THE WATCHMEN’S REPORT
NEWS STORIES THAT CONNECT WITH BIBLICAL PROPHECY
By Wayne J. Edwards, November 14, 2026
First Britain, Now America? Growing Campaign To Criminalize Criticism Of Islam
By PNW Staff November 14, 2026
Imagine living in a country where questioning a religion could put you under government scrutiny. Where criticizing religious teachings, challenging political movements, or raising concerns about ideological influence could become evidence of hatred in the eyes of authorities.
For Americans who believe the First Amendment protects the right to speak uncomfortable truths, that possibility should be alarming. Yet in New Jersey, lawmakers have introduced legislation raising precisely these concerns. Assembly Bill A1146 would establish an official definition of “Islamophobia” for use in civil and criminal discrimination investigations.
The legislation would require officials to consider its definition when determining whether alleged violations of existing laws were motivated by anti-Muslim bias. There is great danger in allowing government authorities to examine religious and political opinions as potential evidence of unlawful intent. And Americans need only look across the Atlantic to understand why.
When Criticism Becomes Evidence Of Hate
The most troubling aspect of New Jersey’s proposal is not its opposition to violence or unlawful discrimination. Existing laws already address those offenses. It is the language used to define Islamophobia. Among the examples listed are “hostility and fear of Islam,” certain allegations concerning Muslim political influence, and claims of a demographic threat involving Muslims. Where does legitimate criticism of a religion or political ideology end, and government-defined prejudice begin? Consider the questions Americans should be free to debate.
- Should Islamic religious principles influence American legislation?
- What about Sharia-based restrictions on religious conversion, blasphemy, or women’s rights in countries where such rules are enforced?
- Should Islamist organizations advocating religious governance face public scrutiny?
These are legitimate subjects of public debate, not questions government should discourage. Yet when an official definition includes hostility toward Islam and allegations concerning Muslim political influence, critics have reason to question how authorities might interpret such discussions. Republican Assemblyman Paul Kanitra has warned that the legislation could allow officials to treat criticism of Islamic texts, history, and demographic developments as evidence of discriminatory motivation. The bill contains language preserving First Amendment protections. But constitutional guarantees do not automatically eliminate concerns about vague definitions, selective enforcement, or investigations that discourage lawful speech.
Consider the chilling effect.
A journalist hesitates before investigating a controversial religious organization. A teacher avoids discussing Islamic law. An employee remains silent about political Islam. A pastor wonders whether an outspoken sermon could generate an official complaint. None of these outcomes is inevitable. But they illustrate the danger when government definitions of prejudice become entangled with criticism of ideas. Freedom of speech means little if citizens become afraid to exercise it.
Britain’s Warning: When Speech Becomes A Police Matter
New Jersey’s proposal did not emerge in isolation. Its legislative statement acknowledges that the definition was modeled partly on work by a British parliamentary group examining Islamophobia. That connection matters because Britain has already experienced years of controversy surrounding hate-speech enforcement, online communications laws, and police investigations of controversial statements. British authorities have investigated and sometimes prosecuted individuals over social media communications under laws addressing threatening, grossly offensive, or otherwise unlawful messages. Who decides whether a statement is legitimate criticism, offensive commentary, or evidence of prejudice? How freely will ordinary citizens speak when those boundaries become uncertain? America’s First Amendment provides stronger constitutional protections than Britain’s legal framework. But that protection should never become an excuse for complacency. The question remains: How far should government go in defining unacceptable attitudes toward a religion?
Religious Freedom Must Include The Freedom To Disagree
For Christians, this debate reaches far beyond politics.
Christianity and Islam make fundamentally different theological claims. Christians believe Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God, crucified and risen from the dead, and that salvation comes through Him alone. Islam rejects central elements of those beliefs. When Jesus declared in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life, He made an exclusive claim that conflicts with other religious teachings.
Christians must remain free to proclaim that conviction. They must also remain free to examine Islamic doctrine, criticize religious practices, discuss persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority countries, and challenge political movements seeking to incorporate religious law into government. Those same freedoms belong to Muslims criticizing Christianity, former Muslims challenging Islam, and atheists rejecting religion altogether. A free society cannot guarantee comfortable religious disagreements. It must guarantee the freedom to have them. When protecting religious believers begins to blur into protecting religious beliefs from scrutiny, freedom of expression becomes vulnerable. And once government authorities are empowered to evaluate which religious criticisms constitute hostility, the potential for abuse becomes impossible to ignore.
