By Dr. Todd Baker
B'rit Hadashah Ministries is committed to proclaiming the Gospel to the Jewish people in Israel. So far I have conducted several Gospel outreaches in Israel. We found the Jewish people there to be open, appreciative, and interested in the good news of Jesus the Messiah. Several individuals there have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior and became completed Jews born anew in the Messiah. Taking the Gospel to the Jews of Israel is not an option or choice for us; it is commanded by God in Scripture. In fact the Bible provides seven reasons why this is so. It is no coincidence about the number seven. Seven, in the Bible, is the number of divine completeness. God created and completed the universe in seven days. Christ spoke seven times from the cross when completing the work of redemption. Seven years are left on Daniel's 70 weeks to complete the present age with the return of Christ to earth. And here God gives seven reasons for preaching the Gospel to Israel. Let's look at them in closer detail.
(1) Romans 1:16 plainly says the Gospel is to go to the Jew first. Paul writes in that passage: "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation to the Jew first and also to the Gentile." Here we have the divine order of evangelism defined. The Gospel is to go to the Jew first. Why? The answer is not because the Jewish people are somehow superior to the rest of the Gentile world but because God chose their nation and people through whom the Messiah would come and prepared them for this through the Covenants, the Hebrew Scriptures with its many Messianic prophecies, and the Temple and its sacrifices (see Romans 15:8-9 where the divine order of evangelism is confirmed again). Thus Jesus came to save the Jews as a Jew. Jesus came first to offer salvation and the Messianic kingdom to Israel. He said as much during His ministry on earth. When sought by a Gentile Jesus said in Matthew 15:24: "I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel." Paul and the Apostles followed this divine order in the book of Acts when going to the Jews in the synagogues first to preach the Gospel. Salvation and the Messiah came directly from the Jewish people. Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John 4:22: "Salvation is of the Jews." The Church is to follow the same order of evangelism given in Romans 1:16 as practiced by the Lord Jesus and the Apostles. We are to witness to the Jews first as they did and commanded us to do.
(2) The Great Commission was given from Jerusalem and the preaching of the Gospel began there. The holy city Jerusalem is mentioned 811 times in Scripture. God has chosen this city as the eternal city where He will place His name there forever (2 Chron. 6:6). Jesus will reign over the world from Jerusalem for a thousand years. Ezekiel 5:5 says God has placed Jerusalem at the center of the earth. There our Lord died for the sins of the world and was raised again. He will return there when He comes again. In Acts 1:8 Christ commanded the Disciples to take the Gospel to the whole world starting in Jerusalem. Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital for 3,000 years. It is not only logical but also strategically smart that if one preaches the Gospel to the Jews you should go to the place they hold highest above all else on earth-Jerusalem.
(3) To fulfill prophecy and hasten the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is an obscure and often ignored prophecy found in Matthew 10: 23. Jesus said there "But when they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes." Jesus predicted in this prophecy that the evangelization of the cities of Israel will not be complete before He returns. This prophecy will be fulfilled during the time of the tribulation period when Jewish Christians are persecuted for their Gospel witness in Israel. For nearly 2,000 years of the present Church age the Gospel was not being preached to Jews in Israel because they were scattered throughout the nations of the world since 70 A.D. But all that changed in 1948 when Israel became a nation again and Jews returned en masse to their ancient homeland. The Messianic movement in Israel is growing and now for the first time since the days of Jesus and the Apostles, evangelism and gospel preaching to the Jews is happening in the land again. The fact that this has started and will not be finished before the Second Coming must mean the Lord's return is very soon. Not only do we have a prophecy of this kind found in the New Testament but also one of similar fashion in the Old Testament. It is in Isaiah 62:10-12. Isaiah 62:10-12 is an amazing prophecy that says God will send Gentile believers to Jerusalem "from the ends of the earth" to proclaim to the Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem that the Savior is coming to redeem and rescue them. Incidentally, the Hebrew word for "salvation" in Isaiah 62:11 is the same word for the name of Jesus in Hebrew - Yeshua, Y'shua or Yeshuach. Yeshua (Jesus in English) means "The Lord is salvation." "She shall bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus (Yeshua) (Matthew 1:21). For He shall save His people from their sins." In other words, God wants them to say to Jerusalem Yeshua or Jesus is coming! The chapter closes with the prediction that these Gentile ambassadors of Christ will prepare the way for the return of Y'shua the Savior in much the same way John the Baptist prepared Israel for the Messiah's first coming as predicted in Isaiah 40:3. This interpretation is confirmed as the right one by the fact that Isaiah 63 opens with the second coming of the Messiah in glory after His way has been prepared by His Gentile ambassadors of chapter 62 who come to share the Gospel of salvation to Israel and Jerusalem. The fact that this ministry and others are doing this very thing means prophecy is being fulfilled and Christ's coming is extremely close.
(4) Preaching the Gospel to Israel pays the debt we Gentile believers owe to the Jewish people. Paul said in Romans 15:27 that we are indebted to Israel because of the spiritual blessings they brought to the world. Those blessings that came through the Jewish people are the Bible, the Messiah, and the Judeo-Christian ethic on which the whole of Western civilization is built. The New Testament Church is obligated out of Christ's love to share the Gospel to His ethnic people-the Jews. What greater way to pay that spiritual debt of gratitude than to share with them the great riches of salvation given through Jesus Christ.
(5) To possibly prepare Jewish hearts for the Tribulation. The signs of the Lord's return are here to anybody who has a basic understanding of Bible prophecy. When you witness to an Israeli Jew in this late hour you could very well be planting Gospel seed that will save him after the Rapture and allow him to become part of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists mentioned in Revelation 7. God's Word will not return void. Jews we witness to now who do not get saved, can after the Rapture of the Church when they recall what we told them about this event and the tribulation period to follow.
(6) The Salvation of Israel is the heart cry of God and Jesus. Our Lord wept over the lost condition of Jerusalem saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing" (Matthew 23:37). Jesus lamented over the fact that they would reject Him as their Lord and Savior and suffer eternal loss and ruin. The Spirit of Christ spoke through the Apostle Paul in Romans 10:1 when he expressed that his ardent desire and prayer to God was that Israel might be saved. Jesus still weeps over the lost condition of Israel today. But He has purchased their salvation for them through His death on the cross. All they have to do, like anyone else, is believe and receive Y'shua as their Messiah to be saved. We as a Church must in love, understanding, and patience give them that opportunity by sharing the Gospel with them. If we don't they will remain lost without their true Messiah.
