It is so vitally important in today’s economic climate (not only in the USA but globally) for us to examine the details of the prophetic word that the Lord gave me in 2006 about the coming collapse of the United States as an economic, political—and thus military—world power. That prophetic word, and the context in which it was given to me, was the contents of Part 1 of this series.
However, any prophetic word must first and foremost be judged in accordance with Scripture. Once we understand some of the theological contexts of this particular prophecy, we can then move forward in examining its application to the contemporary believer’s life.
Let us begin by briefly reviewing the three parts of the original Word of the Lord that came to me that day in November, 2006. Then we can then begin dissecting it and see where it fits within Scripture:
The U.S. dollar is about to collapse… followed by the stock markets, then the real estate markets… and then every other market.
The Lord then paused, and then continued:
This is the great End Time wealth transfer you have heard taught from the Scriptures these many years… and the shift in economic and political power from the United States to the European Union in preparation for the coming Anti-Christ.
He paused a short moment once again, and then instructed me:
Go find Peter Daniels’ gold bank. [Which, by the way, I will explain more about in a later post of this series. In the mean time, however, you can learn something about it here, at the bottom of that post.]
We will look at parts 1 and 3 later. For now, let us start at part 2 above (the middle paragraph) and work our way into this. (Note: Because of the scope of our discussion here, however, let me remark that this will likely be the longest single article of this series. I thought about dividing it into two posts, but the flow turned out so nice that it reads surprisingly quickly.) So without further ado…
The Final Epoch
Since the above Word of the Lord includes a reference to the “coming Anti-Christ”, we must realize that the prophetic and biblical context of this prophecy is the consummation of the ages, and the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ (in Hebrew, Yeshua Ha Meshiach). Thus, we need to first delve into a brief study of the Last Days (aka, eschatology) in order to have the proper context in which to judge and dissect this prophetic word.
Initially , we will be addressing three biblical premises within this particular article post of this series:
Main Premise 1: The United States is nowhere to be found in the prophetic Scriptures of the Last Days, and is NOT numbered among the nations described in the Books of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation (or elsewhere). Consequently, something must occur to remove the USA from its super-power status, and shift its enormous economic and political influence to another world entity.
Main Premise 2: The European Union (and not the USA) is the starting point for the formation of the “revived Roman Empire” indicated in Daniel and Revelation, and thus would necessarily be the primary recipient of such a transfer of economic and political influence.
Secondary Premise (but probably the most surprising for some): The Anti-Christ’s geographic—and thus, political, economic, and military—influence has been grossly overstated by theologians and Christians throughout history. This is due to a common failure to recognize that the passages in the Book of Daniel set the context for those within Revelation. We will soon see that the Scriptures actually declare that the Anti-Christ will be “contained” by the Lord’s own will and design to reign for a short time on the earth ONLY within the “revived Roman Empire”… and NOT truly globally.
Okay, I have laid down the proverbial “gauntlet”… so now it is time for me to “come up with the goods” and prove the above premises from Scripture.
Where is the USA in Bible Prophesy?
The easiest (and therefore first) of the above three premises for me to address is the first one. There are a few people who believe the USA is the kingdom of the Anti-Christ—which errant belief we will discredit shortly. Nevertheless, most Bible scholars seem to agree that the United States of America is not indicated at all in the prophetic writings. So which nations are shown?
Well for starters, the “revived Roman Empire” which we will be discussing in more detail shortly. This new empire will include a “footprint” encompassing much of Europe and parts of the Middle East—including Turkey, Lebanon, and eventually… the land of Israel (Mark 13:14). The following map supplied by Wikipedia.org shows the furthest extent of the Roman Empire’s territory, which occurred in 117 AD (the light green areas were only temporarily held by the Romans). This give us an idea of the approximate footprint of the “revived Roman Empire” that the Anti-Christ will rule over:
Then we see in Scriptures the land of “Magog” which is ruled by a prince called “Gog” (see Ezekiel 38 & 39). Wikipedia.org notes that, “[the Jewish historian] Josephus [who lived from 37 AD to sometime after 100 AD] identified the offspring of Magog as the Scythians, a name used in antiquity for peoples north of the Black Sea.” (The bracketed notes are mine.) This information clearly places this particular “apocalyptic land” within today’s Russian Federation.
Then we can also find the “King of the South” in Bible prophecy, which originally referred to Egypt (see all of Daniel 11). However, that nation was prophesied to never rise to a major world power again (see Ezekiel 29:2-16). Therefore, this might actually manifest in these Last Days as a coalition of African nations in some form.
