If
we take into consideration science and technological development, particularly
concerning travel and communication, there is no doubt we are living in
the
most exciting time in human history.
Based
on the Bible, man is about 6,000 years old. During the first 4,000 years, we
saw mighty civilizations arise, attaining a high level of intellectual
capacity
and building an amazing infrastructure philosophically, politically,
economically and militarily. Even today, ruins of ancient Babylon testify
to
the greatness of past days.
Babylon
was the first Gentile world empire. Then came the Medo-Persian Empire, which
achieved unprecedented greatness. The biblical book of Esther describes
some
of the glorious days of that kingdom. Ezra, Nehemiah and other prophets write
about the great Persian king who allowed the temple to be rebuilt in
Jerusalem.
If
we want to know more about the Grecian Empire, we only need to look at our own
Constitution and our governmental system to quickly discover the influence
of
Greek culture and civilization. A closer look at Washington, D.C., for example,
reveals an astonishing number of buildings precisely patterned after
Greek
architecture. The influence is undeniable. And most scholars agree that the New
Testament was originally written in Greek.
The
last Gentile world empire, Rome, most certainly has not vanished. Not only do
we have amazing buildings and structures dating from the empire's times
as
evidence of Rome's great culture, but the Roman government of democratic
philosophy and freedom of religion is evidenced in virtually all western
civilized
nations.
For example, the United States was built on biblical as well as Roman
principles. We will see more about that later in this chapter.
At
this point, I need to emphasize that all nations, regardless of their religion
or political structure, are built on biblical principles. The law in every
country
on the face of the globe tells its citizens, "Do not steal, lie, cheat,
kill, commit adultery," and so on. No nation, regardless of what type of
government,
encourages or permits violations against the fundamental principles of the Ten
Commandments. As a matter of fact, if a government encouraged
murder,
theft, lying, disregard of authority of parents, adultery and the like, it
would, within a generation, cease to exist.
If
we combine the four mentioned empires and analyze the first 4,000 years in
human history, we must confess that not much has changed in relationship to
our
day. They plowed the ground with beasts of burden, they planted seed in the
same manner and brought in the harvest by hard labor, sometimes assisted
by
an animal.
Even
the last 1,800 years saw very little change, although some mechanical tools
were employed in agriculture, warfare and communication. But the fundamentals
of
that civilization were not significantly different from the first 4,000 years.
The
beginning of notable change, although virtually unknown to the public, began in
the mid-1700s with the first workable steam engine, which France and
England
played a major role in developing. Not until the end of the 1800s, when Etienne
Lenoir of France assembled the first internal combustion engine
and
Karl Benz of Germany completed the first automobile in 1885, did a change begin
to take place. For all practical purposes, the Industrial Revolution
became
visible only at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Parallel
in time, Italian Guglielmo Marconi was successful in transferring communication
over a wireless telegraph. That was another major contribution
to
the development of modern communication through the airwaves. Hundreds, thousands,
even tens of thousands of others could be named in this process,
but
these are some of the earliest signs of the new civilization. For the first
time in history, man could travel without a ship, a horse, a mule or a
camel.
People were able to accomplish work with mechanical devices, using energy not
based on human or animal muscle power. They began to communicate across
vast
distances in moments, not based on audible sound or written letter.
Also
important to mention is air travel, which developed parallel to the internal
combustion engine. Pioneering work, as far back as 1783, paved the way
for
airplanes with several successful flying machines in 1810, 1842, 1866, 1878 and
1890. Even a steam powered plane with a crew was in the air in 1894.
From
that time on, hundreds, even thousands, of scientists and engineers were busy
the world over improving and developing better transportation by land,
sea
and air.
Equally
important, communication was being developed with astonishing speed. The major
contributor of implementing ideas was, no doubt, the new country-the
United
States of America. But no individual country could really claim superiority,
except to say that most developments were developed within the European
civilization,
which, of course, was solidly established on three Continents: Europe, America
and Australia. Today, the USA leads in avionics, computers
and
communication.
I
have listed these relatively recent inventions to show that until the middle of
the 1800s, the world was much the same as it was in the beginning. Man
had
to sweat to earn a living. The only reliable and practical help he had were the
beasts of burden-the horse, donkey, mule, ox and camel. But by the
middle
of the 1800s, everything began to change with explosive speed.
For
the first time in history it became possible, due to transportation and
communication, to fulfill Scriptures such as Revelation 13:3: "and all the
world
wondered
after the beast." Before that time, it had been impossible for "all
the world" to wonder after someone because the continents were separated
by
time
and distance and even oceans. Before the 1900s, Revelation 13:8 could not have
been fulfilled: "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship
him."
We
may not yet fully realize the significance of global communication. On one
hand, it benefits mankind, but on the other hand it also provides for the
fulfillment
of negative Bible prophecy. Regarding communication, Peter Lalonde writes:
...
