what God’s plan has been all along. There will be no more divisions. There will be no more uncertainties. Jesus will be our teacher! Under Him, unity and love will prevail! Halleluiah!

Like what you read? Don’t miss the next edition! Subscribe to my posts.

 

[1]     There are many references to the Antichrist in the Bible, and all of them point to a male figure, so I am going to stick with that assumption.

[2]     Credited to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

[3]     The details behind the prophecies are too numerous and complex to bring up in this blog. I cover them extensively in my book, “God (still) has BIG Plans for the Jews!” Check out my website for details.

[4]     The Jews have desperately wanted to rebuild their holy Temple since Israel was reestablished in 1948. Anyone offering the hope that such a thing could be done would be embraced.

[5]     For example, in 1979, the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini declared “Al-Quds” Day – it occurs at the end of Ramadan, and it is a day to celebrate and remember that Jerusalem belongs to Islam.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]