Then there are the “Kings of the East” which scholars differ on, but certainly includes nations east of the Euphrates (Revelation 16:12). Iran, China, and possibly India (and the Orient in general) are likely those nations to which the Bible refers.
This is especially likely given the massive size of the army they assemble for the Battle of Armageddon—a force of “two hundred million men” (see Revelation 9:16). According to the 2008 CIA World Factbook, China alone has “manpower fit for military service” numbering “males (age 16-49): 313,321,639″ and “females (age 16-49): 295,951,438 (2008 est.)”. That is a total potential capacity of about 610 million people “fit for military service.” So it is certainly easy to see China as a major player in that future battle, since they alone could recruit such an army by only using one third of their available personnel.
HOWEVER…there is no mention of any nation or entity resembling the United States of America in the Bible prophesies concerning the Last Days. This reiterates my first premise above:
Main Premise 1: The United States is nowhere to be found in the prophetic Scriptures of the Last Days, and is NOT numbered among the nations described in the Books of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation (or elsewhere). Consequently, something must occur to remove the USA from its super-power status, andshift its enormous economic and political influence to another world entity.
So what is going to happen to the United States to reduce its international prestige from its current “super-power” status? Probably exactly as countries have been reduced from their “empirical” statuses before: Through either economic or military means.
If it were not for the Word of the Lord I was given above, I would not hesitate to give the military prospects of reducing the USA empirical footprint significantly. Our troops are scattered around the planet while other major powers (China, for example) have built up their means of doing significant harm to the U.S. military infrastructure. The fact is: Much of the world is looking forward to the day that the global military and economic “bully” (i.e. the USA) is knocked off its proverbial “high horse.” (And as a former U.S. Marine, that is a hard pill for me to swallow, I can assure you.)
Nevertheless, the Word of the Lord clearly stated that it would be an economic collapse that would take down the USA (and thus, bankrupt its extensive military efforts globally). This is further confirmed by the recent historical example of how the former Soviet Union super-power went down: By economic collapse. It is interesting to now, however, that the Russian Federation has rebuilt their corporate economy and positioned themselves to become a major world economic force once again (remember Magog?).
However, the USA—in the light of Scripture—will apparently never regain super-power status ever again (again, I realize that this is hard for many of us “red, white, and blue” Americans to stomach, but it is a biblical fact nonetheless).
Moreover, I fully expect that several of the now 50-states that make up the United States of America (and its territories) will break off out of economic necessity and for survival’s sake—just like some of the former Soviet Union republics did. The states of California and Texas are particularly likely to separate themselves since they have massive economies and infrastructure that would allow them to easily do so (California has seemed to want to break off anyway, and Texas originally WAS its own country… and Texans have never forgotten that fact). Nevertheless, whatever nation entity reforms or remains after the U.S. economic collapse will certainly be significantly different that what is there today.
In short, considering all the aspects of the economic tsunami heading toward our home nation: The United States, at least as we have known it, will soon be no more. Therefore, it is all the more important that Christians prepare for what is to come—and be ready to help reshape the new nation (or nations) that will emerge.
Examining the “Revived Roman Empire”
So where is this “revived Roman Empire” and where in the world did I get such a term from Scriptures?
In general, regardless of their denomination or theological bent, most Bible scholars that I am aware of agree that the Scriptures indicate that the coming Anti-Christ will “headquarter” his earthly power base in the area formerly occupied by the former Roman Empire. This is based on many Scriptures, but one section in particular worth noting is found in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament (i.e. the Hebrew, Tanakh):
You, O king, are king of the [earthly] kings to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the might, and the glory. And wherever the children of men dwell, and the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens—He has given them into your hand and has made you to rule over them all. You [king of Babylon] are the head of gold.
And after you shall arise another kingdom [the Medo-Persian], inferior to you, and still a third kingdom of bronze [Greece under Alexander the Great] which shall bear rule over all the earth.
And the fourth kingdom [Rome] shall be strong as iron, since iron breaks to pieces and subdues all things; and like iron which crushes, it shall break and crush all these.
And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of [baked] clay [of the potter] and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it some of the firmness and strength of iron, just as you saw the iron mixed with miry [earthen] clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of [baked] clay [of the potter], so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle and broken. And as you saw the iron mixed with miry and earthen clay, so they shall mingle themselves in the seed of men [in marriage bonds]; but they will not hold together [for two such elements or ideologies can never harmonize], even as iron does not mingle itself with clay.