(7) We must take the Gospel to the Jews of Jerusalem because God commands it. Preaching the Gospel to the Jews of Jerusalem, Israel, and the world is not an option for Bible believing Christians. It is commanded by God in Isaiah 40:9-10. We are not only to bring the good tidings of salvation to Israel but we are to do it with boldness and strength. But to do this takes financial support from Christians who love the Jews and want to bless Israel with an opportunity for them to be saved by hearing and believing the Gospel. I can tell you from personal experience the Jewish people are open and willing to listen about why Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and the world. The only way I can carry out this last days Gospel outreach to Israel is if people like you obey the Holy Sprit's leading and give to this ministry. For "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed. And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent" (Romans 10:14). What greater blessing to give to the Jewish people than to afford them the opportunity to hear the Gospel and believe it for salvation. God promises a special blessing on those who bless the Chosen People. In Genesis 12:3, the Lord says, "I will bless those who bless you." As you give into this ministry, God will bless you and cause prosperity to abound, "not that I seek a gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account" (Phil. 4:17).
Original Article http://www.brit-hadashah.org/
666: The Mark of the Beast
By Chris Schang
One of the most electrifying and fascinating end times issues centers around the diabolical 666 - the mark of the beast. This number, 666, brings immediate fear to many people as a result of the books and movies that portray the satanic design and influence behind it. The Bible tells us that the number 666 is the number of a man, who in fact is the evil Antichrist who will rise up in the last days to rule the world and make war against the Lord Jesus Christ. The number of the future Antichrist is given to us in Revelation 13:18.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
The Antichrist will use this diabolical mark of the beast to make mankind choose between him and God. In order to buy and sell during the Tribulation period, once must take this mark of the beast. We are warned about this in Revelation 13:17.
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
While the number 666 is the number of the beast or Antichrist, it is not the Antichirst that gets men to worship him. Instead it is the Antichrist's evil side kick who is referred to as the False Prophet who introduces this diabolocial mark of the beast. This is foretold in Revelation 13:11-17.
Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
The interesting thing to note about this mark of the beast is that people will not be able to buy or sell unless they have the mark. This means that in order to buy groceries, gas, medicine, etc. one will have to have the mark of the beast or the number of the beast which is 666. How this mark is implemented is subject to much speculation here in the last days. For example, there exists the technology today called the "Verichip" which is about the size of a grain of rice and is placed under the skin, usually on the forehead or the hand. The chip is able to store detailed financial, medical, and other kinds of information about the person that it is placed in. Some businesses these days where security is paramount have already incorporated the Verichip into their security plans. For example, a bank may require that individuals who have access to the bank vault be chipped in order to keep detailed records of who went in and out of the vault, which can be used later to narrow down suspects in the case of money shortages. These chips are read by a scanner which would be placed perhaps on either side of the vault door so that detailed records about a person such as what time they entered the vault, how long they were in the vault, etc. might be recorded. Many hospitals in some areas are using the technology to help track patients and to help store their medical records. While the Verichip is a possible forerunner to the actual mark of the beast, it is impossible to know what exactly will be the mark of the beast until it is revealed in the future Tribulation period when it is unveiled by the False Prophet.
On the other hand, some people believe the mark of the beast will not be a chip like that of Verichip, but instead a visible "tattoo" like mark that is visible to all. The tattoo will be the number 666 and not a representation of it. That it will be on the forehead or right hand, not in the forehead or right hand. Whichever the case might be, only time will tell. But for the first time in history the technology has existed whereby mankind can be controlled to the point that no one may buy or seel unless they have the mark of the beast or the number fo the beast which is 666.
The most significant aspect of the of the mark of the beast is that a person who takes the mark is pledging allegience to the Antichrist as his supreme ruler, which in this case will be Satan indwelling the Antichrist. This is why those who take the mark of the beast during the Tribulation period will be forever condemned to the lake of fire. Scripture also makes it clear that those who do not take the mark of the beast will be killed. The Bible also notes that no one will be able to escape the mark as stated in Revelation 13:16, "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads". People will have to make a conscious decision on whom they will serve, will it be God or will it be the Satan? Mankind has over the past 2,000 years since the Lord gave us the Gospel been able to basically spend a lifetime making this decision. However, in the Tribulation period this will not be the case. Due to the introduction of the mark of the beast, people will finally have to get "off the fence" and make a decision one way or another.
Just as God seals the 144,000 Jewish witnesses during the Tribulation period to preach the Gospel and today seals believers with the Holy Spirit, Satan will try to counterfeit or parody this by introducing his own "seal" that will indentify those that belong to him. Whereas God's seal protects his people, Satan seals condemns them to eternity in the lake of fire.
With the advances in modern technology and the coming "cashless" society, we are literally on the brink of the prophecised mark of the beast system being introduced when the Tribulation period is in full swing. As the result of this mysterious and diabolical mark of the beast, many people over the years have tried to recognize the mark ahead of time. This fascination with the mark of the beast and the number 666 have caused many people to react surprised and shocked to invoices, zip codes, telephone numbers, etc. whenever and wherever the number 666 pops up. Due to the implications of the coming mark of the beast and the number 666 people have oftentimes done extraordinary things to avoid the number. Some people have gone to lunch to only have their bill end up at $6.66, so they add a pack of gum to the bill so that they can avoid the uneasy connotations. But while this is simply superstitious behavior on random and chance occurances of the the number 666, the deadly fact remains that one day the number 666 and the mark of the beast system will finally be introduced during the most chaotic seven years the world has ever encountered - the Tribulation period.