The Precedent America Must Examine
New Jersey’s A1146 remains in committee for now… But the proposed use of a broad religious-bias definition in civil and criminal investigations raises questions extending far beyond one state. If officials are instructed to consider religious or political viewpoints when assessing discriminatory intent, what prevents legitimate disagreement from being mistaken for unlawful prejudice? What happens when definitions introduced for one purpose become embedded in workplace investigations, educational policies, and future legislation? And if criticism of Islam can become evidence of hostility, could similar standards eventually be applied to criticism of other religions or political movements? Americans do not need government permission to criticize Christianity, Islam, Judaism, secularism, or any other system of belief. Nor should they need to demonstrate that their opinions are polite or acceptable to those who disagree. The freedom to challenge powerful ideas is not a privilege granted by government. It is a constitutional right government is obligated to respect. Britain offers a warning about what can happen when speech restrictions and government enforcement become entangled in disputes over religious hostility.
New Jersey offers an opportunity to examine those dangers before new legislation is enacted. The question is whether government can protect individuals from genuine discrimination without allowing accusations of prejudice to become a tool for scrutinizing religious and political dissent. Because once criticism of an idea becomes grounds for official suspicion, the debate is no longer simply about religion. It is about who gets to decide what Americans are free to say.
American Pastor Sounds Alarm After Midterms:
‘255 Muslims Who Cannot Swear Allegiance to the Constitution’ Now Serving
‘We Have Surrendered’
Jim Hoft, November 10, 2026
Hibbs continued: “Millions of Evangelical Christians failed to vote during the midterms. Look at the consequences. Most churches are now irrelevant social clubs.” He pointed to more than 160 Muslim candidates who ran, a record 97 who won or were reelected across federal, state, and local offices in 21 states, and eight Muslims set to serve in Congress, including Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed, the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate.
“He’s right it’s time to fight for your country. It’s time to use churches as voting bases just like Muslims do with mosques. If we don’t get serious about this, we will fall to Islam. The proof is as clear as day. If Texas goes down, Islam knows the nation falls. Prepare your children, prepare your hearts, prepare your faith.”
The 255 figure aligns with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and CAIR Action’s August 2026 Directory of Elected Muslim Officials, which identified a record 255 Muslim elected officials and judges already serving across 26 states before the midterms, concentrated in local government, school boards, and state legislatures, with New Jersey, Michigan, and California leading.
CAIR later reported that at least 97 Muslim candidates won or were reelected in the midterms (with more still leading or too close to call), from a tracked pool of roughly 168 who advanced past primaries.
Eight are headed to Congress: incumbents Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, André Carson, and Lateefah Simon, plus newcomers including Adam Hamawy (New Jersey), Darializa Avila Chevalier (New York), and Aisha Wahab (California, race pending in some counts), alongside Sen.-elect El-Sayed.
Jim Fletcher, Israel Watch, November 7, 2026
THE ELECT
“If they were to run, and if they were to win, we would see historical changes in the United States. We would become a de facto supporter of the Palestinian cause, and we would be an enemy or an opposition to the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel.”
—Victor Davis Hanson: Why Republicans Lost the Midterms 11/3/2026
What a week! A Republican wipeout (many reasons, but fundamentally, the Left plays with no rules. The Right…is a hot mess. Unwilling to fight to win, we end up where we are, with Shariah law looming for our children). An American vice president blaming Israel for the loss! An American president taking away the annual aid to Israel. Hoo-wee. What a few days.
Unfortunately, the analyses of the Democrats taking the House and Senate is marred by chaos, and too many voices in this age of the internet. There are fundamental reasons for the rout, but we know that Satan is at the root of it. Nothing else makes sense. The world is all irrational and baffling. Truly, it seems we are as it was in the days of Noah. Hanson’s voice though is instructive. Although I don’t know his views on eschatology, if he has any, but his statement above is an example of a shrewd pundit outlining where Bible prophecy is taking us.