The pope encourages the media in this "noble" effort [to covertly
modify public perception]. On World Communications Day, he exhorted media
leaders
to
transmit a "message of trust" to the world and reminded them that
their "task" seems to go beyond human possibilities: informing in
order to form [public
opinion].
However,
although the causes may often seem noble, the surreptitious implanting of ideas
into the mass consciousness through the power of modern media is
cause
for serious concern. This is especially true when the media present a
preprogrammed anti-American, pro-globalist perspective.
For
example, when Ted Turner was criticized for outright distortions in his
much-publicized special, "A Portrait of the Soviet Union," he
responded, "When
you
paint a portrait, you can paint whatever you want; I didn't say it was a true
picture."'
But
we also need to keep in mind that we all benefit from the new global
communication system. Many ministries are taking advantage of new technology to
preach
the precious, liberating gospel to all parts of the world.
I
mention these things so we will definitely realize that we are living in an
exciting time, a time during which technological progress is making fulfillment
of
many Bible prophecies a possibility. And, actually, the technology itself is a
fulfillment of Daniel 12:4: "But thou, 0 Daniel, shut up the words and
seal
the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge
shall be increased."
While
mankind's achievements are remarkable, one specific event outshines all others
in history, save the Word becoming flesh: the reestablishment of the
nation
of Israel in the Promised Land. Our forefathers searched the Scripture
diligently and studied the promises that spoke of the return of the Jews
to the
land of Israel, yet during the years since the destruction of the Temple in
A.D. 70 by Rome, it was impossible for the Jews to return and build
their
own nation. When we observe these developments in the light of Bible prophecy,
we understand why it was necessary for the civilized world to change
into
an industrialized and computerized global society. This all was necessary to
accommodate the fulfillment of the prophetic Word.
The
Jews have always been a peculiar people among the nations of the world. No
matter where they settled, it wasn't long before they established themselves
successfully
and proved they were a step ahead of the rest of the people. While no prophetic
fulfillment was visible, such as their return to the land
of
Israel, the Jews remained an example of fulfillment of Bible prophecy to the
Gentiles.
Frederick
the Great one day asked one of his close counselors to prove the existence of
God. The counselor answered: "The Jews, your majesty, the Jews."
The
uniqueness of the Jews was eloquently penned by no less than author Mark Twain
in 1899:
If
the statistics are correct, the Jews represent merely one percent of
humanity-an irrelevant spark in the light of the Milky Way. Normally speaking,
the
Jews
should hardly be heard of, and yet we heard and hear of them again and again.
They can rival any people on Earth for fame, and their significance
in
economy and trade are in no ratio to their population.
Their
contribution to the list of great names in literature, natural science, art,
music, finance, medicine and profound learning is just as amazing. They
have
done extremely Well in this world-with their hands tied behind their backs.
They could rightly be proud of themselves.
The
Egyptians, Babylonians and Persians came into power, filled the Earth with
their glory, but perished. The Greeks and Romans followed, made a lot of
noise,
and then disappeared. Other nations arose, their torches burned for a while and
then they were extinguished, and today they sit in the twilight
or
are completely disappeared.
The
Jews saw it all. They beat them all, and are today what they always were,
showing no decay, no aging, no weakening, no decline of energy, no blunting
of
their wide awake dynamic spirit. Everything is mortal except the Jew. All other
powers perish, but he remains. What is the mystery of his immortality?
The
Bible answers Mr. Twain's question in Deuteronomy 14:2: "For thou art an
holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a
peculiar
people
unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." Furthermore,
in Deuteronomy 15:6 we read, "For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as
he
promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not
borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over
thee."
One day, the Jews will no longer be dependent on foreign aid, but they will
graciously "lend unto nations."
The
Jews will also "reign over many nations." That has not taken place
yet. Although someone may argue that this was fulfilled during the time of
David
and
Solomon, we cannot deny that these promises go much further because they are
spoken by the Eternal One, and Israel as a nation is eternal. Let's reconfirm
this
fact through additional Scripture: "And all people of the earth shall see
that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of
thee"
(Deuteronomy 28:10). This verse clearly says "all people of the
earth"! We must admit that it has never happened. At the height of
Israel's glory,
under
King Solomon, the Bible makes this statement, "And there came of all
people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had
heard
of his wisdom" (1 Kings 4:34).
They
came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, but Israel did not reign over them; neither
were these people afraid of Israel because they came voluntarily in
peace.
When
John the Baptist was born, his father Zacharias expressed the desire of the
Jewish people for the fulfillment of those prophecies. Luke 1:71 reads:
"That
we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate
us." Note that Zacharias was not giving us his desires or opinions. What
the
Bible says is that "Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and
prophesied" (Luke 1:67). This shows that the Jews had enemies and many
hated them.
This
rejection of the Jews has been painfully experienced for thousands of years.
Until this very day, Zacharias' prophecy has not been fulfilled. Plenty
of
enemies still surround Israel, and the Jews are still hated by the majority of
the world's population.
