On Our Way Back To The Judgements: The Obedience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hktP9LHaRI0

Re 14:6 And I saw another angel in flight between heaven and earth, having eternal good news to give to those who are on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and language and people,
 7 Saying with a loud voice, Have fear of God and give him glory; because the hour of his judging is come; and give worship to him who made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of water.
 8 And a second angel came after, saying, Destruction has come to Babylon the great, which gave to all the nations the wine of the wrath of her evil ways.
 9 And a third angel came after them, saying with a loud voice, If any man gives worship to the beast and his image, and has his mark on his brow or on his hand,
 10 To him will be given of the wine of God's wrath which is ready unmixed in the cup of his wrath and he will have cruel pain, burning with fire before the holy angels and before the Lamb:
 11 And the smoke of their pain goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, who give worship to the beast and his image, and have on them the mark of his name.
 12 Here is the quiet strength of the saints, who keep the orders of God, and the faith of Jesus.
 13 And a voice from heaven came to my ears, saying, Put in writing, There is a blessing on the dead who from now on come to their end in the Lord: yes, says the Spirit, that they may have rest from their troubles; for their works go with them.
 (BBE)

So let's start with a scene from a not angel Angel show:

"See, for us, there is no fight. Which is why winning doesn't enter into it. We go on, no matter what. Our firm has always been here on Earth... in one form or another. The Inquisition. The Khmer Rouge. We were there when the very first cave man clubbed his neighbor on the head with a rock for stealing his dinner. See, we're in the hearts and minds of every single living being. And that, friend, is what's making things so difficult for you. You see, the world doesn't work in spite of evil, Angel. It works with us. It works because of us. "
―Holland Manners


Angel was a TV show about a fallen angel, a vampire meaning who has a demon inside him but he has been given  a soul by a gypsy enchantment as revenge for one of his previous bad deeds. Now he is tormented by his blood thirst, trying to earn his way back to being human by deeds performed for the Powers That Be.  The speech above was delivered to him by a dead lawyer who has a contract with the evil law firm he serves that extends after death,  The  speech is given as Angel is riding in a an elevator that is supposed  to take him to the home world of evil so he can kill as many of the leaders as possible with a magic gauntlet he has obtained.

In reality, the power to transport him has been nullified and Holland is supposed to be misleading him.

Thing is: it's true.  The show has been reading the Bible and used that truth as a way to mislead Angel from going after the home of evil.  But we need to realize it IS the truth.  It IS what the Bible says, that IS the real truth.  Evil has it's home here since the Fall.  If you don't believe evil works hand-in-hand with the systems, you haven't been paying attention.  In the USA it is easy for us to believe otherwise since God has blessed us because we fit his plan for the eventual End Times. In this country we have believed we are blessed because of our Puritan ethic, our race away from the ostentatious to the austere.  We ignore a history of witch hunts and the slaughter of Native Americans in the midst of patting ourselves on our religious backs.  We have kept alive an idea of works, of us deserving God's favor by our acts, even as the show Angel tells us that the fallen can work their way back to redemption.  Angel will never earn his salvation any more than we earned the honor to serve God by ushering in the return of Israel.

But even the mislead like the writers, producers and directors of that TV show can stumble onto truth even if they don't recognize it, as they are following a false angel's leading.

All of us are really trapped in TV ad instead of show, calling: "Help!  I've fallen and I can't get up!"


Meanwhile, we need to realize that obedience is at the core of what REAL angels do.

It's easy to forget.  We see them bringing messages and now bringing curses to the Earth.  We see them having great power and acting.  We never see them waiting, waiting fir an eternity at the side of god for him to tell them what ot do.  We see them misidentified as countries, as people in history, by those of us who have issues to prove.  We see them as darling little things on gift shop shelves, looking more like the god Eros than the mighty warriors of God.

But this, this is seeing them as witnesses to the entire world.

                                                                                                                                                                  

During all those end times  battles we discussed and during some we will perview later,  the Two Witnesses perform their duties.


 3 And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy a thousand, two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.
 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.
 5 And if anyone will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone will hurt them, so it is right for him to be killed.
 6 These have authority to shut up the heaven, that it may not rain in the days of their prophecy. And they have authority over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.


Now this is an example of God bringing HIS wrath.  His witnesses will bring plagues as Moses did to Egypt.  Stop the rain as Elijah.  All the Old Testament powers for a time when the Spirit behaves as it did in the OT.

We don't know where the witnesses will pop up over and over again, but we know they end up In Israel.  I can imagine them appearing in the USA fro full TV coverage from La before that bomb hits.  I can think of them wandering into North or South Korea.  Truthfully, we all see the world as much smaller than the times of Moses and Elijah or Enoch.  We saw how back then God had Moses and the Israelites tramping all over for forty years in an area we could fly over in a few hours and chart perhaps even faster by satellite.  The voices of complaint from the wandering Hebrews were nothing compared to the yowls from raging armkies or from football fans the world over during a World Cup game or during this weekend's Super Bowl.  We see every event everywhere fully sponsored.  I can see a rainmaking company sponsoring the stopping of rain coverage on some local TV stations and offering services only to abscond with the money they receive before kit becfomes obvious they failed.

Could it be they will haunt every nation, stopping rain here, bringing down fires on armies that pursue them?

Or, and this seems more likely, will they remain only in Israel moving about in the mountains, their heat signatures obscured by rock or, later, by dessert heart. appearing to perform their tasks as warnings against the Jewish alliance with the AC, disappearing even as they vanquish forces sent against them.  TV coverage abundant in the EU and the rest of the world.

Heading toward their day of defeat by the AC.

But quietly doing their real task, building an army of 144, 000 world wide, ready to shake the ground like the earthquakes themselves that will follow everywhere in the Last Days.

All of them living lives of obedience, obedience to the Word, kept somehow alive whiole the AC takes his pains to crush anyone Christian.

But they are the human element we so often hear about and dwelll on.  What about the angels we;ve mentioned.  How are they alike?

The two witness precede the three Angels.  Wesley sees the three  as men:



V. 6.  And I saw another angel-A second is mentioned, Re 14:8; a third, Re 14:9. These three denote great messengers of God with their assistants; three men who bring messages from God to men.  The first exhorts to the fear and worship of God; the second proclaims the fall of Babylon; the third gives warning concerning the beast.  Happy are they who make the right use of these divine messages! 

  Flying-Going on swiftly.

  In the midst of heaven-Breadthways. 

  Having an everlasting gospel-Not the gospel, properly so called; but a gospel, or joyful message, which was to have an influence on all ages.

  To preach to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people-Both to Jew and Gentile, even as far as the authority of the beast had extended.

Matt Henry:

Revelation 14:6 Re 14:6


Ver. 6.

In this part of the chapter we have three angels or messengers sent from heaven to give notice of the fall of Babylon, and of those things that were antecedent and consequent to that great event.

  I. The first angel was sent on an errand antecedent to it, and that was to preach the everlasting gospel, Re 14:6-7. Observe,

1. The gospel is an everlasting gospel; it is so in its nature, and it will be so in its consequences. Though all flesh be grass, the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

2. It is a work fit for an angel to preach this everlasting gospel; such is the dignity, and such is the difficulty of that work! And yet we have this treasure in earthen vessels.

3. The everlasting gospel is of great concern to all the world; and, as it is the concern of all, it is very much to be desired that it should be made known to all, even to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. 

4. The gospel is the great means whereby men are brought to fear God, and to give glory to him. Natural religion is not sufficient to keep up the fear of God, nor to secure to him glory from men; it is the gospel that revives the fear of God, and retrieves his glory in the world.

5. When idolatry creeps into the churches of God, it is by the preaching of the gospel, attended by the power of the Holy Spirit, that men are turned from idols to serve the living God, as the Creator of the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters, Re 14:7. To worship any God besides him who created the world is idolatry. 

 II. The second angel follows the other, and proclaims the actual fall of Babylon. The preaching of the everlasting gospel had shaken the foundations of antichristianism in the world, and hastened its downfall. By Babylon is generally understood Rome, which was before called Sodom and Egypt, for wickedness and cruelty, and is now first called Babylon, for pride and idolatry. Observe,

1. What God has fore-ordained and foretold shall be done as certainly as if it were done already.

2. The greatness of the papal Babylon will not be able to prevent her fall, but will make it more dreadful and remarkable.

3. The wickedness of Babylon, in corrupting, debauching, and intoxicating the nations round about her, will make her fall just and will declare the righteousness of God in her utter ruin, Re 14:8. Her crimes are recited as the just cause of her destruction.

 III. A third angel follows the other two, and gives warning to all of that divine vengeance which would overtake all those that obstinately adhered to the antichristian interest after God had thus proclaimed its downfal, Re 14:9-10. If after this (this threatening denounced against Babylon, and in part already executed) any should persist in their idolatry, professing subjection to the beast and promoting his cause, they must expect to drink deep of the wine of the wrath of God; they shall be for ever miserable in soul and body; Jesus Christ will inflict this punishment upon them, and the holy angels will behold it and approve of it. Idolatry, both pagan and papal, is a damning sin in its own nature, and will prove fatal to those who persist in it, after fair warning given by the word of Providence; those who refuse to come out of Babylon, when thus called, and resolve to partake of her sins, must receive of her plagues; and the guilt and ruin of such incorrigible idolaters will serve to set forth the excellency of the patience and obedience of the saints. These graces shall be rewarded with salvation and glory. When the treachery and rebellion of others shall be punished with everlasting destruction, then it will be said, to the honour of the faithful Re 14:12: Here is the patience of the saints; you have before seen their patience exercised, now you see it rewarded.



