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.
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.
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