For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle. (Zechariah 14:2) All your lovers have forgotten you; they do not seek you…(Jeremiah 30:14) Therefore all who devour you will be devoured; and all your adversaries, every one of them, will go into captivity. And those who plunder you will become plunder, and all who prey upon you I will give for prey. For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds, says the Lord, because they called you an outcast, saying, “This is Zion whom no man cares for.” (Jeremiah 30:16,17)
Friends—my dear friends—this is where we’re going. We’ve heard the prophecy teaching all our lives. I feel this old world is passing away. Too much global disfunction. Sweeping Islam. Communists. Young people voting them in, having no idea at all what true totalitarianism means. They are doomed to repeat history. I am not. Today we see total inversions of the truth. Isaiah 5:20. People making decisions that are the exact opposite they should make.
All this pushes us toward the Lord of History. This world offers no solace or wisdom. Caught in its collective insanity. But those of us that are People of the Book, we have clarity of thought. Sure, things are upsetting and unsure. But as I often say, the Lord has gifted us with a front-row seat at this moment in history. The Jews have re-entered the stage of history. Don’t be overcome by fear or anxiety. Thank God daily that we are living through this moment. Share the Gospel. Push back against the apostasy gripping the Church Visible. Tell people the truth. Pray for them. Praying earnestly is actually one of the most relaxing and calming things you can do. You are then aligned with the Creator. And remember: what you are seeing play out in the real world is exactly what the Bible told us would happen.
Look up, Elect. Your redemption draweth nigh!
Ten Prominent Markers of Jesus’ Soon Return
By Jan Markell, November 11, 2026
Another year will soon close out, and like previous years, I am tracking this year’s astounding developments. Who could have imagined some things? Everything is ramping up: technological ability, evil, lawlessness, apostasy, and more. Here are just ten items I am highlighting as we wind down 2026:
1. People are without natural affection (Romans 1:31; 2 Tim. 3:3).
The Lindsey Clancy case captivated the world. A woman strangles three children, and the world—particularly those on the left—celebrates her and makes feeble excuses, blaming it on her mental health. The lone juror who would not go along with the jury that sided with her is in fear for his life. Women around the world are copying Lindsey and killing their children.
2. Islam is trying to conquer the West and is succeeding to some degree.
I know. I live in “Mogadishu on the Mississippi”—Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. We are swamped with unassimilated Muslims, many of whom are criminals. They defrauded us out of billions of dollars, as was exposed by Nick Shirley. Churches are being transformed into Islamic centers. They hope to have an Islamic state somewhere in America by 2050. And post-rapture, when all real Christians are gone, Islam will be the dominant religion in many places.
3. The “falling away” (2 Thess. 2:1-3), or departure from the faith, is collapsing churches and denominations.
It takes people years to find a church that is not embracing false doctrine. Very few of them will talk about the Lord’s soon return or Israel’s important role. Few will denounce abortion or antisemitism. The “seeker” movement may have lost its steam, but the tactics never left once it hit in the 1990s.
What you will find now is rainbow clergy vestments, transgender church leaders, and pride or trans-themed messages. The point is, every attendee must “feel good” and feel safe—except the Bible-believing Christian.
4. There is a staggering rise in occult-laced themes and practices in every aspect of society.
Sadly, most Christians and churches treat demons as leftover superstition the modern world has outgrown. How wrong they are! I have had them visit me on two occasions and make so much noise that all my pets woke up! Today, there are more self-identified Wiccans in America than Presbyterians.
Even a casual search for “witches” on the online discussion forum Reddit, or the online marketplace Etsy, reveals that black magic is not uncommon today. Over 5,000 items dealing with curses are currently for sale on Etsy. Hollywood has glamorized this, and our churches don’t warn against it!
5. Artificial intelligence is transforming society, and it came into prominence only in the last 5-10 years!
Anthropic and OpenAI warn that there is a greater than 10% chance of AI killing all of humanity within this decade. Perhaps a silly statement, but it is a warning. Some are calling AI the world’s greatest superweapon, while others call it a god in a box. Yes, the Antichrist will use it to rule his one-world kingdom, so it’s getting a lot of practice in this Church Age, and has already proved itself to be the most powerful tool we have ever known. And the most frightening. Christians can use it for good, but understand that it will one day rule the world in the Tribulation.
6. The “blame the Jews” sentiment is epidemic as she becomes the world’s burdensome stone (Zech. 12:3).
And ironically, this anti-Jew sentiment was ignited right after Israel was attacked on October 7, 2023. She was the victim, but the world had sympathy for the devil—Hamas and other outfits that hate the Jews.