Being in a time closer to the end, we can see perhaps a bit more clearly.

This is in the middle times, The Beast has entered his last 3 1/2 years of ruling.  The whore of Babylon is fallen.  She was the New Age dream.  the Beast proclaimed  all gods were legit and all could be worshiped equally and man could seek godhood for himself.  He displayed his powers in ruling, in crushing any country that resisted and bringing others to their knees by embargos and control of wealth.  He will build a religious government in a way our current President is persieging  with his Christian references


Referring to the way Trump has been acting in the creation of his government image: 

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-is-creating-a-new-form-of-christian-nationalism-centered-around-himself-d8687f41cc49/

In some ways, this is normal. So-called “civil religion”—the use of religious references or terminology in political rhetoric—is a common part of the presidential rhetorical toolbox, so it seems logical that Trump and his speechwriters/advisors Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller would adopt it. President Barack Obama, sometimes a “theologian-in-chief,” regularly cited scripture in his speeches, as did George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and virtually every American president ever.

But Trump and his religious surrogates aren’t just lifting up general religious platitudes. Rather, the president’s inauguration—especially his inaugural address—ushered in a revival of an old but controversial American theological tradition, amended for a new era: Christian nationalism, Trump style.

When “God’s people” really means “patriotic Americans”

Trump’s first overt reference to the divine came in the latter half of his inaugural speech, when he was opining on the virtues of patriotism. After promising to “reform the world against radical Islamic terrorism” in order to “eradicate” extremists, he declared that when someone “open[s their] heart to patriotism, there is not room for prejudice.”

He then added, “the Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”


Let’s set aside for a moment the historical fact that patriotism has long been co-opted as a tool for prejudice, and focus on how Trump is referencing Psalm 133 here. His broader point—that societies function better when people are unified—makes sense generally. But things take a sharp turn when grokking what Trump is communicating theologically.


Take Trump’s use of “God’s people.” He didn’t have to use this phrase, since it varies depending on the Biblical translation— it’s “God’s people” in the New International Version, but others read “kindred” (New Revised Standard Version), “brethren” (King James Version), or “brothers” (English Standard Version). It’s also not clear if he or his speechwriters understand the original Old Testament/Hebrew Bible meaning of the term, which was specifically referencing the Jewish people.

Regardless, Trump parrots “God’s people” anyway, implying that all Americans — or at least all Christian Americans — are somehow chosen by God. And more importantly, he intentionally conflates the spiritual unity of “God’s people” with patriotism, merging commitment to country with a devotion to the Almighty.

This is not a new idea. Ever since Emperor Constantine made Christianity the state religion of Rome in 313 CE, innumerable Christian leaders (and politicians) have spouted spiritual nationalism or jingoism in the pursuit of power. The American expansion westward—and the subsequent subjugation of the Native Americans—was justified using theological concepts of “manifest destiny,” for example, and modern China has a habit of promoting state-sponsored versions of Christianity that meld patriotism and religious devotion.

Trump parrots “God’s people” anyway, implying that all Americans — or at least all Christian Americans — are somehow chosen by God. And more importantly, he intentionally conflates the religious unity of “God’s people” with patriotism, merging commitment to country with a devotion to the Almighty.

These efforts have been vociferously opposed by both liberal and conservative theologians and thinkers for centuries. There are numerous arguments against the approach, including the fact that the Christian/Jewish God explicitly forbids religious nationalism in the Biblical 10 Commandments, when God tells believers not to put any gods/idols—country or otherwise—before the divine (Jesus said something similar).

Others simply call religious nationalism by another name: heresy.

Yet the Trump administration’s steadfast commitment to a “Christian America” framing was all but confirmed on Friday, when Prosperity Gospel preacher and Trump spiritual adviser Paula White delivered a prayer during the inauguration.


“Let your favor be upon this one nation under God,” White prayed, referencing the Pledge of Allegiance. “Let these United States of America be that beacon of hope to all people and nations under your dominion, a true hope for humankind.”

This interlacing of nationalism and faith was quickly flagged by experts. Peter Manseau, author of “One Nation, Under Gods: A New American History,” told the Washington Post that Trump’s inauguration rhetoric reflected a “desire to fuse the languages of faith and nation.”

But things were made even more explicit three days later, when it was revealed that Trump issued an official proclamation designating January 20, 2017 a “National Day of Patriotic Devotion.”

“A new national pride stirs the American soul and inspires the American heart,” the statement reads. “Our Constitution is written on parchment, but it lives in the hearts of the American people. There is no freedom where the people do not believe in it; no law where the people do not follow it; and no peace where the people do not pray for it. There are no greater people than the American citizenry, and as long as we believe in ourselves, and our country, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.”

Trump as a divinely ordained, supernatural ruler?
Trump didn’t invent American Christian nationalism. Leaders of the Religious Right have spent years promoting the idea that America is a “Christian nation,” and entire religions such as Mormonism—which views the U.S. Constitution as a divinely inspired document—have already baked similar theology into their dogma.


But another paragraph of Trump’s inauguration speech hints that he and his advisers are crafting a new version of this America-focused Christianity—one that keeps Trump at the center.

After suggesting there should be “no fear” while he is in office, Trump assured Americans they will be safe because they will be protected by the military, law enforcement officials, and God.

CREDIT: Adam Peck/ThinkProgress
CREDIT: ADAM PECK/THINKPROGRESS
It’s not uncommon for presidents to praise the might of the American military, which is, without question, the most powerful fighting force in the world. Nor is it unusual for people of faith to implore God to protect the United States and its citizens—both liberal and conservative religious groups pray similar orisons each week.

But Trump drags both concepts into a very different—and highly unusual—theological space: he appears to be arguing that America will be protected by God because he is president.

Granted, the phrasing here is vague. But the conviction of his construction—that God will protect Americans now—raises questions. Was America not protected before Trump, when Southern states seceded from the Union in 1861 and sparked a brutal Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in our nation’s history? Did God turn a blind eye to the land of free when Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941? Did the divine simply ignore us all when terrorists struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001, murdering nearly 3,000 people?

Does this mean that presidents Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and George W. Bush just weren’t good enough to curry God’s favor?

But Trump drags both concepts into a very different — and highly unusual — theological space: he appears to be arguing that America will be protected by God because he is president.

Trump didn’t answer these questions in his speech, but he didn’t have to. His bevy of religious surrogates glossed over them for him on Inauguration Day.

On the morning of his inauguration, Trump attended a traditional service at St. John’s, an Episcopal Church directly across from the White House. He chose megapastor and devoted supporter Robert Jeffress—who also happens to endorse anti-Catholic, anti-Muslim, anti-Mormon, and anti-LGBT theology—to deliver his sermon.

The title of his homily? “When God chooses a leader.”

“As the prophet Daniel said, it is God who removes and establishes leaders,” Jeffress said. “God has raised [Trump] and Vice-President-elect Pence up for a great, eternal purpose.”

He went on to argue that God elevates great leaders, gifting them with seemingly supernatural powers to achieve impossible goals and defy all those who oppose them. Trump, he says, is one such leader.

A similar sentiment was echoed later that day by evangelist Franklin Graham, who delivered a prayer shortly after Trump spoke.

“Mr. President in the Bible rain is a sign of God’s blessing,” Franklin said, a bizarre claim directly contradicted by the Biblical flood God used to wipe out almost all of humanity in the book of Genesis. “And it started to rain, Mr. President, when you came to the platform.”

[Jeffress] went on to argue that God elevates great leaders, gifting them with seemingly supernatural powers to achieve impossible goals and defy all those who oppose them. Trump, he says, is one such leader.

The idea of God-chosen leaders is an old one, rooted in scripture and dating back to a theological concept known as the “divine right of kings”—or that leaders (specifically monarchs) are chosen by God, and thus beholden to no one but God. Despite the constancy of Christian nationalism in American history, there is a rich history of patriots opposing this idea: Thomas Paine, for instance, dedicated a healthy part of his landmark “Common Sense” to debunking the concept.

Yet an atmosphere of divine selection surrounded Trump’s inauguration all the same (although, thankfully, he has yet declare himself immune to the democratic process). And while preachers have lauded any number of past Commanders-in-Chief, few if any presidents have packed their stages with those who flaunt it, or inculcated their speeches with such self-righteous claims.

An uncertain theological future
This kind of theology has obvious pitfalls, of course. After all, if America does endure another terrorist attack during Trump’s tenure, does that mean God has turned against Trump?

Meanwhile, his message is already sparking backlash among some observers. Michael Peppard, associate professor of theology at Fordham University, railed against “Trump’s God” in a recent post for the Catholic publication Commonweal, noting that his rhetoric paints the divine as “an extension — even a projection — of the American military and law enforcement.”

“If our civil religion is heading that direction, toward theologically grounded militarism and policing, then we Christians really are in grave spiritual danger,” Peppard wrote.