And in the days of these [final ten] kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people; but it shall break and crush and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever. Just as you saw that the Stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter. The dream is certain and the interpretation of it is sure. (Daniel 2:37-45, Amplified)
I chose the Amplified translation to convey the above passage because it correctly places the historical names of these kingdoms in their proper places. King Nebuchadnezzar, to whom Daniel was speaking, was the king of the world’s first “global” empire: The Babylonian Empire. The Spirit of God through Daniel clearly states, “And wherever the children of men dwell, and the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens—He [i.e. God] has given them into your hand and has made you to rule over them all.” (Bracketed note and emphasis mine.) This statement means that God Himself described the Babylonian Empire as being global in its scope.
Why? Did the Babylonians conquer every land mass of the entire planet? Clearly, no. It’s “global” status was obviously not due to it possessing a full-planetary political scope. In Biblical terms, the Babylonian Empire became the world’s first global empire under Nebuchadnezzar when his military conquests and economic suppression of other nations eventually encompassed the Holy Lands of Israel—and in particular, Jerusalem, the City of David. (I will clarify and prove that point in just a bit.)
Picking up again with Daniel’s explanation above to Nebuchadnezzar, the prophet then stated that Babylon’s next two successors—the Medo-Persian Empire followed by the Grecian Empire—would also encompass that same geographic area. Consequently, the prophet said they would also, “bear rule over all the earth” as Babylon had been doing previously (verse 39). Then verse 40 describes the powerful Roman Empire, which would (and did), “break and crush all these” and thus succeed them as the fourth global empire. This last empire was described as the powerful legs of iron because it would be split into two parts (Eastern and Western), just as history now tells us eventually occurred.
This is where we now find the first reference to a “revived Roman Empire.” Daniel here describes a scenario with regard to the Roman Empire in which it would have “ten kings” symbolized in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream by the two feet with ten toes. This variant of the Roman Empire would be composed of the same “iron” (i.e. strength) of the former Roman Empire “legs” above it, but also “clay” (i.e. brittleness).
Historically, this never happened with regard to the Roman Empire of antiquity. Thus, is widely believed by Bible Scholars to represent a “revived Roman Empire” of the Last Days and NOT a historical event of the past. The Book of Revelation, looking even farther beyond our present, and to the final events of the End of Time, confirms this interpretation:
Also the ten horns that you observed are ten rulers (kings) who have as yet received no royal dominion, but together they are to receive power and authority as rulers for a single hour, along with the beast. These have one common policy (opinion, purpose), and they deliver their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:12-13, Amplified)
Thus, we have not yet seen this final “global empire” manifest yet. By necessity, it must also fulfill the prophesies of Daniel, which means it must be a “revived Roman Empire” that picks up where the old one left off. Further, we know that all of this MUST happen prior to the return of the Messiah—the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rulers of the Earth?
Now let us revisit and clarify why did the Bible clearly indicate that the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires were “rulers of the whole earth.” How could they be, when their geographies were significantly more limited than the land masses of the full planet? Where they ruling over the areas we now know as China, Russia, India…or even any land in the Western Hemisphere? Certainly, no.
Then why were they considered “global” governments? Because as I mentioned before, these were the first empires to encompass the entire Land of Israel, much of the territory surrounding the “Great Sea” (i.e. the Mediterranean Sea—from which these four kingdoms arise—see Daniel 7 and Revelation 13), and especially because these four kingdoms controlled Jerusalem.
Why is this last point significant? Because the Bible clearly states that in God’s mind (and consequently, within Satan’s and the Anti-Christ’s greedy minds), Jerusalem is the capital of the whole earth.
The City of the Great King
Jerusalem is the location God Himself has chosen to “place His Name.” Consequently, it is also the location from which the Messiah will reign on the earth from for a thousand years:
And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide [i.e. Jerusalem], the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. (Deuteronomy 14:23, NKJV)
But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. (Matthew 5:34-35, NKJV)
“At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts. (Jeremiah 3:17, NKJV)
“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. (Ezekiel 5:5, NIV)
What About Washington D.C.?
There are a few people who, with good intentions and honest hearts, have noticed that there are similarities between the descriptions of the “revived Roman Empire” as described in Scripture, and the United States of America. Some have even speculated that Washington, D.C. is intended to be the “capital” of the Anti-Christ’s kingdom.