But Christians should not fear the coming mark of the beast nor the number 666. For the Lord has promised that church age believers will be spared the wrath of God and the horrible things of the coming Tribulation period. For those who find themselves in the Tribulation period, they have the advance warning not to take the mark of the beast as there are very dire consequences for doing so. In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul taught that the Antichrist would not be revelaed until it is his time. This will not occur until sometime after the rapture of the church. So church age believers do not need to worry about the identity of the Antichrist, as this will only be known to people who come to faith in Christ after the rapture of the church. People who become believers after the rapture will know ahead of time that to receive the mark of the beast, means to reject Jesus Christ. Many people will be martyred for refusing the mark of the beast, but at the same time many will be saved and are referred to as Tribulation saints or martyrs as a result of keeping the faith of Jesus Christ.
I hope you will find this article informative and helpful. The Bible tells us that today is the day of salvation. If you are not saved, I would recommend that you not put this matter off any longer. To do so, you run the risk of missing the rapture and meeting the Antichrist. Make that decision for Christ today while there is still time, it's the only way to make sure that you do have to face the mark of the beast.
God bless.
One of the most electrifying and fascinating end times issues centers around the diabolical 666 - the mark of the beast. This number, 666, brings immediate fear to many people as a result of the books and movies that portray the satanic design and influence behind it. The Bible tells us that the number 666 is the number of a man, who in fact is the evil Antichrist who will rise up in the last days to rule the world and make war against the Lord Jesus Christ. The number of the future Antichrist is given to us in Revelation 13:18.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
The Antichrist will use this diabolical mark of the beast to make mankind choose between him and God. In order to buy and sell during the Tribulation period, once must take this mark of the beast. We are warned about this in Revelation 13:17.
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
While the number 666 is the number of the beast or Antichrist, it is not the Antichirst that gets men to worship him. Instead it is the Antichrist's evil side kick who is referred to as the False Prophet who introduces this diabolocial mark of the beast. This is foretold in Revelation 13:11-17.
Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
The interesting thing to note about this mark of the beast is that people will not be able to buy or sell unless they have the mark. This means that in order to buy groceries, gas, medicine, etc. one will have to have the mark of the beast or the number of the beast which is 666. How this mark is implemented is subject to much speculation here in the last days. For example, there exists the technology today called the "Verichip" which is about the size of a grain of rice and is placed under the skin, usually on the forehead or the hand. The chip is able to store detailed financial, medical, and other kinds of information about the person that it is placed in. Some businesses these days where security is paramount have already incorporated the Verichip into their security plans. For example, a bank may require that individuals who have access to the bank vault be chipped in order to keep detailed records of who went in and out of the vault, which can be used later to narrow down suspects in the case of money shortages. These chips are read by a scanner which would be placed perhaps on either side of the vault door so that detailed records about a person such as what time they entered the vault, how long they were in the vault, etc. might be recorded. Many hospitals in some areas are using the technology to help track patients and to help store their medical records. While the Verichip is a possible forerunner to the actual mark of the beast, it is impossible to know what exactly will be the mark of the beast until it is revealed in the future Tribulation period when it is unveiled by the False Prophet.
On the other hand, some people believe the mark of the beast will not be a chip like that of Verichip, but instead a visible "tattoo" like mark that is visible to all. The tattoo will be the number 666 and not a representation of it. That it will be on the forehead or right hand, not in the forehead or right hand. Whichever the case might be, only time will tell. But for the first time in history the technology has existed whereby mankind can be controlled to the point that no one may buy or seel unless they have the mark of the beast or the number fo the beast which is 666.
The most significant aspect of the of the mark of the beast is that a person who takes the mark is pledging allegience to the Antichrist as his supreme ruler, which in this case will be Satan indwelling the Antichrist. This is why those who take the mark of the beast during the Tribulation period will be forever condemned to the lake of fire. Scripture also makes it clear that those who do not take the mark of the beast will be killed. The Bible also notes that no one will be able to escape the mark as stated in Revelation 13:16, "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads". People will have to make a conscious decision on whom they will serve, will it be God or will it be the Satan? Mankind has over the past 2,000 years since the Lord gave us the Gospel been able to basically spend a lifetime making this decision. However, in the Tribulation period this will not be the case. Due to the introduction of the mark of the beast, people will finally have to get "off the fence" and make a decision one way or another.
Just as God seals the 144,000 Jewish witnesses during the Tribulation period to preach the Gospel and today seals believers with the Holy Spirit, Satan will try to counterfeit or parody this by introducing his own "seal" that will indentify those that belong to him. Whereas God's seal protects his people, Satan seals condemns them to eternity in the lake of fire.
With the advances in modern technology and the coming "cashless" society, we are literally on the brink of the prophecised mark of the beast system being introduced when the Tribulation period is in full swing. As the result of this mysterious and diabolical mark of the beast, many people over the years have tried to recognize the mark ahead of time. This fascination with the mark of the beast and the number 666 have caused many people to react surprised and shocked to invoices, zip codes, telephone numbers, etc. whenever and wherever the number 666 pops up. Due to the implications of the coming mark of the beast and the number 666 people have oftentimes done extraordinary things to avoid the number. Some people have gone to lunch to only have their bill end up at $6.66, so they add a pack of gum to the bill so that they can avoid the uneasy connotations. But while this is simply superstitious behavior on random and chance occurances of the the number 666, the deadly fact remains that one day the number 666 and the mark of the beast system will finally be introduced during the most chaotic seven years the world has ever encountered - the Tribulation period.
But Christians should not fear the coming mark of the beast nor the number 666. For the Lord has promised that church age believers will be spared the wrath of God and the horrible things of the coming Tribulation period. For those who find themselves in the Tribulation period, they have the advance warning not to take the mark of the beast as there are very dire consequences for doing so. In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul taught that the Antichrist would not be revelaed until it is his time. This will not occur until sometime after the rapture of the church. So church age believers do not need to worry about the identity of the Antichrist, as this will only be known to people who come to faith in Christ after the rapture of the church. People who become believers after the rapture will know ahead of time that to receive the mark of the beast, means to reject Jesus Christ. Many people will be martyred for refusing the mark of the beast, but at the same time many will be saved and are referred to as Tribulation saints or martyrs as a result of keeping the faith of Jesus Christ.