In early September of this year, a plane from Dubai to Tel Aviv was taken over by a terrorist. Only a miracle from God stopped the intended carnage; however, it took only one hour for social media to declare the insanity that Israel was behind this.
7. America faces problems that will lead to her demise.
The world’s superpower will not always be that, as we have seen this year! The financial pressure on American households is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Cost of fuel—particularly diesel—is quickly making life unaffordable as well as higher interest rates. What happens when farmers can’t afford the next crop? And how does one deal with $40 trillion in debt as America is? That is an economic problem that only the Antichrist will solve. Sadly, the Left says socialism is the answer. Socialist candidates are winning in local and national elections. And in 20 years, the Statue of Liberty may be wearing a burka.
8. Romans One thinking is slowly taking over America and the West.
People have a debased mind now. In Canada, it is cool to assist your grandmother with “medical assistance in dying.” A recent poll of Democrats reveals that 29% of them would be fine with removing Donald Trump from office through assassination. Much of the world is fine with the fact that 2,300 female athletes have lost to biological males. Mankind has been given over to sinful desires.
9. Our every word and action are being monitored.
Big Brother is busy—spying. Technology is listening and watching our lives—and storing that information, likely for nefarious purposes. Imagine the implications in a doctor’s office, counseling session, business meeting, or classroom. And we’re not even aware of the hidden cameras and microphones.
10. Europe is on fire, engulfed in turmoil.
There are major protests, political shifts, and conflicts across the continent. Other than a remnant, it is now a Godless continent, and unlimited Islamic immigration has caused irreparable damage. This is setting the stage for the Antichrist who will arise out of the old Roman Empire. He will promise to fix it.
These are ten issues I note that define the last year. There are dozens more. Space is limited. The good news is that they all are a herald of His coming. They are telling Christians to expect a trumpet and a shout, and a mass evacuation from a sin-sick world. www.olivetreeviews.org
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As of mid-November 2026, Rapture Ready highlights Middle East conflict involving Iran, global economic and supply chain instability, surging anti-Semitism, and digital surveillance technology as the top prophetic issues. These themes dominate both the site’s weekly commentary and its maxed-out categories on the latest Rapture Index.
- Middle East Warfare and Iran (Persia). Escalating military conflict with Iran has pushed the Rapture Index’s Leadership, Persia, and Global Turmoil categories to their maximum scores. Featured writers on the site view these regional hostilities as direct precursors to the prophetic wars of Gog and Magog and the coming seven-year Tribulation.
- Economic Turmoil and Emergency Stockpiling. Rising war spending, oil price spikes, and inflation have maxed out multiple economic indicators on the site’s prophetic gauge. Recent Nearing Midnight commentaries emphasize warnings from dozens of nations urging citizens to stockpile food and water, framing these preparations as early echoes of the famine and economic collapse described in the Book of Revelation.
- Record-High Anti-Semitism. The Rapture Index notes that global hatred toward Jewish people has reached a decades-long high, placing the Anti-Semitism category at its maximum rating. Commentators interpret this global hostility alongside fading Middle East peace efforts as a fulfillment of end-times prophecies regarding Israel’s isolation.
- Digital Tracking and Globalism. Big Tech’s ongoing development of advanced tracking software and artificial intelligence has pushed the Mark of the Beast and Globalism categories to peak levels. Writers frequently point to these emerging surveillance infrastructures as the technological groundwork required for a future global control system.
THE FIVE MARKS OF A FALSE GOSPEL
THE DISSENTER, NOVEMBER 13, 2026
The gospel, or “good news,” is essentially the revelation of Jesus Christ to the world for the purpose of reconciling God’s people to Himself. Sadly, there is much perversity masquerading as the gospel, yet it’s designed to lead man away from the truth, and into a false sense of relationship with the Creator. Many cults and false religions have arisen contrary to the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3), but there are far more subtle attacks on the biblical gospel that, in many cases, go unnoticed, and are poisoning the church today. Let’s review five telling marks that a gospel being preached is false. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. Galatians 1:6-7
1. The gospel exalts man.
This may sound like an obvious one, but sadly, so many preachers today preach a gospel that exalts man. Arminianism is perhaps the most notorious of these. Man is said, contrary to Scripture, to have within himself some level of “goodness” to be able to “choose” God. Scripture teaches that man cannot choose God (Romans 3:11) because we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Others may teach that God has chosen to save man, not solely according to the purposes of His own will (Eph 1:11), but because of some inherent value in us. Sure, we have some value to God–we are created in His image. We were also created to glorify Him. But Scripture clearly teaches that it is not because of any value or goodness in us that God has chosen to save us, he chose to save us to display His own glory (Romans 9:23). This mark of a false gospel places our hope in something false–a hope in something other than Christ alone. It places our hope in something within ourselves, and God will not share His glory with any other.