But Trump, flanked by his menagerie of loyal faith leaders, is already preaching a nationalist gospel from the largest of pulpits. And while the exact parameters of this developing theology remain to be seen, it’s clear a revival of American Christian nationalism is on the horizon—with Trump as its high priest.


                                                                                                                                                     


The AC will do something similar except he will be quoting all manner of religious texts. And using himself as an example not just of genius but of godhood.  And actually using powers to show it off. 

The AC godhood will resemble the Wallace character in Blade Runner 2049.  One who wants the secret not just of creating artificial life but of giving it the ability to reproduce so he will have an army of "angels" to multiply and conquer all the worlds of the universe.  He randomly creates and then destroys new life forms.  In a testament to Hollywood's "new consciousness", I guess,  almost all the nude designs for light and humanoid forms are naked women. Satan wants women seen as goddesses or sexual playthings to reduce them to rolls he can understand and easily manipulate even though that plan went far wrong  while trying to destroy Christ.  Satan has to twist the truth to every degree possible but can never come up with anything new. 

But the one being featured in all that worship will be the angel,  They exist in most modern religions in one form or another.  Angels gave Joseph Smith and Mohamed their sacred books.  You see them ion TV in "Touched by an Angel" reruns where God is all love and Jesus isn't mentioned as he may offend someone.  In reruns of "Highway to Heaven" where the angel gets oddball  missions. 


But actual angels of heaven are given a specific mission from God, one they were created to handle from the beginning, perhaps eons before they were called to it. Some are given great power but are not as powerful as others.  Jesus suggested he could call in a legion and wipe out the whole Roman army.  Others seem only designed to deliver a message and be gone. We are never told how many there are or what all the purposes are because we are not God and have no real use for that knowledge even if we had it. 

Bit these three are given an honor among angels to deliver God's message of salvation and destruction and a warning for the last half of the Tribulation.  They will be seen by all the Earth, either by TV coverage or by their appearance live in various places, perhaps at the same time.  We know that the Two Witnesses will be speaking as Peter did at Pentecost, in a voice that will be heard and understood in all languages.  We can expect nothing less of the Three. 

The first delivers the Salvation message.  This may trigger all the 144,000.  It seems likely.  it will be their sounding call.  Imagine having to tell people who saw their loved ones disappear and believed in the lie of a Harmonic Conversion of some sort that they were wrong.  This is like a Paul experience for the entire world!  Not the image of Christ, true, but the glory of one of God's true angels before all humanity. 

At that point the next angel lets everyone know that Babylon was destroyed in Mid Tribulation because of her evil.  this evangelist says everyone must repent of their ways, their false worship, their materialism, their love of false miracles and entertainment over the love of Christ for eternity. 

Then the third angel delivers the warning to not take the mark that the AC will be demanding, may even then be demanding of humanity.  It warns that there is a greater tomorrow and a special reward for those who do not fail in the face of losing their lives to great torture and hunger and poverty.  The gas chambers at Auschwitz will seem like kindness compared to what believers will face in those last 3 1/2 years.  They will echo the tortures throughout the years that our people suffered.

And these evangelists will be ones that have been honored beings, worshiped being, throughout history and in the first stage of the Tribulation.  This is not just men voicing God's will.  This ese are revered figures.  These are the supposed sources of much of the literature that millions follow.

"Hello!  the ones who commissioned your sacred texts are gtelling hyou to go back to the true God. to the Jesus of your own texts.  Listen."

And there is this little addendum concerning the ones who listen to this angel, to the Two, to the 144,000:  "For their works go with them."

Our works today, any that are of true service, get placed in a crown to be cast before our Savior.  Any false works get burned up like chaff in the fire of entering God's presence.  But these, these ones will have ALL their works carried with them.  ALL.   Imagine what that means.  That every step of the way has been in resistance to the power of Satan.  Today, we slosh through a wadding pool of evil that is deepening every day.  Even our most tortured have a beacon of hope from churches in various countries, have a truth preached openly in many of those places, though oppressed and threatened.  Have a hope to escape to The USA and other Western ntions where they can worship as they wish, .But these in the future who are  going to be saved then will be up to their necks in a raging river of evil, fighting a current that wants to sweep them away with nowhere to turn, no hope in the present day, nowhere on Earth that will welcome them. 

While we have those suffering today and facing death for their belief, poverty for their stand for Christ, the  "next generation" will have absolutely no hope, will be taking A STAND FOR CHRIST JUST BY EXISTING.

What glory they will bring in the face of   annihilation.

In a way, it is true.  heaven is counting on them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAZbSp2yCmE


And for today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gSugruC1jQ

                 ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL...ARE VERY UNHAPPY


Ge 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, like us: and let him have rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every living thing which goes flat on the earth.
 27 And God made man in his image, in the image of God he made him: male and female he made them.
 28 And God gave them his blessing and said to them, Be fertile and have increase, and make the earth full and be masters of it; be rulers over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing moving on the earth.
 29 And God said, See, I have given you every plant producing seed, on the face of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit producing seed: they will be for your food:
 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and every living thing moving on the face of the earth I have given every green plant for food: and it was so.
 31 And God saw everything which he had made and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

 (BBE)


https://www.gotquestions.org/dominion-over-animals.html

 The word dominion means “rule or power over.” God has sovereign power over His creation and has delegated the authority to mankind to have dominion over the animals (Genesis 1:26). David reinforces this truth: “You made [mankind] rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet” (Psalm 8:6). Humanity was to "subdue" the earth (Genesis 1:28)—we were to hold a position of command over it; we were placed in a superior role and were to exercise control over the earth and its flora and fauna. Mankind was set up as the ruler of this world. All else was subjugated to him.

(Note:  Humanity lost the power at the Fall.  It also lost the definition of "dominion".  We were to rule "As He rules".   We are to be his servants in that rule.  Dominion religion has us ruling "in his place."  We always try to subjugate the Earth not develop and carefully manage the resources. Worse, Christians are led to believe that any efforts in that vein are some kind of Earth worship. Worse  still, some of them actually are and they lend credence to the lie that all of them are. We have lost the notion of love for the Earth, for the animals, for each other, for all the creation of God.  Read on.  W)

God’s command to subdue the earth and the animal life in it is a command to have the mastery over all of it. A true mastery (of anything) cannot be accomplished without an understanding of the thing mastered. In order for a musician to master the violin, he or she must truly understand the instrument. In order for mankind to attain mastery over the animal kingdom, we must understand the animals.

With the authority to rule comes the responsibility to rule well. There is an inherent accountability in the command to subdue the earth. Man has a duty to exercise his dominion under the authority of the One who delegated it. All authority is of God (Romans 13:1-5), and He delegates it to whomever He will (Daniel 4:17). The word subdue doesn’t have to imply violence or mistreatment. It can mean “to bring under cultivation.”

Man is to be the steward of the earth; he is to bring the material world and all of its varied elements into the service of God and the good of mankind. The command to subdue the earth is actually part of God’s blessing on mankind. Created in the image of God, Adam and Eve were to use the earth’s vast resources in the service of both God and themselves. It would only make sense for God to decree this, since only humans were created in God’s image.

(Note: and rather than subdue by the power of God we subdue by the power of machine.  The  railway in the USA opened up to the rest of the country.  The Buffalo Bill and other used it to slaughter the buffalo to take way the food source for the native tribes.  That dominion thinking will power the Antichrist.  We killed the Native Americans for gold in the Black hills, for land for our expansion everywhere else.  We built a network of roads for cars the represented freedom and the roads  are deteriorating asour leadership pretends there is nothing they can do, taking the image of freedom as a threat to their rule.  Just as the image of free animals is a threat.  W)

When God gave humanity dominion over the animals, it was in order to care for, tend to, and use those animals to their fullest potential in a just manner. At the time that God gave mankind dominion over the animals, humans did not eat meat (Genesis 1:29). Eating meat did not begin until after the Flood (Genesis 9:1–3), and it was at that time that animals started to fear humans. However, although God changed the way we interact with animals, in that they are now “meat,” we still bear a responsibility to treat animals humanely. Human rule over animals does not mean we have the right to mistreat or misuse those animals.

Having dominion over the animals should entail a humane management of them as the resource God has ordained them to be. We should consider that mankind was given the task (and blessing) of representing God in this world. We are the caretakers. We hold sway over all the earth, and we (bearing God’s image) bear a responsibility to act as God would. Does God misuse His creation? No. Is God unwise in His management of resources? No. Is God ever cruel or selfish or wasteful? No. Then neither should we be. Any misuse or mistreatment of God’s creation is the result of sin, not the result of following God’s original command. We must fulfill our duty to manage the earth wisely until that time when the wolf shall lie down with the lamb in the kingdom of Christ (Isaiah 11:6).

(Note: and perhaps we need to stop seeing Creation as a resource for our use and find ways to honor God in the way we treat all the things He has given us.  Even as we are to care for money and time. But this is about the way it all goes even more  monstrously wrong.  W.)