I hope you will find this article informative and helpful. The Bible tells us that today is the day of salvation. If you are not saved, I would recommend that you not put this matter off any longer. To do so, you run the risk of missing the rapture and meeting the Antichrist. Make that decision for Christ today while there is still time, it's the only way to make sure that you do have to face the mark of the beast.
God bless.
Antichrist Prophecy
By Chris Schang
One of the most fascinating topics in the Bible is the coming one world government leader known in the Bible as the Antichrist. The Antichrist is Satan's opposite of the Lord Jesus Christ. While Jesus Christ is heralded as the Son of God, the Antichrist will be the Son of Satan and a counterfeit to Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the Antichrist will be a man who rises to great power in the world after the rapture of the church. The Antichrist will stand for everything that Jesus does not stand for. While Jesus Christ stands for purity, righteousness, holiness, and many other things of goodness in contrast the Antichrist will stand for wickedness, evil, lies, and everything evil and wicked.
The Bible gives us numerous prophetic titles for the Antichrist. The Antichrist is often referred to as the man of sin, the lawless one, the son of perdition, the beast, the bloody and deceitful man, the wicked one, the adversary, and many other titles that all paint a dark and grim picture on Antichrist prophecy from the scriptures. The Bible offer quite a few prophecies about the future Antichrist, some of which we will list below. This list is not exhaustive, but will help you in understanding the role the Antichrist will play in the end times. Some Antichrist prophecies for the last days are as follows:
1. The antichrist will be a man - Daniel 7:24-25
2. He will rise among 10 kings - Daniel 7:8 - This 10 nation union will be a revived Holy Roman Empire - Daniel 2:44
3. He will uproot 3 kings from the original 10 kings to gain political power - Daniel 7:8
4. He will confirm a covenant for 7 years - Daniel 9:27
5. His 10 nation union will merge into a world government which he will dominate - Revelations 13:1-2
6. The world government over which he rules will be a red (communistic or socialistic) government - Revelations 17:14
7. He will be promoted and exalted by a miracle working religious partner (false prophet) - Revelations 13:11-12
8. He was, and is not, and yet is - Revelations 17:8
9. He will ascend to power on a platform of peace. By peace, he will destroy many - Daniel 8:25
10. The antichrist will be preceded by 7 kings or rulers. He will be the 8th king. He will also be "of" the 7 - Revelations 17:11
11. He will have a mouth speaking great things. Very boastful - Daniel 7:8
12. His look will be more stout than his fellows - Daniel 7:20
13. He will understand puzzling things - Daniel 8:23
14. He will have a fierce countenance - Daniel 8:23
15. He will cause craft to prosper - Daniel 8:25
16. He apparently assumes world dominating power 3 1/2 years after he confirms the covenant. He then will continue to reign for 42 months - Revelations 13:5
17. The Abomination of Desolation is the event that signals the beginning of this final 42 months - Daniel 9:27
18. He will claim to be God (or an incarnation of God) - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
19. He opposes God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
20. He will speak marvelous things against the God of gods - Daniel 11:36
21. He will exalt himself above all that is called God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
22. He will sit in the temple of God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
23. He will plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain - Daniel 11:45
24. He will have power to make war with the saints and to overcome them - Revelations 13:7
25. He will take away the daily sacrifices from the temple - Daniel 11:31
26. He will continue this war with the saints for 3 1/2 years - Daniel 7:21, 25
27. This time of Great Tribulation is launched upon the Earth by the antichrist at the Abomination of Desolation. - Matthew 24:15,21.
28. He will rule a mighty and strong kingdom - Daniel 7:7
29. He was given power over all kindreds, tongues and nations - Revelations 13:7
30. His kingdom will devour the whole earth - Daniel 7:23
31. During this time, the antichrist will scatter the power of the holy people - Daniel 12:7
32. He will try to change times and laws; and they will be given into his power for 3 1/2 years - Daniel 7:25
33. He will give great honor to the God of forces, with gold, silver, jewels, etc - Daniel 11:38
34. He will prosper in everything that he does - Daniel 8:24
35. He will not regard the God of his fathers - Daniel 11:37
36. He will have great military power that will stand behind him, to enforce his laws - Daniel 11:31
37. He will not regard the desire of women - Daniel 11:37
38. All that dwell upon the Earth will worship him, except those who's names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life - Revelations 15:2
39. He will have an image made after him - Revelations 15:2
40. He will fight against Jesus Christ at Armageddon - Revelations 17:14
41. He will stand against the Prince of princes - Daniel 8:25
42. The mark of the beast will be the amount of his name - Revelations 14:11
43. The Lord will consume him with the spirit of his mouth (which is the Word of God) - 2 Thessalonians 2:8
44. The Lord will destroy him with the brightness of his coming (which is his glory) - 2 Thessalonians 2:8
45. He will be cast alive into the lake of fire - Revelations 19:20
46. He will be tormented day and night for ever and ever - Revelations 20:10
47. He will gain his power, authority, and throne from Satan - Revelation 13:1-2
48. He was given power and authority over tribe, tongue, and nation - Revelation 13:7
49. His rigth eye shall be made blind - Zechariah 11:17
50. He will have a mark so that all shall worship him, and those who don't can't buy or sell - Revelation 13:16-17
As we can see from the Antichrist prophecies, the man of sin is destined to be an evil man that will arise as Satan's vehicle to get the world to worship him. Satan will use the man who is to become the Antichrist as a means of getting the world to worship him during the Tribulation period. He will even have a sidekick that helps him accomplish his evil and wicked plans. This man is known in the Bible as the False Prophet. While the Bible doesn't tell us a whole lot about the False Prophet, it does tell us that the False Prophet will lead men in their worship of the Antichrist. The False Prophet will also introuduce the diabolical "mark of the beast" whereby the people of the world will take a mark on their forehead or hand that pledges their allegiance to the Antichrist. If one is caught being forced to choose between this mark of the beast and being martyred for the sake of Jesus Christ, it is strongly recommended that one be martyred as the mark of the beast is a damnable rejection of God and there is only one place assigned for those who take the mark and that is HELL. Do not take the mark of the beast under any circumstance, if you do you have lost forever the chance to be saved.