Certain
blessings were also given to the Jews conditionally upon their obedience to the
Lord's commandment: "And the LORD shall make thee the head, and
not
the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that
thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command
thee
this day, to observe and to do them" (Deuteronomy 28:13). We all know that
Israel was not obedient. The Jews rebelled against God and the negative
fulfillment
took place. For example, in Deuteronomy 28:1519,25, 37,64:
But
it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy
God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command
thee
this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed
shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
Cursed
shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and
the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of
thy
sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when
thou goest out.... The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine
enemies:
thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and
shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.... And thou
shalt
become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the
LORD shall lead thee.... And the LORD shall scatter thee among all
people,
from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve
other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood
and
stone.
It
is important to emphasize that in spite of terrible persecution and dispersion
God repeatedly promised that He would gather the .Jews from all the nations
back
to their homeland: "then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and
have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the
nations,
whither
the LORD thy God hath scattered thee" (Deuteronomy 30:3).
Moses,
just before he died, summarized God's view of Israel: "Happy art thou, 0
Israel: who is like unto thee, 0 people saved by the LORD, the shield of
thy
help, and who is the sword of thy Excellency! and thine enemies shall be found
liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places" (Deuteronomy
33:29).
Some
people say that "Israel was cast away; they ceased to be a nation. Since
the birth of the church, Israel has been replaced by the spiritual calling
of
the church from among the Gentiles." Let's investigate this statement so
we won't be misled regarding Israel's future. The prophet Jeremiah clears up
any
misunderstandings when he says, "Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun
for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for
a
light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; the LORD of
hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the
LORD,
then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for
ever" (Jeremiah 31:35,36).
Even
though Israel was not a visible identity as a nation, it nevertheless existed
even during that time of dispersion. When you get up in the morning and
see
daylight, and in the evening, the moon and the stars, or if you are at the
coast and hear the roar of the ocean, then you can be assured that Israel
lives!
Do
you wonder why I write about the Jews and Israel when my chapter is titled
"European Union on the Brink"? I do so because it is absolutely
necessary
to
understand that God called a man named Abraham and chose a special people
through him. That promise was confirmed to Isaac, Jacob and the 12 tribes
of
Israel. From these people, Jesus-the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt
among us-came.
We
can't talk about prophecy without targeting the prophetic nation of Israel.
Only through the Jews will God establish peace on earth. Only through the
Jews
can people be saved, as the Lord Jesus confirmed, "Salvation is of the
Jews" (John 4:22). That settles the matter as to where salvation comes
from!
Realizing
these facts, we immediately begin to understand that the Devil, the opposer of
God, the father of lies, is forced to imitate the Creator. So don't
be
surprised that the devil must bring about a people called by his name.
What
I am going to write now may be very offensive and certainly will hurt the pride
of many nationalists, whether they be Americans, Canadians, French,
Italians,
Germans, Austrians, Russians, Chinese or others. But I must say it because the
truth is that all the nations on earth are under the jurisdiction
of
Satan, the great imitator.
The
Bible says that the world is ruled by the prince of darkness, "the god of
this world." That, however, does not diminish God's authority; He still
stands
above
all the nations of the world, in spite of the fact that He has given the direct
rulership temporarily to Satan.
So,
it stands to reason that the devil must attempt to bring about a new world
society that will challenge Israel and, finally, challenge the Lord Jesus.
Now,
we understand what Psalm 2:1-3 says, "Why do the heathen rage, and the
people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the
rulers
take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, Let
us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us."
The
center of this new global world is now being built on the richest and most sophisticated
continent on earth-Europe.
A
simple fact often overlooked is that from among the nations of the world, God
has graciously chosen those who come by faith to Jesus and become children
of
God. They are God's new holy nation. This "new nation" is present in
the midst of all people around the globe. Just as the Jews were scattered
across
all
the nations of the world, but are now returning to their own land, the church
of Jesus Christ, the new nation, is scattered abroad, too. It is living
among
the children of the world in the midst of the crooked and perverse nations. But
we, too, will return to "the land" where we belong Beulah Land-in
the
presence of our Lord! This will take place at the moment of the rapture, when
we will be taken up to Him in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump
of
God.
It
is essential to realize that God's promises to Israel and to the church are
unconditional. We have just seen that some promises were based on the condition
that
Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord. They failed to fulfill that
condition; thus, they were unable to receive the fulfillment of the promises
God
had given them. However, that does not change the eternal "I will" of
God: "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and
make
thy
name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless
thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of
the
earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:2,3).
This
is distinctively clear. When God addresses Abraham, He speaks about "a
great nation" and "all families of the earth." Note that God did
not say, "If
you
will hear my voice, follow my commandment and do as I tell you." This
promise was based exclusively on the will of God.
Let's
take a look at the relationship between Israel and the church. In Romans 11:13,
the apostle Paul takes great pain to emphasize that he addresses the
Gentiles:
"For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the
Gentiles, I magnify mine office." In the beginning of the chapter, Paul
identifies
himself
as "an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin"
(11:1). Note that he does not say, "I am a Christian." Why not?