                                                                                                                                                                   

Ge 2:18 And the Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be by himself: I will make one like himself as a help to him
 19 And from the earth the Lord God made every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and took them to the man to see what names he would give them: and whatever name he gave to any living thing, that was its name.
 20 And the man gave names to all cattle and to the birds of the air and to every beast of the field; but Adam had no one like himself as a help.
 (BBE)



Matthew Henry:

2:18-25 Power over the creatures was given to man, and as a proof of this he named them all. It also shows his insight into the works of God. But though he was lord of the creatures, yet nothing in this world was a help meet for man. From God are all our helpers. If we rest in God, he will work all for good. God caused deep sleep to fall on Adam; while he knows no sin, God will take care that he shall feel no pain. God, as her Father, brought the woman to the man, as his second self, and a help meet for him. That wife, who is of God's making by special grace, and of God's bringing by special providence, is likely to prove a help meet for a man. See what need there is, both of prudence and prayer in the choice of this relation, which is so near and so lasting. That had need to be well done, which is to be done for life. Our first parents needed no clothes for covering against cold or heat, for neither could hurt them: they needed none for ornament. Thus easy, thus happy, was man in his state of innocency. How good was God to him! How many favours did he load him with! How easy were the laws given to him! Yet man, being in honour, understood not his own interest, but soon became as the beasts that perish.


John Wesley:


And every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air God brought to Adam-Either by the ministry of angels, or by a special instinct that he might name them, and so might give a proof of his knowledge, the names he gave them being expressive of their inmost natures.


                                                                                                                                                                                           


All that glory and then we end up degenerated to this:



Re 6:8 And I saw a grey horse, and the name of him who was seated on it was Death; and Hell came after him. And there was given to them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to put to destruction by the sword, and by taking away their food, and by death, and by the beasts of the earth.

 (BBE)


We get to analyze exactly what that       means.

First, that the beasts will be used against other men by the four horsemen.  The AC may set up arenas even as Nero the antichrist precursor did in ancient Rome.  He may use scent dogs to track down his enemies and use pit bulls to rip into prisoners, or unleash packs of animals to run down escapees.

Chuck Smith while preaching about this passage once mentioned the idea that the bacteria and viruses that cause so much sickness look like beasts when seen under a microscope.  And certainly with all the deadly diseases available in various research labs, government and otherwise, any government could release any kind of "beast" to spread death.

Animals fear us.  However, hunger can be used to drive them beyond their fear and search out any food, even the humans they once feared. Or through the animals in African savannas.  through the huge spiders in Australia,  Through crocs and gators.  Boas and pythons.  Rattlesnakes and black widows, tarantulas, brown recluses.  "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my."  The polar bears driven from their hunting grounds in the Arctic.    Hawks and falcons, Eagles and sparrows attacking in a Hitchcockian movie replay.    

Disease can drive animals mad.  Imagine a strain of rabies running through the packs who now have no one to vaccinate them against it. Running through animals escaped from untended zoos. 

Then death itself could unleash all the animals against humanity.   Imagine that cute little poodle in the rich lady's arms deciding to go for her throat.  Or the cat lady with ten cats found dead with blood on the claws and teeth of her "babies."  Or all those folks betting on dog fights suddenly turned on by the fighters.  

All this because our earliest parents lost their hold on the Earth by falling.  Not only the 
Earth itself turning on us because of our mistreatment, but the animals as well, this time for any kind of treatment.  No matter what one thinks of Patterson's ZOO book or miniseries, it may actually have borrowed an plot line from the Bible.  The hunter becomes the hunted. 

                                                                                                                                                                  

As we consider the ideas of what could and what will happen in the Tribulation a couple things that point even more toward it moving in arise.

Trump's recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capitol led to a rage in the Middle East. Islamic countries and Palestinians in their various places of refuge began a protest that will simply seem to cease but go n behind closed door.

Then Trump did this:

SHATI REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip (AP) — Mahmoud al-Qouqa can't imagine life without the three sacks of flour, cooking oil and other staples he receives from the United Nations every three months.

Living with 25 relatives in a crowded home in this teeming Gaza Strip slum, the meager rations provided by UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugee families, are the last thing keeping his family afloat in the territory hard hit by years of poverty and conflict. But that could be in danger as the United States, UNRWA's biggest donor, threatens to curtail funding.

"It will be like a disaster and no one can predict what the reaction will be," al-Qouqa said.

Across the Middle East, millions of people who depend on UNRWA are bracing for the worst. The expected cut could also add instability to struggling host countries already coping with spillover from other regional crises.

UNRWA was established in the wake of the 1948 Mideast war surrounding Israel's creation. An estimated 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes in the fighting.

In the absence of a solution for these refugees, the U.N. General Assembly has repeatedly renewed UNRWA's mandate, the original refugee camps have turned into concrete slums and more than 5 million refugees and their descendants now rely on the agency for services including education, health care and food. The largest populations are in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon.

Seen by the Palestinians and most of the international community as providing a valuable safety net, UNRWA is viewed far differently by Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses the agency of perpetuating the conflict by helping promote an unrealistic dream that these people have the "right of return" to long-lost properties in what is now Israel.

"UNRWA is part of the problem, not part of the solution," he told foreign journalists last week. Noting that the Palestinians are the only group served by a specific refugee agency, he said UNRWA should be abolished and its responsibilities taken over by the main U.N. refugee agency.

Some in Israel have even tougher criticism, accusing UNRWA of teaching hatred of Israel in its classrooms and tolerating or assisting Hamas militants in Gaza.

Blaming the Palestinians for lack of progress in Mideast peace efforts, President Donald Trump has threatened to cut American assistance to the Palestinians. UNRWA would be the first to be affected.

The U.S. provides about $355 million a year to UNRWA, roughly one-third of its budget.

U.S. officials in Washington said this week the administration is preparing to withhold tens of millions of dollars from the year's first contribution, cutting a planned $125 million installment by half or perhaps entirely. The decision could come as early as Tuesday.

Matthias Schmale, UNRWA's director in Gaza, said Washington has not informed the agency of any changes. However, "we are worried because of the statements ... in the media and the fact that the money hasn't arrived yet," he said.

Schmale dismissed the Israeli criticisms, saying that individuals who spread incitement or aid militants are isolated cases and promptly punished. And he said Netanyahu's criticism should be directed at the U.N. General Assembly, which sets UNRWA's mandate, not the agency itself.

Any cut in U.S. aid could ripple across the region with potentially unintended consequences.

Gaza may be the most challenging of all of UNRWA's operating areas. Two-thirds of Gaza's 2 million people qualify for services, and its role is amplified given the poor state of the economy, which has been hit hard by three wars with Israel and an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since the Hamas militant group seized power over a decade ago. Unemployment is 43 percent and the poverty rate is 38 percent, according to the official Palestinian statistics office.

(Please notice that the Palestinians have brought this on themselves by their constant demand to get Israel back now that it is a very valuable piece of property blessed by God because the Jews are there.  Every country that has hosted them has seen misfortune and loss.  Those aiding them now are part of  predicted battle disaster.  If they pursued peace with Israel instead of war, they would see their fortunes restored. Right now, that seems unlikely.  W)

(But their pursuit of Israel's destruction has alienated Christian Evangelicals who regard Israel as a brother nation.  Trump has been doing his best to please their political desires even as his life has ignored all the legal things they cling to W.)

"Nowhere else are we the biggest service provider for the population of the entire territory," Schmale said. He said UNRWA provides food assistance to 1 million Gazans, calling it "an expression of collective shame for the international community."

With more than 12,500 teachers, nurses and other staff, UNRWA is Gaza's largest non-governmental employer. It is also involved in postwar reconstruction projects.

The dire situation in Gaza is evident inside al-Qouqa's home, which is so cramped the family has made sleeping spaces with wood boards and fabric. Two male family members are unemployed. Two others are Hamas civil servants and get paid only intermittently by the cash-strapped movement.

At 72, al-Qouqa is worried about his grandchildren. "If UNRWA provides them with bread, they can remain patient. But if it was cut, what will they become? They will become thieves, criminals and a burden on society," he said. Many believe Hamas, which administers schools and social services in Gaza, will step in to fill the void.

Jordan, a crucial ally in the U.S.-led battle against Islamic militants, is home to the largest number of Palestinian refugees and their descendants — with nearly 2.2 million people eligible for UNRWA services. This has turned the U.N. agency into a major contributor to social welfare services in the country, which also hosts hundreds of thousands of Syrians displaced by war.

U.S. aid cuts could heighten the threat of instability in Jordan, which is grappling with a worsening economy hurt by the spillover from conflict in neighboring Syria and Iraq. More than one-third of Jordan's young people are without jobs, turning them into potential targets for recruitment by extremists.

(Please recall that refuge from the 1948 accord were given land IN Transjordan.  W.)

Most of the Palestinians eligible for UNRWA services in Jordan hold Jordanian citizenship, and some argue that this has ended their refugee status. But most maintain that UNRWA services are vital to propping up an important ally.

UNRWA's services are also vital in Lebanon, where Palestinians are prohibited from working in skilled professions and owning property.

Lebanon is the least-welcoming Arab country to Palestinian refugees, because it does not want Palestinians to settle and because it does not want the refugees to upset the country's delicate sectarian balance. Camps in several cities are ringed by concrete barriers and Lebanese security forces use checkpoints to control who enters and leaves. A recent census found 175,000 Palestinian refugees or their descendants living in the country.

The civil war in Syria has made many Palestinians refugees twice over. Some 32,000 Palestinians who were living in Syria fled to Lebanon, according to UNRWA. In Syria, Palestinians enjoyed the right to own property and to work in all professions. They are not entitled to the same in Lebanon.