2. The gospel teaches that you are saved from temporal afflictions.
This is mostly found in the Prosperity, Health and Wealth, and Word of Faith movements. Essentially, it teaches that when you are saved, you no longer have to suffer from worldly calamities such as poverty, sickness, and disease. Further, it teaches that if you do suffer from these things, that your faith simply isn’t strong enough. Often, your level of faith is purportedly reflected in how much money you give to the organization propagating this false teaching. This teaching can certainly lead people astray, giving some who are not truly born again a false sense of security in practices such as tithing and seed-faith offering. Once again, Christ as the sole object of our faith is diminished and our faith is placed in our good works and is evidenced by our prosperity. The apostle Paul teaches worldly struggles are not only likely but that God uses them for His glory, in which our purpose is to glorify God. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong…” 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
3. Emphasis is placed on the Holy Spirit more than Jesus Christ.
Many charismatic churches teach a gospel that emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit more than the work of Christ. Certainly, the Holy Spirit, equal with the Father and Christ, is worthy of our acknowledgment. But the Work of the Holy Spirit is always to point to Christ and not to Himself (John 16:14-15). Yet these charismatic churches, in many ways, teach that the Holy Spirit is the primary end of our salvation and that it is manifested through signs and wonders performed by those who have “received Him.” This often results in aberrant teachings such as that speaking in tongues is a necessary evidence of salvation. Jesus Christ, however, is the primary ends of our salvation. As stated in 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 above, His grace is sufficient. Seeking for signs and wonders, Christ said, is evidence of a wicked and adulterous people (Matthew 16:4). Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
4. It is attractive to the world.
Another sign that a gospel being preached is false is that it is attractive to the world. Many false gospels contain half-truths and, even in some ways, may sound very much like the gospel. But the world is impatient with the inward work of regeneration and sanctification through Christ. They seek fulfillment through entertainment and other carnal means which give them a false impression of their own piety. The message of Christ’s bloody death on the cross and his endurance of God’s wrath is watered down to the point that it is meaningless, while rock bands, laser light shows, and music devoid of any theological substance are echoed throughout the churches that teach this way. In other words, if the world is not offended by the gospel message being preached, it is false.
Scripture teaches that Christ is offensive, even calling Him the “rock of offense (1 Peter 2:8),” and that the gospel is foolish to the world. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. –1 Corinthians 1:18
5. The gospel is not derived from Scripture.
Many false churches teach that Scripture is insufficient to receive the knowledge of the grace of God. This is most prevalent in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. Most cults have some form of this aberrant teaching as well, however, there are plenty of other churches, “evangelical churches,” that have strayed from the doctrine of Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) as well. We have seen in recent years pastors like Andy Stanley stray away from the authority of Scripture as well. This opens the door to all sorts of error, most of it significant and eternally damning. The Scriptures themselves are the testimony of Christ and His plan of redemption. They are the complete revelation of Jesus Christ sovereignly preserved by the Holy Spirit to teach, reprove, and equip the saints for everything necessary in this life. There is nothing else that we need to be made complete in Him. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. –2 Timothy 3:16-17 Yet, false gospels that are not derived from Scripture always end up being a teaching that is contrary to the biblical gospel. It always ends up being a gospel of meritorious works as opposed to grace, or a gospel of some other (co)savior and (co)redeemer as opposed to Christ alone. It always minimizes the exclusivity of Christ as the only Lord and gives many a false hope in other beliefs and religions.
It is Christ alone who saves and it is Christ alone who is King. If your church is teaching another gospel or if you notice any of these signs of a false gospel in your church, it may be time to move. Don’t just sit there and put up with it. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 2 Corinthians 11:4.
THE TOP FIVE PROPHETIC ISSUES FACING CHRISTIANS TODAY