It is my understanding that they believe this (in-part) because there are some Masonic teachings that indicate such was their plan. However, I do NOT believe that the devil’s literature and/or propaganda are useful for determining the course of events of these Last Days—nor for interpreting Scripture. (The devil is on the loosing side, remember? What does he know?)
Though such people may be sincere in their attempts to interpret these Bible passages, they are certainly wrong in their conclusions. The MAJOR factor that determines the location of the “revived Roman Empire” is the fact that it will geographically encompass Jerusalem, just like the former Roman Empire once did (as we have already proven from Scripture).
Further, the “Solomon Principle” of Scripture confirms that the location of the former Roman Empire determines the location of the “revived” version that will follow it:
That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us. (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10, NJKV)
It is a Divine biblical principle that the “prophetic foreshadows” within Scripture are typically fulfilled where the former event occurred. So, for example, the place where Abraham offered his son up to the Lord (which sacrifice was interrupted by the Angel of the Lord) is the EXACT same place where his covenant-keeping God had Israel build the temple, and essentially where He offered up His Own Son for us all.
Another confirming fact that the “revived” Roman Empire must be located geographically where the former one was is found in the Book of Acts:
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem,… and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven [i.e. return to Mount Olivet, aka the Mount of Olives].” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. (Acts 1:4,8-12, NKJV)
Jesus stood upon the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem—within the midst of the former Roman Empire—and arose into Heaven. The Angel said that He will return “in like manner,” meaning: Returning to the same Mount of Olives, in the midst of the “revived Roman Empire.” Then the Lord Jesus will forever establish His Kingdom upon the Earth.
Again, like Solomon said, “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us.”
Thus, these three confirmations tell us: The kingdom of the Anti-Christ is NOT the United States of America (nor does it even include it)… even if the Masons and their affiliates want it to be.
Therefore, we have proven our second premise:
Main Premise 2: The European Union (and not the USA) is the starting point for the formation of the “revived Roman Empire” indicated in Daniel and Revelation, and thus would necessarily be the primary recipient of such a transfer of economic and political influence.
Geographic Limitations
This also brings us to our final premise concerning the events of these Last Days:
Secondary Premise: The Anti-Christ’s geographic—and thus, financial, political, and military—influence has been grossly overstated by theologians and Christians throughout history. This is due to a common failure to recognize that the passages in the Book of Daniel set the context for those within Revelation. We will see that the Scriptures actually declare that the Anti-Christ will be “contained” by the Lord’s own will and design to reign for a short time on the earth ONLY within the “revived Roman Empire”… and NOT truly globally.
Although Christians have given the devil more credit that what he is due, the fallen Archangel cannot pull off a total takeover of the entire earth—though he surely plans to give it a try. Even those who are motivated and controlled by the spirit of Anti-Christ today, are erroneously convinced that they will pull off creating a fully global governmental system (aka, the “New World Order”). However, the Lord has already promised to confound their “great” plans:
Why do the nations rage, and the people plot 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 bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.”
He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” (Psalm 2:1-6, NKJV)
It is the Lord that determines the geographic and political boundaries of every kingdom of the earth, regardless of “their” schemes:
And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, (Acts 17:26, NKJV)
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings… (Daniel 2:20-21, NKJV)
The anti-Christ organizations (e.g. Skull and Bones, Freemasons, Bildebergers, Bohemian Grove, etc.) and the individuals that comprise them, cannot do anything that the Lord God Himself has not allowed. Further, the Lord God has not ordained the “boundaries of their dwellings” to extend beyond the approximate boundaries of the former Roman Empire. Period.
They will fail in their endeavors to create a true global government, and then find their place in the Lake of Fire—in which, those who fail to truly repent, renounce their former depravity, and accept Jesus as their ONLY Lord, are already destined to be thrown as contributing members of “the Beast” (see Revelation 19:19-20).
Now the passages within the Book of Revelation most often used by Christians and non-Christians alike to establish the concept of a full-earth kingdom of the Anti-Christ include the following:
It was granted to him [i.e. the Anti-Christ] to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:7-8, NKJV)
The Greek word used in that passage (and throughout all of the Book of Revelation, for that matter) which is translated “earth” is the Greek word, γη (pronounced “ge” with a long “e”, Strong’s #1093). This is the Greek word from which we derive English words such as “geology” and “geography.” Now do these derivative English words indicate the entire globe, or just portions thereof? Portions only, of course.