Balkees Hameed, 33, arrived in 2013 with her husband, two children and in-laws from Damascus, where their apartment was damaged by rocket fire. The family depends on UNRWA assistance to rent a one-bedroom apartment in a ramshackle building in Bourj al-Barajneh, a Beirut camp. Her husband wipes tables at a restaurant outside the camp. Hameed, like all Palestinians, was painfully aware of the rumors coming out of Washington.

"We are already defeated and now they want to oppress us some more?" she asked.

While more than 5 million Syrian refugees worldwide are entitled to assistance from the U.N.'s general refugee relief agency, Palestinians are barred from it under the logic that UNRWA serves them. But UNRWA in Lebanon is chronically underfunded, and the wave of Palestinians arriving from Syria has strained its finances even further.

"What UNRWA provides is not even a quarter of what a Palestinian refugee needs," said Ramy Mansour, 34, who fled to Lebanon from the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus in 2013. "Take everything and return us to our homes. We don't want any assistance or anything, just return us to our country."


(It should be noted that the young man above was never a citizen of Palestine since it ceased to exist long before his birth.  His demand seems somewhat hollow when that is considered.  W.)
___

Associated Press writers Karin Laub in Amman, Jordan, and Philip Issa in Beirut contributed to this report.

But something else to add:  this plays into Putin's plan.  He got a President who will alienate Islamic forces everywhere and stoke the fires Putin needs to gather an attack force.  He will seem like the good guy to Muslim's everywhere.  End times prophecies close in.  War in the Middle East gets a shot of gasoline to the fire in the form of a President with n oi sense of anything but himself and his vision of the 1950's TV America.  

                                                                                                                                                                   

But reread the verses above.  Wrapped in there are a couple little notes on the reality of our life.  Death and Hell have  personifications. And THEY are given the power to kill a fourth of the Earth's people. A quarter of those living.

Roughly 7.5 billion alive today.  Almost 1.9 billion.  Just by them.

The ice age.  The nuclear events.  Seem like just the start.  ARE just the start.

Oddly, God doesn't give us a lot of detail about even the battles of the Apocalypse.  Well, odd to us.  The man He placed in power to do the work of bringing more people to Christ (Yes, that IS what the AC s there for.  Even what Trump and Putin are there for.)  will be about the business of bringing Death to the world in his battles and behind that Hell will arrive.  The Hell will be as so many have pictured it:  people seemingly cut off from the mercy of God and subject to all manner of dying, suffering, torture.  When the Church has gone, the new Church will emerge,  for those who have found the end as a deep view into their souls.

The Bible concerns itself with that list of curses and with modest detail on the battles.

But let's pursue both in the following posts, but first with the Godly concerns of witnesses.



                                                                                                                                                                

                                                       SOME THINGS MORE

Re 6:8 And I saw a grey horse, and the name of him who was seated on it was Death; and Hell came after him. And there was given to them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to put to destruction by the sword, and by taking away their food, and by death, and by the beasts of the earth.

 (BBE)

I've been suggesting a lot of different things the last few weeks. I suggest them because certain things need to be done before the Antichrist can be the One.

1) The USA and Russia must fall in some way.  These are the two largest and best armed forces in the world.  The Middle East fiasco will wound but not cripple Russia.  Their allies will be crippled by the battle and that will lead to Islamic forces backing off for a time.

The North Korean scenario creates the limited warfare that will cripple both the USA and Russia and will drive China further toward the Middle East and Europe.

These help fulfill the Bible's alignment for End Times.

I realize many authors have bent over backward to sell the idea of the US still being a power in those times.  We are simply not there and I have no inclination to sell a few million copies of books or hits on the blog by glorifying the United States over God's obvious Word.  We, like every other nation, have a life and a death.  We existed to grow Christianity and to be there for Israel, for Truman to be sure it was reborn, to be sure we could "babysit" them through that growing period. Please get things clear, something Amil believers and Postmil believers miss: we exist FOR God, not to be rich or healthy or anything else unless it is in His plan.  And we are not mentioned as part of the final stage of the plan.  And if He stops protecting us from the results of our greed, then that is our destiny.

I took extra effort to keep US  naval forces alive since they will be a key to retaining control of the Mediterranean Sea and securing the EU.  And it secures the idea of the return of the Roman Empire.  And the Italian  Peninsula surrounded by water, with a mountainous and more easily defensible northern border and relatively small air space for attack,  would seem to be the perfect haven for the government.




And the islands around it offer spots for defense fortresses.


One thing I did not suggest which actually makes more sense than what I DID suggest is based on the Siberian map.










The locale of the oil reserves and the oil fields indicates that a force of planes bombing it would: a) end the economic power of Russia and b) cut the country in half so any ground forces located in their far East would not be able to help in the event of war.

I suspect my scenario should have included that the AC "failed" to reach the bombers headed toward Omsk and Tomsk  and their "Scorch" accomplished the inverted burnt earth policy of the defunct US President.


And, with Siberia gone, Russia, in need of oil, will have to head out of it's borders.  Making Europe a target.  Giving the AC a chance to lead a great battle which will let him hear the saying: "Who can make war against the Beast."

Especially one with a naval force and the perfect antitank weapon in the neutron bombs obtained by an alliance with Israel.

2) For that: The forces of Europe must increase.  The turning over of the US forces to the AC to keep Russia and  China back will merge  into those forces committing to the AC. That and an EU force increased because of the US refusal to recognize it's commitment to European defense.   The future disasters that come from human sin and from God stepping in will merely commit those troops more deeply.

3) The old USSR now enters into an importance. 



  



http://eu-rope.ideasoneurope.eu/2016/09/25/eu-is-not-ussr/


A Brexiteer in the BBC Question Time audience last Thursday compared the EU to the Soviet Union. It’s an entirely false and unfounded comparison.

There is absolutely no resemblance between the EU and the USSR. Such comparisons are reckless, childish and nonsensical.

It shows no understanding or respect for those people who truly suffered and were horribly murdered in their millions under both the Communist and Nazi regimes.

The EU has democracy, human rights and free market trade as the non-negotiable membership requirements for all members.

All member states of the EU volunteered to join, and all are free to leave.

The USSR was not a democracy, but a one-party state. There were no human rights, or respect for life. There was no free market, but a state controlled one.

Member states of the Soviet Union were forced to join, under threat of violence that was often used to bludgeon any member state that didn’t comply.

No countries caught up the Soviet sphere of control were free to leave, until the Soviet empire itself collapsed.

 Far from being a one-party state, the European Union is made up of many governments, and democratically elected MEPS, from right across the political spectrum.

The EU is a democracy with free movement of its people, unlike the sealed borders and oppressive one-party state that represented the now defunct Soviet Union.

Membership of the EU is open to any European country which respects the inherent values of the EU, as laid down by the Treaty of the European Union (TEU).

Anyone who’s lived in a Soviet Union controlled country will immediately recognise the profound differences between USSR values and EU values.

The EU values include, “respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.”

Before becoming a member, a country has to demonstrate that it has a stable government guaranteeing, “democracy, the rule of law, human rights, respect for and protection of minorities, the existence of a functioning market economy, and the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union.”

Furthermore, unlike the Soviet Union, which consumed member states, countries applying to join the EU didn’t do so fearing the loss of their national identities and cultures; quite the opposite.

Indeed, the motto of the European Union is, “United in diversity”.

This signifies how European countries have come together, in the form of the EU, to work for PEACE AND PROSPERITY while at the same time being enriched by the continent’s many different cultures, traditions and languages.

Frankly, the differences between the European Union and the Soviet Union couldn’t be more stark. Indeed, the former Iron Curtain countries who became members of the EU have seen their nations transformed for the better.

These erstwhile Soviet-sphere countries who voluntarily joined the EU include the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

These countries suffered decades of Nazi and Communist rule, and it will take time for them to fully recover.

However, their return to the family of Europe will, I believe, reap great rewards in future, as these countries restore their dignities, independence and wealth-creating abilities.

In time, they will be sufficiently recovered to become net-contributors to EU funds, helping our continent to be safer and more prosperous.

And the signs are looking exceptionally good. These countries are now among the fastest growing economies of Europe.

Poland, for example, sailed through the world-wide economic crisis unscathed. Since 2007 its economy has grown by a third, and it now has Europe’s fastest growing number of millionaires.

And Romania was recently described by The Economist magazine as ‘the tiger economy of Europe’.

Both Poland and Romania are economically stable countries, with low inflation, relatively low public debt (public debt of Romania is only at 39% of the GDP), low interest rates and a relatively stable exchange rate.

GDP growth in Romania is around 4% and in Poland around 3.5% – rates that our British government could only dream about. British businesses are significantly benefiting from the export markets in both Poland and Romania.

Research from KPMG shows wealthy Poles spend 18% of their income on luxury goods, and aspirational Poles spend 13% on luxury goods – representing great export opportunities for British businesses.

Poland is Tesco’s largest Central European market, with over 440 stores and nearly 30,000 employees, and serving more than 5 million customers per week.

Romania is also a successful export market for British businesses, currently worth about £1 billion a year.