The mark of the beast will somehow be related to the infamous number 666, as the Bible tells us that the number 666 is somehow the number of the beast. It is suggested that using gematria people left behind during the tribulation period will be able to figure out who the Antichrist will be. Gematria is simply the use of numbers to represent letters in the Hebrew and Greek languages. It is suggested that the Antichrist's name will somehow add up to 666. This is the primary reason that many end times speculators have focused on prominent political leaders of our day in an attempt to try to figure out if any of their names add up to 666. In my humble opinion, this kind of speculating is pretty much a waste of time as the Antichrist will likely not be revealed until after the rapture of the church. Until then, speculating and naming possible Antichrist candidates is simply a good way to ruin the Christian witness we have in the world as there are numerous candidates and they all can't be right. The best thing for us to do is to know what the Bible says about the Antichrist prophecies and to be prepared to warn those who may be left behind.
God bless.
One of the most fascinating topics in the Bible is the coming one world government leader known in the Bible as the Antichrist. The Antichrist is Satan's opposite of the Lord Jesus Christ. While Jesus Christ is heralded as the Son of God, the Antichrist will be the Son of Satan and a counterfeit to Jesus Christ. The Bible says that the Antichrist will be a man who rises to great power in the world after the rapture of the church. The Antichrist will stand for everything that Jesus does not stand for. While Jesus Christ stands for purity, righteousness, holiness, and many other things of goodness in contrast the Antichrist will stand for wickedness, evil, lies, and everything evil and wicked.
The Bible gives us numerous prophetic titles for the Antichrist. The Antichrist is often referred to as the man of sin, the lawless one, the son of perdition, the beast, the bloody and deceitful man, the wicked one, the adversary, and many other titles that all paint a dark and grim picture on Antichrist prophecy from the scriptures. The Bible offer quite a few prophecies about the future Antichrist, some of which we will list below. This list is not exhaustive, but will help you in understanding the role the Antichrist will play in the end times. Some Antichrist prophecies for the last days are as follows:
1. The antichrist will be a man - Daniel 7:24-25
2. He will rise among 10 kings - Daniel 7:8 - This 10 nation union will be a revived Holy Roman Empire - Daniel 2:44
3. He will uproot 3 kings from the original 10 kings to gain political power - Daniel 7:8
4. He will confirm a covenant for 7 years - Daniel 9:27
5. His 10 nation union will merge into a world government which he will dominate - Revelations 13:1-2
6. The world government over which he rules will be a red (communistic or socialistic) government - Revelations 17:14
7. He will be promoted and exalted by a miracle working religious partner (false prophet) - Revelations 13:11-12
8. He was, and is not, and yet is - Revelations 17:8
9. He will ascend to power on a platform of peace. By peace, he will destroy many - Daniel 8:25
10. The antichrist will be preceded by 7 kings or rulers. He will be the 8th king. He will also be "of" the 7 - Revelations 17:11
11. He will have a mouth speaking great things. Very boastful - Daniel 7:8
12. His look will be more stout than his fellows - Daniel 7:20
13. He will understand puzzling things - Daniel 8:23
14. He will have a fierce countenance - Daniel 8:23
15. He will cause craft to prosper - Daniel 8:25
16. He apparently assumes world dominating power 3 1/2 years after he confirms the covenant. He then will continue to reign for 42 months - Revelations 13:5
17. The Abomination of Desolation is the event that signals the beginning of this final 42 months - Daniel 9:27
18. He will claim to be God (or an incarnation of God) - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
19. He opposes God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
20. He will speak marvelous things against the God of gods - Daniel 11:36
21. He will exalt himself above all that is called God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
22. He will sit in the temple of God - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
23. He will plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain - Daniel 11:45
24. He will have power to make war with the saints and to overcome them - Revelations 13:7
25. He will take away the daily sacrifices from the temple - Daniel 11:31
26. He will continue this war with the saints for 3 1/2 years - Daniel 7:21, 25
27. This time of Great Tribulation is launched upon the Earth by the antichrist at the Abomination of Desolation. - Matthew 24:15,21.
28. He will rule a mighty and strong kingdom - Daniel 7:7
29. He was given power over all kindreds, tongues and nations - Revelations 13:7
30. His kingdom will devour the whole earth - Daniel 7:23
31. During this time, the antichrist will scatter the power of the holy people - Daniel 12:7
32. He will try to change times and laws; and they will be given into his power for 3 1/2 years - Daniel 7:25
33. He will give great honor to the God of forces, with gold, silver, jewels, etc - Daniel 11:38
34. He will prosper in everything that he does - Daniel 8:24
35. He will not regard the God of his fathers - Daniel 11:37
36. He will have great military power that will stand behind him, to enforce his laws - Daniel 11:31
37. He will not regard the desire of women - Daniel 11:37
38. All that dwell upon the Earth will worship him, except those who's names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life - Revelations 15:2
39. He will have an image made after him - Revelations 15:2
40. He will fight against Jesus Christ at Armageddon - Revelations 17:14
41. He will stand against the Prince of princes - Daniel 8:25
42. The mark of the beast will be the amount of his name - Revelations 14:11
43. The Lord will consume him with the spirit of his mouth (which is the Word of God) - 2 Thessalonians 2:8
44. The Lord will destroy him with the brightness of his coming (which is his glory) - 2 Thessalonians 2:8
45. He will be cast alive into the lake of fire - Revelations 19:20
46. He will be tormented day and night for ever and ever - Revelations 20:10
47. He will gain his power, authority, and throne from Satan - Revelation 13:1-2
48. He was given power and authority over tribe, tongue, and nation - Revelation 13:7
49. His rigth eye shall be made blind - Zechariah 11:17
50. He will have a mark so that all shall worship him, and those who don't can't buy or sell - Revelation 13:16-17
As we can see from the Antichrist prophecies, the man of sin is destined to be an evil man that will arise as Satan's vehicle to get the world to worship him. Satan will use the man who is to become the Antichrist as a means of getting the world to worship him during the Tribulation period. He will even have a sidekick that helps him accomplish his evil and wicked plans. This man is known in the Bible as the False Prophet. While the Bible doesn't tell us a whole lot about the False Prophet, it does tell us that the False Prophet will lead men in their worship of the Antichrist. The False Prophet will also introuduce the diabolical "mark of the beast" whereby the people of the world will take a mark on their forehead or hand that pledges their allegiance to the Antichrist. If one is caught being forced to choose between this mark of the beast and being martyred for the sake of Jesus Christ, it is strongly recommended that one be martyred as the mark of the beast is a damnable rejection of God and there is only one place assigned for those who take the mark and that is HELL. Do not take the mark of the beast under any circumstance, if you do you have lost forever the chance to be saved.