Because we
are
all one in Jesus. "There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek:
for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him" (Romans
10:12).
Paul
also writes of his physical nation and asks, "Hath God cast away his
people?" What is the answer? "God hath not cast away his people which
he foreknew"
(Romans
11:2). Then in verses 15-18, he begins to explain:
For
if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the
receiving of them be, but life from the dead? For if the first fruit be holy,
the
lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of
the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert
graffed
in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive
tree; boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest
not
the root, but the root thee. These few verses clearly demonstrate Israel's
continuing existence.
We
should not be confused regarding Israel's position and the position of the
church. Paul further explains, "For I would not, brethren, that ye should
be
ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that
blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles
be
come in" (Romans 11:25). Only when the fullness of the Gentiles, meaning
the number of believers to be added to the church, will verse 26 take place,
"And
so all Israel shall be saved...."
Never
must we be so naive to think that God has rejected Israel and replaced her with
the church. The erroneous conclusion is being made that all the promises
given
in the Old Testament now belong to the church. Unfortunately, this teaching is
widely accepted among the established Protestant denominations and
reinforced
under the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. This false doctrine is
easily refuted because the prophets clearly write about the return
of
the Jewish people from the dispersion to the land of Israel, giving an
abundance of literal geographic references. Some Scriptures raise even more
difficulties
with
the concept of the church replacing Israel. Jeremiah 30:7 is a good example:
"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the
time
of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." If we were to apply
this Scripture to the church, we obviously have a problem because it doesn't
say,
"Israel's trouble" but "Jacob's trouble." This is addressed
to Israel because "Jacob," which in English means "supplanter or
deceiver," still has
the
"Jacob" nature. Even until this very day, the Jews have not yet
experienced a conversion, but all who belong to the church have.
We
can say with reasonable assurance that when the Bible says Israel, the Jews, or
Hebrews, it is referring to the biological descendants of Abraham, Isaac
and
Jacob. Quite often the word Gentile is found in the Scripture in opposition to
Israel or the Jew. Further, we read in Jeremiah 30:11 about Israel and
the
nation, "For I am with thee, saith the LORD to save thee: though I make a
full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee ......
What
about the unconditional covenant for the church? Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith, has this to say: I have glorified thee on the earth:
I
have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, 0 Father, glorify
thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before
the
world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of
the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept
thy
word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of
thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and
they
have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they
have believed that thou didst send me.
I
pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me;
for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I
am
glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the
world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those
whom
thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are....
Father,
I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that
they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst
me
before the foundation of the world" (John 17:4-11,24).
That
is the Lord's plan for the church. Will He fulfill His intention? We do not
need to belabor the answer because our salvation is exclusively and
unconditionally
based
on His grace. We haven't earned it; we don't deserve it; we are not able to
keep it through our own efforts. In spite of our rebellion, disobedience
and
unfaithfulness, Jesus is faithful. He is gracious, and He will bring to pass
that which He has promised. Paul exclaims, "For I know whom I have
believed,
and
am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him
against that day" (2 Timothy 1: 12).
The
church will not be brought into His presence and glorified because we are such
great people who have worked so diligently for the Lord and faithfully
kept
His Word. If that were the case, we would never stand a chance. We will only be
glorified because our Lord saved us. All that which we have committed
unto
Him, Ile will keep: "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot
deny himself" (2 Timothy 2:13).
In
Revelation 4: 10,11, we can see a wonderful picture of the fact that the Lord
has brought His promises to pass: "The four and twenty elders fall down
before
him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and
cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, 0 Lord,
to
receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for
thy pleasure they are and were created."
There
will be no place for anyone to exclaim: "Look what I did!" "I
earned this crown!" "I have been faithful!" or "I received
my just reward!" No, not
at
all. We will cast our crowns before the throne and exclusively give Him all the
glory!
I
strongly disagree with the many statements published today prophesying of a
great revival sweeping the land and thereby preparing the church for the coming
of
the Lord. The "Kingdom Dominion" teaching insists that the Christian's
involvement in the political process will prepare the United States for an
unprecedented
Christianizing
of the nation so that the entire government will be run exclusively by
Christians. As a result, so the teaching goes, peace, justice and
righteousness
will be established for all people. If that were to happen, then indeed the
Lord could congratulate us when He comes. But it will not happen.
The
Bible gives us a picture opposite of that worldwide revival view.
Jesus
actually asks, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the
earth?" (Luke 18:8). Those who place their hope in the success of the
church
on
earth will be greatly disappointed. But all who put their trust exclusively in
the already accomplished work of the Lord Jesus on Calvary's cross are
preparing
themselves for the great day of the marriage supper of the Lamb, as we read in
Revelation 19:7,8: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour
to
him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself
ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean
and
white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."