Commented Enterprise Network Europe, “Romania represents a high-growth market close to home, offering the prospect of major new business partnerships and considerable catch-up potential within the European Union.”

Former USSR member, Estonia, has become the world’s most advanced country in the use of internet technologies. Just a generation ago, it was still under Soviet domination as a very poor backwater on the Baltic Sea. Now it is a developed country and a member of both the EU and NATO.

According to the Cato Institute, “The Estonians now have the rule of law, the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the EU, a balanced budget, free trade, and a flat-rate income tax — all of which have led to their high economic growth and prosperity.

“The Estonians now rank globally number 22 out of 152 countries on the Human Freedom Index, number 8 out of 186 economies on the Index of Economic Freedom, and are in the number 1 category in the Freedom in the World report.”

Without becoming members of the EU, it’s highly unlikely that any of this could have been achieved.

Britain has also hugely benefited from EU membership. We first applied to join the European Community back in 1961, when it became clear that we were no longer a super power.

Our Empire was finished, our Commonwealth diminished as was our relationship with the USA, together with our reduced standing in the world following the failure at Suez.

It was seen by successive Conservative and Labour governments that our future economic survival depended on becoming part of the European Economic Community (later to be called the European Union).

We eventually joined in 1973, following the democratic agreement of Parliament, and confirmed by a decisive referendum in 1975.

Britain has prospered during its membership of the EU.

In 1962, one year after we applied to join the EEC, Spain also applied. The country was then ruled by military fascist dictator, Franciso Franco.

The application was flatly and unanimously rejected by all EEC members. The reason? Because Spain wasn’t a democracy.

Doesn’t that say something about the difference between the EU and the USSR?



And in competition with the EU:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Economic_Union

The Eurasian Economic Union (officially EAEU, but sometimes called EEU or EAU)[note 1] is an economic union of states located primarily in northern Eurasia. The Treaty aiming for the establishment of the EAEU was signed on 29 May 2014 by the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, and came into force on 1 January 2015.[9] Treaties aiming for Armenia's and Kyrgyzstan's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union were signed on 9 October and 23 December 2014, respectively. Armenia's accession treaty came into force on 2 January 2015.[10] Kyrgyzstan's accession treaty came into effect on 6 August 2015.[11][12] It participated in the EAEU from the day of its establishment as an acceding state.[13][14]


After looking at that please remember this:


http://christianworldviewpress.com/will-the-antichrist-rule-the-entire-world/

Let’s start with a look at a detail that the Bible makes often: the Antichrist’s kingdom is primarily a ten-nation alliance. This appears in different places in Scripture. First, Daniel 2:41-44, the dream Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, teaches that the statue has ten toes. The ten toes are said to be ten kings that are overthrown at Christ’s second coming. The ten kings make a return in Daniel 7:7, 20-24. In this chapter, the ten kings, called ten horns, are said to come from the fourth kingdom, just as the ten toes of Daniel 2 extend out of the fourth section of the statue. Out from among the ten kings comes an eleventh, identified as the Antichrist.

The ten horns return in Revelation 13:1 and 17:12-14. In the latter, they are said to give their authority and power to the beast. These passages all seem to indicate that the backbone of the Antichrist’s power will come from these ten nations. This, of course, does not mean that only ten nations will fight for the Antichrist. These ten nations will be the most powerful of his allies and will form the foundation for his conquests.[1]

The military conquests of the Antichrist

Scripture also indicates that the Antichrist will partake in some military conquests. Daniel 11:39 tells us that he will attack the mightiest fortresses. It is possible that the mightiest fortresses are the strongest nations that exist during the time of the Antichrist (will America be one of them?). A couple verses later (11:41) Daniel says that the Antichrist will invade Israel. Verses 40-43 tell us that Edom, Moab, and Amman (modern-day Jordan) are delivered from his hand and submit to him. However, he does invade and conquer Egypt, Nubia (Sudan), and Libya. It also says that he will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood (indicating that these invasions are sudden and swift).

Daniel 11:44 says that the Antichrist will hear of news and rumors from the north and east that will alarm him. If the Antichrist is controlling the entire world then why would he be alarmed? Why would he be invading other countries? Richardson believes that this is likely a military response against the Antichrist.[2] As a side note, it is interesting that three specific nations are mentioned that are conquered, Egypt, Sudan, and Libya. Daniel 7:8, 20 say that three of the ten kings will be conquered and humiliated by the Antichrist. This may indicate that Egypt, Sudan, and Libya may be three of the ten kings.

Wars till the end

The next argument used in favor of a limited empire is Daniel 9:26. This verse teaches that there will be war until the end (the Second Coming of Christ). How can there be war until the end if the Antichrist is ruling over every single nation? It is possible that this verse may only indicate that there will be war against Israel until the end. Although this is possible, remember what I wrote above about the Antichrist waging wars against other countries (and the rumors from the north and east).

In regards to all of this information Richardson notes, “Simply stated, a king with absolute, universal authority is not at war. The presence of wars establishes the fact that the Antichrist does not control every nation, but that there are resisting governments. He does not control their militaries. This is proof of the Antichrist’s limited authority right up to the end.”[3]

Hyperbole in Scripture

Richardson moves on to argue that Scripture uses a common literary device known as hyperbole.[4] Simply stated, hyperbole is an exaggeration that is used for emphasis. Examples in our culture today would be saying that a child weighs a ton. Obviously, the child does not actually weigh two thousand pounds. The person picking the child up is exaggerating to make the point that the child is heavy. Middle Eastern culture loves to use hyperbole, as does the Bible.

Deuteronomy 1:28 is a good place to start. Here it is mentioned that the walls of Canaanite cities reached up to the heavens. Did the city walls literally reach up into outer space? Of course not, the point is that the walls are high. We find another perfect example of hyperbole in Genesis 15:5 says that Abraham’s descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. There are trillions and trillions of stars in the universe. There have not been that many descendants of Abraham throughout history. One could argue that God was referring only to the stars that one could count in the sky. However, to the naked eye, one can only see a maximum of a couple thousand stars at once in the sky. Abraham’s descendants have numbered more than this as well. The point of Genesis 15 is not to be literal. The point was that Abraham, a man who at that time had no sons, was going to have children that would one day multiply into nations.

It is quite clear that Scripture uses hyperbole. Please note, however, that I am not saying that every single time the words all or every are used in the Bible they are to be taken in a non-literal way. We must study each passage in its context to see whether or not it should be taken literally. In either case, as we are going to see, the Bible uses hyperbole often when it describes the extent of pagan empires.



Many look at Daniel 7:23 as proof that the Antichrist will rule the whole world. The phrase “the whole earth” here is the Aramaic kol ‘ara’ which is referring to a large, but limited area. Gleason L. Archer notes:

“The whole earth (kol ‘ara’) refers, not to all known parts of the inhabited earth, but rather (as in general OT usage) to the entire territory of the Near and Middle East that in any way relates to the Holy Land. The word ‘ara’ (and its equivalent eres) does not necessarily mean globe in the sense of ‘the entire inhabited globe’ but – depending on context [emphasis mine] – might mean a single country (eres yisra elis ‘the land of Israel) or a larger geographical unit, such as ‘territory’ or ‘region.’”[5]

There are many places in Scripture where “the whole earth” is used for pagan empires. For example, Daniel 2:39 says that Alexander the Great’s empire would rule “the whole earth.” Obviously, Alexander did not conquer the entire globe. Some may want to argue that he ruled the entire known world, but this is not true. Alexander did not conquer all of India, Central Asia, Europe, North Africa (except Egypt), Arabia, or Africa south of Egypt. All of these places were well known during the life of Alexander. Daniel 8:5 also refers to Alexander the Great. In this chapter, Greece is symbolized as a goat that crossed “the whole earth” in order to conquer Persia. Alexander only crossed the Middle East to get his hands on Persia.

A couple other passages referring to the whole world include:

Luke 2:1 says, “In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.” The word “Roman” does not appear in the original text. It is added by the NIV translators to clarify that it was not the whole globe. Rome did not rule over the entire world or even the known world.
Ezra 1:2 records Cyrus, king of Persia as saying, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth…” Cyrus did not conquer every kingdom. He never came close. He never ruled over Egypt (one of the most important nations in the world at that time), Greece, India, or Rome.[6]
What about Revelation 13?

The number one passage in Scripture that leads Christians to believe that the Antichrist will rule a one-world government is Revelation 13:7-8: “And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb …”“

We must remember from all the passages above that there will be wars and resisting nations. So, how does one reconcile Revelation 13 with everything else that we know? Daniel 5:19 is a good place to look. It says concerning Nebuchadnezzar that “…all the peoples and nations and men of every language dreaded and feared him.” Revelation uses the Greek words laon, phyle, glossa, and ethnos; the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses laos, phule, and glossa. Daniel and revelation are conveying the same idea using the same words. Richardson notes:

If we interpret Daniel’s passage without acknowledging its use of hyperbole, we would be forced to conclude that King Nebuchadnezzar was literally feared by every human on the earth. But he was not even heard of by every single person in every part of the entire planet, let alone greatly feared by them. So based on our knowledge of history and common sense, we acknowledge the use of hyperbole in this passage too. Likewise, Revelation 13:7-8 does not mean every last person on the earth worships the beast, but instead, a multitude from numerous nations and people groups.”[7]

It is also worth noting that Revelation 13:4: “Men worshipped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshipped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?’” This seems to imply that some people are waging a war against the Antichrist. However, many people come to notice that it is a fruitless war. The Antichrist is so powerful and brutal that many question whether a war against him can be won.