The mark of the beast will somehow be related to the infamous number 666, as the Bible tells us that the number 666 is somehow the number of the beast. It is suggested that using gematria people left behind during the tribulation period will be able to figure out who the Antichrist will be. Gematria is simply the use of numbers to represent letters in the Hebrew and Greek languages. It is suggested that the Antichrist's name will somehow add up to 666. This is the primary reason that many end times speculators have focused on prominent political leaders of our day in an attempt to try to figure out if any of their names add up to 666. In my humble opinion, this kind of speculating is pretty much a waste of time as the Antichrist will likely not be revealed until after the rapture of the church. Until then, speculating and naming possible Antichrist candidates is simply a good way to ruin the Christian witness we have in the world as there are numerous candidates and they all can't be right. The best thing for us to do is to know what the Bible says about the Antichrist prophecies and to be prepared to warn those who may be left behind.
God bless.
One World Government: Kosovo and the Preparation of Europe
One World Government: Kosovo and the Preparation of Europe
By Thomas Ice
I believe that God is currently setting the stage for events that will take place after the rapture, during the tribulation. Israel is back in her land and being postured to sign what Isaiah calls "a covenant with death" (Isa. 28:15,18) that will commence the tribulation (Dan. 9:26,27). The other party to that covenant will be a Revived Roman Empire, centered in Europe. I think that the current war in Yugoslavia is making a contribution to the stage-setting for the post-rapture period of history.
Daniel's Outline for History Daniel 2
Daniel 2 contains God's divine outline for history from the sixth century b.c. until the 1,000 year reign of Christ in His kingdom known as the millennium. Nebuchadnezzar's dream, as authoritatively interpreted by God through Daniel, tells us that history will see the rise of four consecutive Gentile world powers, representing the kingdom of man, that will in the end be crushed by our Lord's eternal reign. This message was conveyed through the appearance of a giant statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The head of gold represents Babylon. The breast and arms of silver indicate Medio-Persia. While its bronze belly and thighs symbolize Greece. Rome is the final entity that appears in two phases: its legs of iron (the ancient Roman Empire of the first century) and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay (the Revived Roman Empire of the future tribulation period) (Dan. 2:31-35). Students of Bible Prophecy are interested in learning as much as possible about the final, revived form of the Roman Empire.
Daniel 2:42,43 tells us "And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery." As opposed to Ancient Rome characterized by iron and thus internal strength, Revived Rome with its mixture of iron and clay is a very weak mixture. The fourth kingdom starts off as pure iron and then as you move down the legs to the feet and toes the iron fades out into pieces of iron impregnated into pottery. Daniel interprets this degradation of the pure iron into pottery mixed with iron as a deterioration within the fourth kingdom itself over time. Thus, the picture is that of a heterogeneous composition of the feet and the toes being made partly of iron and partly of clay, is a heterogeneous composition of the culture of the kingdom. Daniel's prophecy tells us of the progressive deterioration of the cultural unity of the succeeding kingdoms. We can look back in history and see exactly what Daniel is talking about.
The Babylonian culture was very unified, very uniform, being dominated by the god Marduk. The Medio-Persian empire was less united made up of two competing cultures which never did really get together. Cyrus himself was a cultural half-breed, his father was a Persian and his mother was a Mede. Going down into the time of the Greeks you have Alexander conquering the world and trying to Hellenize it. Immediately upon his death four generals started competing over the major cultures that made up Alexander's kingdom, that is, Egypt, Syria, Thrance, and Macedonia. Alexander's kingdom suffered because it tried to embrace too many diverse cultures. Later in history Rome brought together every culture under the sun.
Noting the decline in the four kingdoms from strong unity to an enforced unity under the Ancient Roman Empire, it is not surprising to learn that the Revived Roman Empire, that is being prepared in our own day, is made up of just the kind of reluctant mix we see in the Balkans today. Yet that is what is symbolized by the mixture of iron and clay. The move toward the break-up of regions into their ethnic enclaves when a strong centralized power is removed is exactly the picture of the future Revived Roman Empire.
Daniel 7
Any student of Bible prophecy understands that Daniel 7 provides a repeat of the events of Daniel 2 but from another perspective. Instead of a statue, as in Daniel 2, Daniel 7 depicts the true nature of these kingdoms, as beasts. Daniel 7:23,24 tells us, "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings." Daniel 7 tells us that the Revived Roman Empire will come to power via a 10 nation confederacy. Three of those nations will be subdued through the use of force. This will be the springboard for the Antichrist's global empire. Knowing what the current world is moving toward, it is not difficult to see that the overall trends in Europe are moving in this direction.
The Reunification of Europe
What two world wars could not bring to pass, we are seeing develop right before our eyes - the reunification of Europe. Yet, seemingly every poll indicates that most of the people in each country are opposed to what is happening. Nevertheless, unification marches on. With economic union well under way, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia has revealed a previously slumbering side of Europe as a military power.
Just when many of us thought we had seen it all from the blundering Bill Clinton, he wakes up one morning and decides to start a war in Balkans. But, like all that President Clinton has accomplished, he is moving the world toward the globalism that will clearly attempt to solve the world's problems in the tribulation under the direction of the antichrist. Beyond exhibiting many of the character qualities of the antichrist, this time Clinton's action are once again diminishing American global leadership, while at the same time enhancing the role that Europe will play.
The Stratfor Global Intelligence Update predicts a distancing of Europe from the United States in the future with Europe handling future crisis herself. The Update says:
We believe that the Kosovo conflict will become a definitive event in European history. The failure in Kosovo will cause the United States to recoil from casual interventions. More important, U.S. clumsiness in Kosovo will cause the Europeans to shy away from American leadership, particularly concerning European matters. The likelihood of an American administration herding NATO into another military adventure in Europe is minimal. This is a crucial change. There has been a tremendous asymmetry between Europe as a politico-military entity and Europe as an economic entity. NATO has been the primary politico-military expression of Europe, the EU the primary economic entity. This has made it extremely difficult for Europe to express a coherent viewpoint. The EU and NATO were simply not congruent.