Have
you noticed how the Lamb's wife made herself ready? To her "was granted
fine linen." She did not produce the righteousness that is necessary to
appear
before
the Lamb.
We
didn't earn it; we didn't deserve it; we couldn't produce it. It was, is and
always shall be "granted" unto us! The church and Israel's choosing
is based
on
the eternal unconditional promises of God.
With
our new understanding of the position of Israel and the church, let's now take
a look at the Gentile world. Fundamentally speaking, there are three
major
groups of people, four superpowers, and five continents.* The three groups of
people are:
.
Europeans
.
Asians
.
Africans
Note:
In the USA and a few other countries, the counting of the continents is
different, but internationally, only five are recognized, as we can see, for
example
in the five rings of the symbol of the Olympic Games.
The
four superpowers are:
.
Babylon
.
Medo-Persia
.
Greece
.
Rome
The
five continents are:
.
Europe
.
Asia
.
Africa
.
America
.
Australia
It
is interesting to realize that Israel lies in the center of the three groups of
people: Europeans, Asians and Africans. Israel is separated from Europe
by
the Mediterranean, from Africa by the desert and from Asia by the great
Euphrates River. Note also that Israel became part of the four Gentile
superpowers.
First,
it became subject to Babylon as Jeremiah proclaimed in the Word of God: And now
have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the
king
of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to
serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's
son,
until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings
shall serve themselves of him. And it shall come to pass, that the nation
and
kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and
that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that
nation
will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with
the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand (Jeremiah 27:6-
8).
Second,
under the Medo-Persian Empire, the Jews were permitted to rebuild Jerusalem and
the temple. "Now in the first year of C yrus king of Persia, that
the
word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred
up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout
all
his kingdom, and putting it in writing, saying: ... Who is there among you of
all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem,
which
is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,)
which is in Jerusalem" (Ezra 1:1,3).
Third,
the very short-lived Grecian Empire also occupied the Promised Land, and Israel
became subject to the great Grecian world empire.
Fourth,
Rome was in charge when Jesus was born, and, as we will see in this chapter, Rome
will again rule. But this time, not only Israel, but the entire
world
will be ruled by Rome!
We
have already alluded to the fact that God chose only one special nation on
earth through which to bring forth salvation. Europe, however, which ruled
Israel
in the form of the Roman Empire during the time when God implemented His
salvation through Jesus, is attempting to consolidate world leadership
today.
Before
we take a closer look at Europe, let's quickly eliminate all other candidates
for world rulership. From the three peoples already mentioned: Europeans,
Asians
and Africans, only the Europeans have had the upper hand for the last 2,000
years. Africa is the most backward continent and has no chance of challenging
Europe.
Asia, the mighty power bloc to the east, has been considered the great danger
for Europeans for many centuries, but this perceived threat never
became
a reality. The Mongolian leader, Ghengis Khan, penetrated deeply into Europe,
but his empire was short-lived, and it was the only significant Asian
infiltration
into Europe. Asia never established colonies in Africa, America or Australia.
At
this point, I must explain that it is not my intention to glorify Europe, nor
to diminish the significance of other races, nations or continents. But
we
cannot ignore historical facts when we deal with Bible prophecy. Only Europe
successfully established colonies around the world and instituted European
civilization
and technology in virtually every country. Until this day, when a businessman
from Zimbabwe wants to speak to someone in Algeria, he probably
will
speak French. When an Indian does business with China, he most likely will use
English. Indonesian people still speak Dutch when dealing with the
Netherlands.
The
continent of America can be divided into four basic languages: English,
Spanish, Portuguese and French. No Asian or African languages or culture have
found
deep roots in the New World. This also applies to Australia. These few facts
demonstrate European dominion the world over.
Someone
may now object and say, "What about the United States of America? Isn't it
the greatest nation?" That is a legitimate question because the United
States,
although only for a short period of time, superseded Europe. However, we must
realize that the United States, as all other America nations, is
the
end-product of primarily European immigrants. It's also important to point out
that when speaking on the prophetic level, we must see things from a
long
term point of view. When the Bible speaks of the "fourth beast," it
reveals a period of about 2,000 years.
I
am reminded of the words Dr. Wim Malgo, founder of Midnight Call, once said
when asked if America would become communist: "America will not be communist,
but
will return to her roots, which is Roman Catholicism." Note that he said
this in 1968, when Soviet communism was marching across the globe victoriously,
swallowing
up one country after another. Since then, communism has died. Although some insignificant
pockets of resistance remain, sooner or later they
will
be done away with as world democracy takes over. It doesn't matter how
important or how mighty the United States may or may not be. What is important
and
decisive is what the Word of God says, and as we have seen in the beginning of
this chapter, there are only four Gentile superpowers, Rome being the
last
one. Therefore, based on the Word of God, all other candidates for world
dominion are eliminated.