Furthermore, according to Dr. James Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, this word specifically means “soil” and by extension can refer to a “region” alone. In fact, it is translated in the King James version of the New Testament also as “country, ground, and land.” Consequently, it is important to first determine the context of its usage (especially in the light of the whole Bible) before one can properly translate it into its appropriate English equivalent. (Note: The Hebrew word used in the Daniel passages also has a similar root and meaning.)
Given what I have shown thus far from both the Old and New Testaments already, I believe we can safely translate these passages in Revelation as “region” referring to the territories of the former Roman Empire, which will be approximately the same territories of the “revived” Roman Empire. This is also confirmed in Daniel 11 where it describes conflict between the “King of the North” (i.e. Anti-Christ) and the “King of the South” (along with others). This prophecy was only partially fulfilled in the prototype anti-Christ, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and will yet be fulfilled in the final Anti-Christ we are discussing.
In fact, I believe the Bible is clear (in its entirety on the subject) that the Battle of Armageddon itself is not all the nations coming against Israel, per se, but fighting each other about Israel and its resources (otherwise, why would the Kings of the East bring such a massive army?). So if the Anti-Christ is combatting the other major national entities, how can he be simultaneously controlling them? He cannot… and he will not. He is limited in his scope and direct authority (howbeit, he will assuredly attempt to use diplomatic influence beyond his own geographic scope, just like the United States does today).
Every Tribe?
However, one might ask, “What about the part that says he has authority over ‘every tribe, tongue, and nation’ and that they all worship the Anti-Christ?” To answer that, let me remind you of the fact that even King Nebuchadnezzar was told directly by God through the prophet Daniel:
You, O king, are king of the [earthly] kings to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the might, and the glory. And wherever the children of men dwell, and the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens—He has given them into your hand and has made you to rule over them all. You [king of Babylon] are the head of gold. (Daniel 2:37-38, Amplified)
Again, did King Nebuchadnezzar have dominion over the Native Americans in North America? How about the Japanese? What about Australian Aborigines? Uh, no. He did not have dominion over any of these directly. In fact, I think it is safe to assume these people did not even KNOW Nebuchadnezzar and his empire even existed.
Therefore, the Lord God Himself has already defined (within the Book of Daniel) the people groups contained within the phrase “every tribe, tongue, and nation” used in this passage of the Book of Revelation. They are those people groups which can be found there in that same region formerly covered by the Babylonian Empire and its successors—including the former Roman Empire. So in short, the Anti-Christ does NOT get the entire planet. He ONLY gets his pre-appointed geographic location in about the same “footprint” of the former Roman Empire. Thus, the Anti-Christ’s claim to the “whole world” is only for the 42-months he occupies the City of David—Jerusalem, the Capital of the Earth (Revelation 11:1-3).
This is very GOOD news! (At least as far as any news about the coming Anti-Christ could be considered “good.”) The “mark of the beast” in the hand or forehead (e.g. an RF readable microchip), only by which men and women can buy and sell, is primarily a concern for those living in the territories that God allows that character authority over for a season. The terrible persecution of the saints is similarly limited in its geographic scope. (For what nation outside thereof would allow the guy to attack its own residents?) This also makes very clear a specific Christian responsibility for these last days:
All Christians have a God-given responsibility to resist and oppose all that is “Anti-Christ” until such time as we are no longer on the earth to do so (i.e. the rapture occurs).
Politicians, governmental policies, organizations, leaders, companies, and anything or anybody else, who exhibits a posture that is “against Christ” (which is what the word “Anti-Christ” actually means) should be resisted and opposed on all fronts.
One unintended result of the bad theology that has overstated the influence of the Anti-Christ in the Last Days is that Christians have either knowingly or unwittingly compromised with one-world government and one-world religion agendas. The “if he gets the whole world, why fight it?” mentality has made too-many Christians lazy in their political, economic, legal, and social endeavors. We need to oppose everything, and everybody who opposes Christ… which includes those which/who exhibit a “globalist” agenda.
With the above point in mind, let us conclude this article by briefly examining the political structure that will characterize the kingdom of the Anti-Christ.
Political Characteristics of the “Revived Roman Empire”
Now in verse 43 of Daniel 2 that we cited in full above, the Amplified translation mistakenly adds the interpretive note “[in marriage bonds]” to the prophet’s phrase, “they shall mingle themselves in the seed of men.” This phrase is NOT in the original Hebrew language of this passage, and as a “clarifying note” this insertion cannot be an accurate since we are talking about kingdoms (i.e. earthly governments) and not just people.