The Europeans do have a vehicle for politico-military thinking, the Western European Union, which excludes the United States and is, therefore, far more congruent with the EU. But even that doesn't get to the heart of the problem. Germany's interests are specifically German. France's interests are French. The UK's interests are the UK's and are quite different from the other two. We expect two results from Kosovo. First, a strengthening of purely European institutions at the expense of NATO. Second, a greater caution by individual nations toward multinational commitments, including purely European ones.
Kosovo will undoubtedly bring to a close what we might call the era of casual intervention for the United States. There is nothing like failure to increase sobriety. We suspect that this is the last major foreign policy adventure for the Clinton Administration and would not be surprised to see Albright, Berger and Holbrooke accepting private sector positions in the near future. Most importantly, Kosovo closes what we regard as the interregnum between eras. The Cold War was not replaced by a unipolar world. That was a temporary anomaly. The new era of one superpower and several great powers, loosely united to limit U.S. power, is now beginning.
We'll tentatively christen this the New World Disorder while we wait for the new era to name itself. ("The World After Kosovo," May 3, 1999)
When the above analysis is combined with the fact that both Israel and the Palestinians have both lost confidence in America's ability to broker the Oslo accords, it is not surprising to find that especially the Palestinians are looking to Europe to impose a solution in the Middle East. The Israeli press has voiced concern that NATO, The United Nations, or Europe will enforce a similar solution upon Israel that is being attempted in Kosovo. Thus, recent developments continue to set the stage for the tribulation.
Israel's Covenant with Death
Daniel 9:27 says, "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." The pronoun "he" at the beginning of the verse refers to the future antichrist. Why? Because the nearest antecedent is clearly a reference to "the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary" (Dan. 9:26), which speaks of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in a.d. 70. Thus, "he" is the antichrist who will accomplish the events of 9:27 in the middle of the future 70th week of Daniel known as the tribulation on behalf of the Revived Roman Empire as previously taught by Daniel (Dan. 2,7).
Isaiah speaks of why Israel will sign such a covenant with the antichrist in 28:14-22. As was often done in her past, Israel will sign the covenant with the Revived Roman antichrist with the intent of providing security from her enemies that are pressing her from all sides. Instead of securing a covenant of life, as Israel' s leaders will think, the nation will start the tribulation with what is in reality a "covenant with death" (Isa. 28:15,18). Instead of gaining protection from her European vassal, Israel will experience "the overwhelming scourge" (Isa. 28:15,18) which is a metaphor for military invasion. Further, in the middle of the tribulation, this Roman antichrist who starts the tribulation by promising protection for the nation of Israel, will turn upon her and commence the greatest time of persecution ever upon the Jewish people (see Matt. 24:15-22; Rev. 12:1-17).
We see in our own day the increasing isolation of Israel within the world leading to an effort for her to look for security from man made covenants instead of looking to the Lord for stability. One day a European leader will step forth and appear to solve the Middle East crisis through negotiation and a covenant. In the mean time, God is preparing through contemporary events in our own day a Revived Roman Empire that will be the final phase of the kingdom of man that will put forth its greatest effort against Almighty God. The Kosovo crisis will likely result in the isolation of the U. S. from playing a leading role in European military affairs. Thus, paving the way, not only for the developing economic union of Europe, but a military unification as well. While God is preparing our world for judgment, the Believer should continue to watch and wait for the any-moment return of the Lord in the clouds to snatch away His bride- the church. Maranatha!
By Thomas Ice
I believe that God is currently setting the stage for events that will take place after the rapture, during the tribulation. Israel is back in her land and being postured to sign what Isaiah calls "a covenant with death" (Isa. 28:15,18) that will commence the tribulation (Dan. 9:26,27). The other party to that covenant will be a Revived Roman Empire, centered in Europe. I think that the current war in Yugoslavia is making a contribution to the stage-setting for the post-rapture period of history.
Daniel's Outline for History Daniel 2
Daniel 2 contains God's divine outline for history from the sixth century b.c. until the 1,000 year reign of Christ in His kingdom known as the millennium. Nebuchadnezzar's dream, as authoritatively interpreted by God through Daniel, tells us that history will see the rise of four consecutive Gentile world powers, representing the kingdom of man, that will in the end be crushed by our Lord's eternal reign. This message was conveyed through the appearance of a giant statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The head of gold represents Babylon. The breast and arms of silver indicate Medio-Persia. While its bronze belly and thighs symbolize Greece. Rome is the final entity that appears in two phases: its legs of iron (the ancient Roman Empire of the first century) and its feet partly of iron and partly of clay (the Revived Roman Empire of the future tribulation period) (Dan. 2:31-35). Students of Bible Prophecy are interested in learning as much as possible about the final, revived form of the Roman Empire.
Daniel 2:42,43 tells us "And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery." As opposed to Ancient Rome characterized by iron and thus internal strength, Revived Rome with its mixture of iron and clay is a very weak mixture. The fourth kingdom starts off as pure iron and then as you move down the legs to the feet and toes the iron fades out into pieces of iron impregnated into pottery. Daniel interprets this degradation of the pure iron into pottery mixed with iron as a deterioration within the fourth kingdom itself over time. Thus, the picture is that of a heterogeneous composition of the feet and the toes being made partly of iron and partly of clay, is a heterogeneous composition of the culture of the kingdom. Daniel's prophecy tells us of the progressive deterioration of the cultural unity of the succeeding kingdoms. We can look back in history and see exactly what Daniel is talking about.
The Babylonian culture was very unified, very uniform, being dominated by the god Marduk. The Medio-Persian empire was less united made up of two competing cultures which never did really get together. Cyrus himself was a cultural half-breed, his father was a Persian and his mother was a Mede. Going down into the time of the Greeks you have Alexander conquering the world and trying to Hellenize it. Immediately upon his death four generals started competing over the major cultures that made up Alexander's kingdom, that is, Egypt, Syria, Thrance, and Macedonia. Alexander's kingdom suffered because it tried to embrace too many diverse cultures. Later in history Rome brought together every culture under the sun.