The
dream of Europe can be summarized with one word: unity. This unity is
absolutely essential to fulfill the prophetic Word. We find the final
development
of
the global world in Revelation 17:13, "These have one mind, and shall give
their power and strength unto the beast." This was absolutely impossible
only
50 years ago. Why? Because the world, particularly Europe, was in total
disunity. The eastern part of Europe was ruled by communism and the western
part
by socialism, under the auspices of democracy.
With,
the fall of the Soviet empire, everything changed. That event, vividly
demonstrated by the dismantling of the infamous Berlin Wall in October 1989,
caused
shock waves around the world, especially in Europe. Now it is history. Former
communist countries are open for business, and during the last ten
years
some of those nations have made tremendous progress, having built an impressive
economic base to such an extent that they are being accepted as members
of
the European Union.
What
seemed impossible just a few years ago is now a reality, not only for Europe,
but for the entire world. This is absolutely necessary, for if Europe
is
to lead the world effectively it must unify. Only through European unity can
the rest of the world be united.
From
Scripture, we know that the world will not only have "one mind," but
the unity will progress to such an extent that one leader will arise to world
prominence,
so that "all the world wondered after the beast" (Revelation 13:3).
If you think President John F. Kennedy was popular in the United States
and
Adolph Hitler in Germany, then let me tell you that their prominence will pale
when compared to what is yet to come!
Martin
Luther translates Revelation 13:3 this way, "And all the inhabitants of
the Earth were surprised at the Beast. " The Amplified Version makes it
even
clearer, "And the whole earth went after the beast in amazement and
admiration." We haven't seen anything yet! But that's not all. When
reading Revelation
13:8,
I'm astonished because it says, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall
worship him. " This is almost impossible to comprehend. The entire
world-the
new,
intelligent, enlightened global society-will begin to worship a man!
Again,
it must be emphasized that this was not possible less than two decades ago.
Communism ruled a quarter of the world, and the communists surely wouldn't
have
worshiped anyone because the official philosophy of communism is atheism, which
denies the existence of any god. Today, religion and democracy go
hand
in hand. You can't have one without the other. For all practical purposes, this
global worship was impossible until now. The idea that the entire
world
would actually admire one person, accept him as God, and worship him was out of
the question until this day. Four important areas must be developed
for
such a prophecy to be fulfilled:
It
is impossible for the world to unite unless it comes under one political
system. For 70 years the world was primarily divided between communism and
democracy.
This
hindrance is now done away with as democracy marches victoriously around the
world.
It
is impossible to financially unite various currencies unless a one-world system
is established. Again, with the fall of communism, this has changed.
In
our day, we have a one-world system that allows us to use credit cards in any
part of the world, allowing us to make purchases in any currency. The
funds
are automatically converted. Such a system was unthinkable 50 years ago, but
today it is a fact of life. Money, it is said, rules the world, and
money
must have free course in order to unite the nations.
In
our newspapers and on the news daily we hear about corporations swallowing up
other corporations. Although this has happened on a national basis in the
past,
we are now seeing for the first time that this corporate consolidation is
crossing national boundaries to take place globally. Today there is no
significant
difference between driving an "American-made" or a
"foreign-made" car. Our "American" cars may be primarily
manufactured in other countries
while
our "foreign" cars may be mostly built in the United States.
The
globalization of the world's economy is in full swing and is successfully
establishing a New World Order, whether we like it or not. At the beginning
of
1998, the news media reported the merger of Germany's Daimler-Benz with United
States' Chrysler. This global New World Order deal was criticized by
William
J. Lynott, president of Buy America Foundation, in a letter to lime magazine:
What
is being highly acclaimed as a "merger" between Daimler-Benz and
Chrysler (Business, May 18) is far more ominous. A close look reveals the
disturbing
truth.
The new company will be incorporated in Germany. After a three-year transition
period of co-chairmanship, a single chairman will take charge of the
company.
That chairman, you can wager, will come from Daimler-Benz. In short, Chrysler
has been "bought" by Daimler-Benz.
With
only two American auto manufacturers left, we are at risk of losing the automobile
industry, much as we have lost the consumer electronics industry.'
Many
Americans who fear globalization of American industry agree with Mr. Lynott.
What is overlooked, however, is the fact that in times past, America was
leading
in the establishment of global firms throughout the world. Regardless of
whether we agree with it or oppose it, globalism is definitely in and
nationalism
is out.
One
significant need for the new one-world order is a united religion: "All
that dwell upon the earth shall worship him." This cannot happen in the
present
framework
of diverse religions. Thus, I ask, "How far are we on the path to a united
world religion?" Answer: Much further than we may think! The leader
of
the world's largest religion (Catholicism), Pope John Paul 11, said this in an
address to Muslims:
Today,
dialogue between our two religions is more necessary than ever. This dialogue
needs to be credible and marked by mutual respect, knowledge and acceptance.
There
remains a spiritual bond which unites us and which we must strive to recognize
and develop.'