“All the Nations”

There are other verses that seem to imply that the Antichrist will rule over “all the nations” of the world. For example, Joel 3:2 says that God will bring all the nations to Israel for judgment.  Zechariah 14:2 says, “I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem…” Do these verses prove that “all the nations” will be under the control of the Antichrist?

First off, we need to remember everything we have talked about in this article: 1) that wars and resisting nations will exist during the Tribulation; and 2) the use of hyperbole. Secondly, we need to take a look at these verses:

Joel 3:11-12: “Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there.”
Zechariah 12:2, 6 say, “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem.”
Zechariah 14:14 also mentions the “surrounding nations.”

These passages give us the greater context of the first two mentioned above. It is not literally every nation in the world, but the “surrounding nations/peoples” that are brought to Jerusalem. What nations surround Israel? Of course, it is Middle Eastern and North African countries.[8]

Will the Antichrist rule a One-World Government?

I have written a series on the biblical evidence for an Islamic Antichrist, and the evidence presented here conforms to that thesis. The evidence presented by Richardson is, in my opinion, quite strong (although I admit that I am not dogmatic on this issue). This would point us to the fact that the Antichrist’s kingdom will be primarily Middle Eastern and North African, with a few places outside this region (see map).

Some people believe that the world will eventually be carved up into different “unions.” For example, we currently have a European Union. Many envision that we will one day have a North American Union, a South American Union, an East Asian Union, etc. If the Antichrist would come to power during a period such as this, than it is possible that he would be the ruler of an Islamic Union, that is, an Islamic Caliphate (see map). He will then invade and attempt to conquer the rest of the world.

What do you think? Do you believe that Richardson’s arguments show that the Antichrist will not rule the entire world? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.



[1] Joel Richardson. Mideast Beast (New York: WND Books, 2012).

[2] Richardson, 39.

[3] Ibid., 39.

[4] Ibid., 40-41.

[5] Gleason L. Archer. The Expositors Bible Commentary, vol. 7, Daniel – Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1985). 93. Quoted in Richardson, 42.


                                                                                                                                                                   


First, The old Roman Empire:






And during the time of Christ:






Please notice the empire's boundaries hardly changed.  We can take these as the boundaries of the Antichrist's conquest.  We can also take it that, by controlling the banking system the Antichrist, will essentially control every remaining nation.  So he can rule the EU and essentially the Russian Middle East alliance plus Egypt and the Suez Canal with naval forces to control the area and air forces from any aircraft carriers plus the alliance countries and lad troops from the EU and Nato  now well armed and well trained, able to attack in Blitz fashion.  We established that the war weakened the members of the alliance and if we add a ravaged Russia the only thing we need is the end their nuclear superiority. I suspect the AC will have a magic trick to end that power.  Recall the recent news about chip vulnerability:

http://money.cnn.com/2018/01/03/technology/computer-chip-flaw-security/index.html


Two major flaws in computer chips could leave a huge number of computers and smartphones vulnerable to security concerns, researchers revealed Wednesday.
And a U.S. government-backed body warned that the chips themselves need to be replaced to completely fix the problems.

The flaws could allow an attacker to read sensitive data stored in the memory, like passwords, or look at what tabs someone has open on their computer, researchers found. Daniel Gruss, a researcher from Graz University of Technology who helped identify the flaw, said it may be difficult to execute an attack, but billions of devices were impacted.

Related: Apple says all Macs and iOS devices affected by chip flaws

Called Meltdown and Spectre, the flaws exist in processors, a building block of computers that acts as the brain. Modern processors are designed to perform something called "speculative execution." That means they predict what tasks they will be asked to execute and rapidly access multiple areas of memory at the same time.

That data is supposed to be protected and isolated, but researchers discovered that in some cases, the information can be exposed while the processor queues it up.

Researchers say almost every computing system -- desktops, laptops, smartphones, and cloud servers -- is affected by the Spectre bug. Meltdown appears to be specific to Intel (INTC) chips.

"More specifically, all modern processors capable of keeping many instructions in flight are potentially vulnerable. In particular, we have verified Spectre on Intel, AMD, and ARM processors," the researchers said.

Related: What to do about the Spectre and Meltdown risks

Government agencies issued statements warning users about the vulnerabilities.

The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team said that while the flaws "could allow an attacker to obtain access to sensitive information," it's not so far aware of anyone doing so.

The agency urged people to read a detailed statement on the vulnerabilities by the Software Engineering Institute, a U.S.-government funded body that researches cybersecurity problems.

The institute said that "fully removing the vulnerability requires replacing vulnerable [processor] hardware."

It later changed its guidance on Thursday to suggest updating software was enough. The institute didn't say why it had made the change and didn't immediately respond to a request for further information.

It said the problems affect technology giants including Apple, Google and Microsoft.

Related: The year tech took a dark turn

The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team recommended that users read advice posted online by Microsoft and software company Mozilla.

The U.K.'s National Cyber Security Center advised organizations and individuals to "continue to protect their systems from threats by installing patches as soon as they become available."

Google (GOOGL) programmer Jann Horn of Project Zero was one of the researchers who discovered the flaws. In a blog post, he said his group alerted chipmakers to the issues in June. Since last fall, security researchers and companies have investigated and updated software systems to address the flaws.

Related: Hackers take advantage of bitcoin's wild ride

Intel chips are found in everything from personal computers to medical equipment. The company's shares were down 3% on Wednesday.

The company said in a press release that "many types of computing devices — with many different vendors' processors and operating systems — are susceptible to these exploits."

Intel said it is working with other chipmakers, including AMD and ARM Holdings, to solve the issue. ARM said in a statement a small subset of its processors are susceptible to the flaws. AMD said in a statement there is a "near zero risk of exploitation" for one of the security issues, due to architecture differences.

I suspect the AC will have some "magic" to disable the missiles and bombs.


Then add to the EU alliance  Babylon.  Iran with a army trained by the US.   All things come to fruition.

Don't forget those horsemen have the power to destroy a fourth of the human population.

Da 7:7 After this, in my vision of the night, I saw a fourth beast, a thing causing fear and very troubling, full of power and very strong; and it had great iron teeth: it took its food, crushing some of it to bits and stamping down the rest with its feet: it was different from all the beasts before it; and it had ten horns.
 8 I was watching the horns with care, and I saw another coming up among them, a little one, before which three of the first horns were pulled up by the roots: and there were eyes like a man's eyes in this horn, and a mouth saying great things.
 9 I went on looking till the seats of kings were placed, and one like a very old man took his seat: his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head was like clean wool; his seat was flames of fire and its wheels burning fire.
 (BBE)

And the Eurasian economic alliance would be the first domino to fall.  Three nations.

And, as we've previously pointed out, the Ukraine has developed a relationship with the EU.  It would become an ideal stepping off point for invasion of all three countries.

One thing more: examine the map.   Most of the countries that were in the East and in Africa have shorelines making them vulnerable to sea invasion and landing forces.  How many would the AC have to invade to make the others decide that surrender would be a good idea?  Maybe three?

And a fallen Russia opens the land gateway through the old SSR countries to the Middle East.  A base in Iraq and in Israel would enable pincher actions. 

But if there was one lesson that Rome learned it was that conquering a nation and keeping under control are two different things.

Next time, along with that, let's consider the last phrase in that one little sentence:

And there was given to them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to put to destruction by the sword, and by taking away their food, and by death, and by the beasts of the earth.

                                                       HORSEMEN OPEN DOORS


NON SEQUITUR     by Wiley

(I think this means that Twitter will destroy the world.  I suspect that may be right.  W)

Now the EU leader steps in.  He contacts the King of the North to let him know Stealth bombers are violating his territory, though the King already knows that.  But the AC offers the news that they are on Scorch.  And he somehow knows all their flight plans.  He warns the King not to take any other actions, that the Florida bombing was enough of  a retaliation.  He has already asked the new USA President to order the Navy to stand down.  The order has been followed but the Medditerranian fleet Commander has been deeply offended by the order.  He points out that the Ukraine has joined the EU though Russian separatists are fighting for a new country in their western areas.  He mentions that the EU will need to put down those fighting there and he will  look kindly on a lack of intervention.

An aide leaks the first part of the conversation within the hour, letting the rest of the world know the AC has stepped up to take the lead in world peace and on keeping the threat of total nuclear war from the rest of the world.  His legend now increases.

Now about the Scorch Order:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/14/trump-critic-bob-corker-lead-senate-hearing-presidents-powers-order-nuclear-attack/860142001/

WASHINGTON – A retired Air Force general urged the Senate on Tuesday to proceed with caution when looking for ways to limit the president’s authority to launch a nuclear attack.

“Conflicting signals can result in loss of confidence, confusion or paralysis in the operating forces at a critical moment,” said Robert Kehler, former commander of the United States Strategic Command.

Two other witnesses also warned that any attempts to restrict the president’s power to order nuclear strikes could have unintended consequences.

“I’m not sure that’s a wise choice,” said Brian McKeon, a former top policy official in the Defense Department.