Noting the decline in the four kingdoms from strong unity to an enforced unity under the Ancient Roman Empire, it is not surprising to learn that the Revived Roman Empire, that is being prepared in our own day, is made up of just the kind of reluctant mix we see in the Balkans today. Yet that is what is symbolized by the mixture of iron and clay. The move toward the break-up of regions into their ethnic enclaves when a strong centralized power is removed is exactly the picture of the future Revived Roman Empire.
Daniel 7
Any student of Bible prophecy understands that Daniel 7 provides a repeat of the events of Daniel 2 but from another perspective. Instead of a statue, as in Daniel 2, Daniel 7 depicts the true nature of these kingdoms, as beasts. Daniel 7:23,24 tells us, "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings." Daniel 7 tells us that the Revived Roman Empire will come to power via a 10 nation confederacy. Three of those nations will be subdued through the use of force. This will be the springboard for the Antichrist's global empire. Knowing what the current world is moving toward, it is not difficult to see that the overall trends in Europe are moving in this direction.
The Reunification of Europe
What two world wars could not bring to pass, we are seeing develop right before our eyes - the reunification of Europe. Yet, seemingly every poll indicates that most of the people in each country are opposed to what is happening. Nevertheless, unification marches on. With economic union well under way, the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia has revealed a previously slumbering side of Europe as a military power.
Just when many of us thought we had seen it all from the blundering Bill Clinton, he wakes up one morning and decides to start a war in Balkans. But, like all that President Clinton has accomplished, he is moving the world toward the globalism that will clearly attempt to solve the world's problems in the tribulation under the direction of the antichrist. Beyond exhibiting many of the character qualities of the antichrist, this time Clinton's action are once again diminishing American global leadership, while at the same time enhancing the role that Europe will play.
The Stratfor Global Intelligence Update predicts a distancing of Europe from the United States in the future with Europe handling future crisis herself. The Update says:
We believe that the Kosovo conflict will become a definitive event in European history. The failure in Kosovo will cause the United States to recoil from casual interventions. More important, U.S. clumsiness in Kosovo will cause the Europeans to shy away from American leadership, particularly concerning European matters. The likelihood of an American administration herding NATO into another military adventure in Europe is minimal. This is a crucial change. There has been a tremendous asymmetry between Europe as a politico-military entity and Europe as an economic entity. NATO has been the primary politico-military expression of Europe, the EU the primary economic entity. This has made it extremely difficult for Europe to express a coherent viewpoint. The EU and NATO were simply not congruent.
The Europeans do have a vehicle for politico-military thinking, the Western European Union, which excludes the United States and is, therefore, far more congruent with the EU. But even that doesn't get to the heart of the problem. Germany's interests are specifically German. France's interests are French. The UK's interests are the UK's and are quite different from the other two. We expect two results from Kosovo. First, a strengthening of purely European institutions at the expense of NATO. Second, a greater caution by individual nations toward multinational commitments, including purely European ones.
Kosovo will undoubtedly bring to a close what we might call the era of casual intervention for the United States. There is nothing like failure to increase sobriety. We suspect that this is the last major foreign policy adventure for the Clinton Administration and would not be surprised to see Albright, Berger and Holbrooke accepting private sector positions in the near future. Most importantly, Kosovo closes what we regard as the interregnum between eras. The Cold War was not replaced by a unipolar world. That was a temporary anomaly. The new era of one superpower and several great powers, loosely united to limit U.S. power, is now beginning.
We'll tentatively christen this the New World Disorder while we wait for the new era to name itself. ("The World After Kosovo," May 3, 1999)
When the above analysis is combined with the fact that both Israel and the Palestinians have both lost confidence in America's ability to broker the Oslo accords, it is not surprising to find that especially the Palestinians are looking to Europe to impose a solution in the Middle East. The Israeli press has voiced concern that NATO, The United Nations, or Europe will enforce a similar solution upon Israel that is being attempted in Kosovo. Thus, recent developments continue to set the stage for the tribulation.
Israel's Covenant with Death
Daniel 9:27 says, "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." The pronoun "he" at the beginning of the verse refers to the future antichrist. Why? Because the nearest antecedent is clearly a reference to "the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary" (Dan. 9:26), which speaks of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in a.d. 70. Thus, "he" is the antichrist who will accomplish the events of 9:27 in the middle of the future 70th week of Daniel known as the tribulation on behalf of the Revived Roman Empire as previously taught by Daniel (Dan. 2,7).
Isaiah speaks of why Israel will sign such a covenant with the antichrist in 28:14-22. As was often done in her past, Israel will sign the covenant with the Revived Roman antichrist with the intent of providing security from her enemies that are pressing her from all sides. Instead of securing a covenant of life, as Israel' s leaders will think, the nation will start the tribulation with what is in reality a "covenant with death" (Isa. 28:15,18). Instead of gaining protection from her European vassal, Israel will experience "the overwhelming scourge" (Isa. 28:15,18) which is a metaphor for military invasion. Further, in the middle of the tribulation, this Roman antichrist who starts the tribulation by promising protection for the nation of Israel, will turn upon her and commence the greatest time of persecution ever upon the Jewish people (see Matt. 24:15-22; Rev. 12:1-17).
We see in our own day the increasing isolation of Israel within the world leading to an effort for her to look for security from man made covenants instead of looking to the Lord for stability. One day a European leader will step forth and appear to solve the Middle East crisis through negotiation and a covenant. In the mean time, God is preparing through contemporary events in our own day a Revived Roman Empire that will be the final phase of the kingdom of man that will put forth its greatest effort against Almighty God. The Kosovo crisis will likely result in the isolation of the U. S. from playing a leading role in European military affairs. Thus, paving the way, not only for the developing economic union of Europe, but a military unification as well. While God is preparing our world for judgment, the Believer should continue to watch and wait for the any-moment return of the Lord in the clouds to snatch away His bride- the church. Maranatha!
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