In
my book How Democracy Will Elect the Antichrist, I quoted a paragraph from the
Louvain Declaration: Buddhists, Christians, Confucianists, Hindus, Jains,
Jews,
Muslims, Shintoists, Sikhs, Zoroastrians and still others, we have sought here
to listen to the spirit within our varied and venerable religious
traditions.
We have grappled with the towering issues that our societies must resolve in
order to bring about peace, justice, and an ennobling quality
of
life for every person, and every people .... We rejoice that ... the long era
of prideful, and even prejudiced isolation of the religions of humanity
is,
we hope, gone forever. We appeal to the religious communities of the world to
inculcate the attitude of planetary citizenship.'
Not
only are the various ecumenical movements at work to unite the world
religiously, but a recent article in Sky magazine shows how music is uniting
the
world
religiously as well:
Last
May, I traveled to Fes with a tour group from the World Music Institute, which
sponsors a subscription series of concerts by international performers
each
year in New York. Our appetites were whetted for a whole week of world sacred
music. Although the bill ... promised an American gospel choir and Bach
cantatas
performed by a Swiss chamber ensemble, I was personally more hungry for
non-Western sacred music, especially the kind of ecstatic singing that
pushes
the human voice to the farthest edges of emotional expressiveness.
Sure
enough, there was some wild devotional praise-singing on display in Fes. A
raven-haired diva named Aicha Redouane, for instance, made the stones of
the
palace courtyard ring with her rendition of Egyptian classical vocals. Singing
27-note phrases with her mouth closed, she inspired grown men to leap
to
their feet shouting "Allah!" Unlike the '96 festival, though, last
year's Fes Festival of World Sacred Music focused less on exuberant displays of
devotion
and
more on contained expressions of spiritual ecstasy or, to use [his] word,
"interiority."
A
Lebanese Maronite nun with a doctorate in musicology from the Sorbonne sings
Byzantine Christian liturgy in Arabic. She appeared onstage in a traditional
black
nun's habit and in what looked like a constant state of prayer. She sang
quietly and delicately with her eyes closed and her fists propped under
her
chin or against her heart. Spinning out long lines in a wobbly vibrato that
proved to be precisely controlled modal singing, she sounded like an eerie
combination
of opera diva Maria Callas, the legendary Egyptian singer Om Kolthom and a
ghostly night wind. Her 12 musicians and eight-piece choir emitted
the
faintest of drones, providing a hush cloud of sonic padding. This was music so
inward-focused as to be practically hallucinatory.
And
whatever the spiritual origins of the Arab-Andalusian melodies played in unison
by the 51-piece Ensemble Al Brihi from Fes, the hometown audience received
it
as all-purpose good-time music, clapping along as enthusiastically as they did
to the doo-wop gospel offered by the ARC Choir from Harlem, New York,
on
the closing night of the festival.
"What
the public senses, even if they don't know it consciously, is that there's a
deep link between traditional music and sacred music," [he] told me.
"They
invoke a nostalgia that's not personal but archetypal. It's the nostalgia of
anyone on Earth trying to get in touch with transcendence or eternity."
Does
this not remind us of Daniel 3:5,6, "At what time ye hear the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music,
ye
fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set
up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast
into
the midst of a burning fiery furnace."
When
we ask, "Will Europe dominate?" we are actually behind the times
because that is already an established fact. A publication entitled The Single
Market,
published
by the European Commission, states: "The [European] Community accounts for
38% of world trade as opposed to 11% for the United States and 9%
for
Japan. Its economic well-being thus depends on its imports and exports. It is
therefore very open to all states wishing to trade with it." This clearly
shows
that the future is already here. Regarding global responsibility, the
publication says:
The
creation of the single market reinforces the Union's importance as the world's
leading trading power. It gives the E.U. a more solid internal base to
help
carry out its international responsibilities and to defend its legitimate
trading interests. It has stated its intention to do so vigorously within
the
framework of trade policy instruments available under the new World Trade
Organization (WTO), successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT).'
The
development of the European Union did not happen overnight but is due to an
evolutionary process. The Single Market says, Although they took 35 years
to
realize, the goals of the single market are enshrined in the European Union's
founding Treaty of Rome, which became the constitution for the future
European
Union in 1958. There we find already the list of the single market's four
freedoms: the free movement of goods, services, capital and people.'
It
is noteworthy to realize that the foundation of the European Union rests on the
Treaty of Rome. Just as in ancient times, the Roman democratic system
is
reemerging as the main denominator in the uniting of the world!
We
can easily forget that our own nation, the United States, is built on Roman
principles. For example, "The supreme council of ancient Rome was called
the
Senate. This identical system is used today in the US and Canada. This also
applies to Italy, France, Ireland, South Africa and Australia, just to
name
a few."'
In
my book Saddam's Mystery Babylon, I quote from The National Geographic: Just as
a modern democracy, the Romans granted rights, but requested duties.