We can see this fact even clearer when we elaborate on the “clay” characteristic of this revived Roman Empire. Daniel indicated by the Spirit of God that:
Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. (Verses 41-43, NKJV)
The significance of the clay is explained above by the fact that they “will mingle with the seed of men.” This is referring to the almost certain fact that the new “revived Roman Empire” will be a democracy, which the original Roman Empire was not (at least not in the sense of the modern term). Why do I believe this?
It is a historical fact that democracies are very easy to “rule” by mass deception and propaganda by anti-Christ like individuals, who can assume Fascist control of the democratic state while maintaining an appearance of “people-rule” (take Nazi-Germany, for an excellent example). It is this need to maintain a constant deception to retain rule that makes such a government “brittle” in comparison with the power that the Roman government was able to exercise over its populations; due in-part to the fact that surprising few people were actually citizens of the Empire, as the passages in Acts 16:36-40 and 22:24-29 also clearly indicate.
Of course, Europe has a history of Fascist-Democratic states (Germany, Italy, etc.), and so has parts of the Middle-East (Iraq, for example). So, again, let us take a look at the map of the former Roman Empire and get an idea of its scope:
If you compare the map above with the following one of the current European Union (EU) territories (provided again by Wikipedia.org), you can see that there are countries currently within the EU that will soon separate. There are obviously others that are not yet a part of that territory that will join the resulting new “union” by whatever name that new formation will be called (I do not personally believe that it will still be called the “European Union” when the proverbial “dust” finally settles):
Again: The resulting governmental entity (called the “beast” in both the Book of Daniel and in Revelation) will constitute the “revived Roman Empire” of Scripture—occupying the same approximate “footprint” of geography that the first one occupied. Consequently, there is about to be some major geopolitical realignments happening soon.
Summary:
So let us summarize quickly what we have discovered from the Scriptures about the Last Days in this single article. By so doing, we will be able to see the biblical “End Time” context of the Word of the Lord I received about the imminent collapse of the U.S. economic system:
- There will be a complete collapse of the U.S. economic system, which will result in the elimination of the United States as a world super-power.
- There will be a resulting shift of the USA’s former economic and political influence over to the European Union.
- Nevertheless, the European Union will undergo major economic and political fluctuations in response to the global economic and political crises that result. This will cause some countries to join with the EU and others to exit—eventually forming a new “revived Roman Empire” entity that fulfills Bible prophecies.
- Other nations—like the Russian Federation and China (i.e. Magog, and the “Kings of the East”)—will continue to build in economic, political, and military strength. This will cause some countries to ally themselves with them (e.g. the Nordic countries will likely realign themselves with their more historical counterpart, the Russian Federation or its successor entity), and will eventually lead to the biggest military confrontation in world history, within the Valley of Megiddo (i.e. the Battle of Armageddon—see Revelation 16:12-16 and 19:19-20).
- The Western Hemisphere in general (and the current “United States” in particular) will not be a major part of these events. There will likely be trade between the hemispheres, but the prophetic events of Scripture do not include these nations. In fact, one can conclude that even countries such as Australia and New Zealand will likely be excluded from these events—probably due to economic and political changes within those nations.
So all of this certainly clarifies major portions of the first two parts of the Word of the Lord I received back in November, 2006 nicely. Namely:
The U.S. dollar is about to collapse… followed by the stock markets, then the real estate markets… and then every other market.
This is the great End Time wealth transfer you have heard taught from the Scriptures these many years… and the shift in economic and political power from the United States to the European Union in preparation for the coming Anti-Christ.
In our next article post (which I expect to be MUCH shorter, by the way), I intend to pick up with the “great End Time wealth transfer” topic, as well as a few other relevant notes, before we move on to the third part of that prophetic word about gold (and silver). Then we’ll hopefully cover a few basics from a pragmatic standpoint of how you can build your own “financial ark” (using Noah as a metaphor) to protect you and your family’s future.
Until the next post…
Blessings to you and all that is yours, as you follow Jesus, His Word, and His revealed Will, with all your heart.
In Jesus,
-Rich Vermillion
Related Rich-Posts: Economics, Gold, and the Word of the Lord (Part 1), Robert Kiyosaki on Gold, Currencies, and the US Economic Collapse, JWS Gold Referral
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