“I would be very wary of legislative fixes,” added Peter Feaver, a Duke University professor of political science and public policy.

Concerns that a president could order a preemptive nuclear strike are on the rise in Congress as President Trump continues to trade insults with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. For the first time in more than four decades, the president’s powers to call up the nation’s nuclear arsenal were the subject of a congressional hearing on Tuesday.


“Making the decision to go to war of any sort is a heavy responsibility for our nation’s elected leaders, and the decision to use nuclear weapons is the most consequential of all,” said Sen. Sen Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which held the hearing.

Corker said the time has come to examine “the realities” of the president’s authority to order a nuclear attack. But the Tennessee Republican, who warned last month that Trump’s rhetoric could be setting the nation on a path to World War III, insisted the hearing should not be seen as an attempt to specifically rein in Trump.

“This shouldn’t be taken as something that is specific to anyone,” he said.



Well, yes, but they have never tried this with any other President.

                                                                                                                                                                   




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorched_earth


A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy while it is advancing through or withdrawing from a location. Any assets that could be used by the enemy may be targeted, for example food sources, water supplies, transportation, communications, industrial resources, and even the locale's people themselves.

The practice can be carried out by the military in enemy territory, or in its own home territory. It may overlap with, but it is not the same as, punitive destruction of the enemy's resources, which is done for purely strategic/political reasons rather than strategic/operational reasons.

Notable historic examples of scorched-earth tactics include the Russian army's strategy during the failed Swedish invasion of Russia, the failed Napoleonic invasion of Russia, William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea in the American Civil War, colonel Kit Carson's subjugation of the American Navajo Indians, Lord Kitchener's advance against the Boers, the initial Soviet retreat commanded by Joseph Stalin during the German Army's invasion of the Soviet Union in the Second World War,[1] and the subsequent Nazi German retreat on the Eastern Front.

The strategy of destroying the food and water supply of the civilian population in an area of conflict has been banned under Article 54 of Protocol I of the 1977 Geneva Conventions.


The Scorch order is a variant on this act.  In this one, if the country is likely to lose the war, the President orders Scorch which is an order to the pilots  to fly with the usual targets of military importance, but with bombs ready to explode at low  altitude and to drop those bombs when it looks like the plane may be shot down.  The idea is to so destroy the land of the enemy, that even a win is a loss. It doesn't matter if  a bomb hits a city if you can destroy the food sources of the city.

Only  a miracle can save Russia from the coming disaster.

                                                                                                                                                                   

The AC now makes a radio appeal  to the planes flying in Russian airspace even as the King of the North warns his interceptors and ABMs to stand down.  He is following the directions of the AC and doesn't have any idea why. Despite all their training and their obedience, the pilots of the bombers turn around, shut off their timers and head toward their home bases. No one could have issued an order for them to do that that they would obey.

Another subordinate has been secretly recording this ans it hits the media feeda almost immediately.  The worker gets a reprimand. 

                                                                                                                                                                  


But then one thing that remains to discuss is the influence of oil:

  Russia is the world's largest producer of crude oil. It was the world's largest producer of crude oil including lease condensate and the third-largest producer of petroleum and other liquids (after Saudi Arabia and the United States) in 2014, with average liquids production of 10.9 million barrels per day. Most of Russia's oil production originates in West Siberia and the Urals-Volga regions. However, production from East Siberia, Russia’s Far East and the Russian Arctic has been growing. [Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, July 2015 ~]

 Russia's proved oil reserves were 80 billion barrels as of January 2015, according to the Oil and Gas Journal. Most of Russia's reserves are located in West Siberia, between the Ural Mountains and the Central Siberian Plateau, and in the Urals-Volga region, extending into the Caspian Sea. ~

 In 2014, Russia produced an estimated 10.9 million barrels per day of petroleum and other liquids (of which 10.1 million barrels per day was crude oil including lease condensate), and it consumed slightly more than 3.5 million barrels per day. Russia exported more than 6 million barrels per day in 2013, including roughly 5 million barrels per day of crude oil and the remainder in products. According to EIA's International Energy Outlook 2014, Russia's petroleum and other liquids production grows modestly over the long term. ~

 In 2003, Russia edged out Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest oil producer. In the 1990s, Russia ranked third in the world in oil production, after Saudi Arabia and the United States. Estimates at that time placed proven and potential oil reserves at 8 to 11 billion tons. Russia's oil production peaked in 1987, then began a decline that continued through 1995. In the latter year, the yield was 741 million barrels, 13 million barrels less than the previous year. Output for the first quarter of 1996 was 182 million barrels. [Source: Library of Congress, July 1996 *]

 A) Crude oil - proved reserves: 80 billion barrels (1 January 2014 est.); country comparison to the world: 8. B) Crude oil - production: 10.05 million barrels per day (31 September 2014 est.); country comparison to the world: 3.C) Crude oil - exports: 4.625 million barrels per day (2013 est.); country comparison to the world: 2. D) Crude oil - imports: 17,610 barrels per day (2013 est.); country comparison to the world: 70. E) Refined petroleum products - production: 4.812 million barrels per day (2010 est.); country comparison to the world: 4. F) Refined petroleum products - consumption: 3.32 million barrels per day (2013 est.); country comparison to the world: 5. G) Refined petroleum products - exports: 2.968 million barrels per day (2013 est.); country comparison to the world: 1. H) Refined petroleum products - imports: 28,040 barrels per day (2013 est.); country comparison to the world: 94. [Source: CIA World Factbook =]

 Russia possesses one seventh of the world's proven oil reserves. Oil deposits in Siberia are the second largest after deposits in the Persian Gulf. There are some concerns that Russia's oil could run out in the next 30 to 40 years. Countries with largest reserves (2006, billions of barrels): 1) Saudi Arabia (266.8); 2) Canada (178.8, including 174.1 billion barrels of oil sands); 3) Iran (132.5); 4) Iraq (115); 5) Kuwait (104); 6) United Arab Emirates (97.8); 7) Venezuela (79.7); 8) Russia (60); 9) Libya (39.1); 10) Nigeria (35.9)

Russia's Oil-Producing Regions

 Most of Russia's oil production originates in West Siberia and the Urals-Volga regions. However, production from East Siberia, Russia’s Far East and the Russian Arctic has been growing. Most of Russia's reserves are located in West Siberia, between the Ural Mountains and the Central Siberian Plateau, and in the Urals-Volga region, extending into the Caspian Sea. [Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, July 2015 ~]

 Russia's oil production by region in 2013 (region, thousand barrels per day): A) Western Siberia: 6,422; B) Urals-Volga: 2,310; C) Krasnoyarsk: 426; D) Sakhalin: 277; E) Arkhangelsk: 269; F) Komi Republic: 257; G) Irkutsk: 227; H) Yakutiya: 149; I) North Caucasus: 62; J) Kaliningrad: 26. Total: 10,425. [Source: Source: Eastern Bloc Research, CIS and East European Energy Databook 2014, Table 6 (2014), p. 2. ~]

 About two-thirds of Russia's oil comes from Siberia, mostly from huge fields in the northwest part of the region. Much of Russia's oil is produced in Western Siberia in a harsh environment with high production costs and thousand of miles from ice-free ports, which necessitates the construction of expensive pipelines. As much as 20 percent of Siberia is believed to contain oil and gas. Once the area is completely explored, it could produces more oil that Saudi Arabia. Oil was discovered in Siberia in 1965. During the Brezhnev a lot of money was poured into infrastructure projects to develop oil projects.

 The second largest reserves of oil are in Siberia in the swampy Timan-Pechora region northeast of the Urals. There are also large reserves east of the Urals and around the Caspian Sea. There are large oil fields north of Tyumen and Omsk. The vast Tyumen oil fields lie in a vast area of wetlands north of Tomsk. There is also oil in Surgut. The main European oil and gas fields are located in the Volga-Ural region, the North Caucasus, and the far north of the Republic of Komi. Three of the richest oil fields—Langepas, Urai and Kogalym—are owned by Lukoil.






Modern Europe has been converting to renewable resources following the example long presented by Israel who has had only the one source of oil: the USA. 

The alliance of Iran. Syria and Russia plus the attack on Israel to get a line on the Suez through a military action will be all about locking up all the world's oil and suppressing even the /Chinese rise in power.  The Chines Silk Road initiative is partly about getting access to oil by pipelines running to China and and creating a defensible source. 

The climate change that will likely destroy the USA in some way has to do with the oil companies wanting huge profits first by suggesting oil will be depleted and they need to charge more for R and D projects and because the USA was their main source of income. "Drill, baby, drill."  Pipelines laid and unattended. "Money, Money, money."

Not going to renewables has been one of the unmentioned reasons for the woes of US industry.  Cutting oil costs would have helped make industry more competitive. Meanwhile, Koch suggests they are "developing" renewable resources while cheap fully functional solar panels from Europe are being taxed extra to keep them out of the market.  No wonder the Koch brothers pay so much to buy politicians.

"Black gold.  Texas tea."

The source of the economic power of the King of the North.  Even more powerful with the destruction of the US source.  No one thinking very long about how the source of that wealth has led to the destruction of the ones who worshiped it.


The horsemen open doors of death and destruction from which issue all manner of death and destruction. 

And now the Northern King owes his power to the AC.