Rights
and Duties of Citizens Within the broad sweep of uniformity, Roman
administration at the local level was flexible, tolerant, and open. When Rome
conquered
a new province, the defeated general and his army were carted away in chains;
almost everyone else came out ahead. The local elite were given
positions
in the Roman hierarchy. Local businesses gained the benefit of Roman roads,
water systems, the laws of commerce and the courts. Roman soldiers
guarded
the town against pirates and marauders. And within a fairly short period, many
of the provincial residents would be made Cives Romani-citizens
of
Rome-with all the commensurate rights and duties. The Roman "pro-life
movement" was actively supported by no one less than Augustus.
Augustus
used all the tools of governing. Concerned about a decline in the birthrate, he
employed both the stick (a crackdown on abortion) and the carrot
(tax
incentives for big families). To see if his policies were effective, he took a
census of his empire now and then.
Thus
it did in fact come to pass in those days that there went out a decree from
Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. And just as St.
Luke's
Gospel tells us, this happened "when Quirinius was governor of
Syria," in A.D. 6. Without Roman law, today's democracies would not
function.
The
English historian Peter Salway notes that England under Roman rule had a higher
rate of literacy than any British government was able to achieve for
the
next 14 centuries. One of the most important documentary legacies the Romans
left behind was the law-the comprehensive body of statute and case law
that
some scholars consider our greatest inheritance from ancient Rome.
The
idea of written law as a shield-to protect individuals against one another and
against the awesome power of the state-was a concept the Romans took
from
the Greeks. But it was Rome that put this abstract notion into daily practice,
and the practice is today honored around the world. Ancient Rome was
also
concerned with the liberties of its citizens.
The
emperor Justinian's monumental compilation of the Digests, the Institutes, and
the Revised Code, completed in A.D. 534, has served as the foundation
of
Western law ever since. Two millennia before the Miranda warnings, the Romans
also established safeguards to assure the rights of accused criminals.
We
can see this process at work in the case against the Christian pioneer St.
Paul, as set forth in the New Testament in the Acts of the Apostles. America's
democratic
system is clearly modeled after the Roman Republic.
Rome-U.S.A.
The
Roman process of making laws also had a deep influence on the American' system.
During the era of the Roman Republic (509 to 49 B.C.) lawmaking was
a
bicameral activity. Legislation was first passed by the comitia, the assembly
of the citizens, then approved by the representative of the upper class,
the
senate, and issued in the name of the senate and the people of Rome.
Centuries
later, when the American Founding Fathers launched their bold experiment in
democratic government, they took republican Rome as their model. Our
laws,
too, must go through two legislative bodies. The House of Representatives is
our assembly of citizens, and, like its counterpart in ancient Rome,
the
U.S. Senate was originally designed as a chamber for the elite (it was not
until the 17th Amendment, in 1913, that ordinary people were allowed to
vote
for their senators).
Impressed
by the checks and balances of the Roman system, the authors of American
government also made sure that an official who violated the law could
be
"impeached," a word we take from the Roman practice of putting
wayward magistrates in pedica.
The
reliance on Roman structures at the birth of the United States was reflected in
early American popular culture, which delighted in drawing parallels
between
U.S. leaders and the noble Romans.
There
was a great vogue for marble statues depicting George Washington, Alexander
Hamilton, even Andrew Jackson in Roman attire. A larger-than-life statue
of
Washington in a toga and sandals is still on exhibit at the National Museum of
American History in Washington, D.C.
These
few quotations offer overwhelming proof that our modern world, regardless of
where we reside, is based, built, and directed by Roman European principles
that
will lead to the solidifying of all the nations of the world, regardless of
race, national origin, religion or whatever else may be considered. All
nations
and peoples must become one under a one-world government.
In
the introductory letter of the European Commission's The Single Market, the
editor writes: Across Europe, millions of citizens and thousands of companies,
big
and small, benefit from the European single market. The removal of frontiers
inside the European Union in 1993 is now a fact of life. Companies have
entered
new markets, have struck up transnational partnerships, have restructured
production to exploit the opportunities of a home market of 370 million."'
We
must note that this was written in 1995 and is now old news. At this moment,
dozens of nations are standing in line, in hopes of being admitted into
the
exclusive club of the European Union. By some estimates, Europe could be 800
million strong by the year 2010. There is no need to belabor this point
regarding
their significance at that time. With the "euro" currency in place,
the European Union will dominate the largest part of the world market. Being
the
originator of the world's civilized philosophies, Europe will be waiting for
the one man who is able to take leadership and literally rule the world!
In
view of these facts, we, the church of Jesus of Christ, have more reasons than
ever to rejoice because our redemption is drawing nigh. The extreme success
of
the Roman system with free markets, free speech, free elections and free
enterprise is creating a free society unprecedented in the history of mankind
...
but the Bible states that this will lead to the greatest catastrophe man has
ever known.
Therefore,
dear reader, ground yourself in the Word of God because it is guaranteed by the
Son of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us. This is the
warning
and admonition He gives us: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye
may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to
pass,
and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).