Coming
World Emperor,
Part I
Astounding as it may seem the scriptures clearly
teach there is coming a time when Satan will be able to produce a
man through whom he will gain virtual control over the entire world.
That control will be so powerful and pervasive that the great
majority of the world will knowingly worship the emperor and Satan
as their god.
"And I saw one of his heads as if it had been
mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world
marveled and followed the beast. So they worshipped the dragon
(Satan), who gave authority to the beast (The
human emperor), and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast?
Who is able
to make war with him.’" Revelation 13:3-4.
The Devil is often referred to as a liar and a
deceiver in the scriptures. As such, he is a counterfeiter. He tries
to represent himself and his ways as being like God. The coming
world emperor is his version of God’s promised Christ. No doubt, he
will appear as much like Christ in the beginning as the Devil can
make him. The masses of humanity will be deceived. But for those who
desire to know the true God there is sufficient revelation to
recognize
the
difference between Satan’s Christ and God’s true Christ.
titles given by the
prophet Daniel to identify Satan’s false Christ:
Discussed in part i:
The Little Horn
THE PRINCE WHO IS TO COME
Continuing in Part II:
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
MAN OF SIN/THE LAWLESS ONE
THE BEAST OUT OF THE SEA
"The
little Horn" Daniel 7:8, 11, 19-26
To gain the fullest understanding of this
scripture it must be studied in connection with Daniel, chapter 2.
Both of these chapters teach that four vast empires would rule over
the land of Israel before Christ establishes His kingdom on earth.
Chapter 2 of Daniel presents these four empires in the form
of a great statue. . .as beheld by the eyes of mankind:
The head of gold represents the empire of Babylon
from 604 BC to 539 BC Verses 37, 38.
The breast and arms of silver represents the
empire of Medo-Persia from 539 -333 B.C. Verse 39a
The belly and thighs of brass represent Greece
from 333 – 323 BC Verse 39b.
The legs and feet of iron with the feet part iron
and part clay represented the Roman Empire from 323 BC onward. The
visible political western branch of Rome ended in 467 AD. The
eastern branch in 1476 AD
The feet and toes partly of iron (dictatorship)
and partly of clay (democracy) represent a revived form of the Roman
Empire that will be in existence when Christ returns to establish
His kingdom.
Daniel 7 presents these four empires as wild
beasts. . .as beheld by the eyes of God:
Babylon is presented as a lion with eagle’s wings
7:4
Medo-Persia is presented as a bear 7:5
Greece is presented as a leopard with four wings
7:6
Rome is presented as a diverse beast 7:7
The 10
horns on the diverse beast represent 10 nations forming a Federation
of Nations of the revived Roman Empire.
The Little Horn (7:8, 9) devouring three existing
horns pictures the rapidly rising leader disposing of three kings
and taking control of their three kingdoms (7:24). The other seven
kings proceed to acknowledge him as the supreme leader of the
federation. In addition, this leader will:
- Have a mouth boasting great things (7:8, 20)
- Wage war with the saints and overpower them (7:21)
- Will speak out against the Most High (7:25a) ( He is
"anti-Christ" or against Christ.)
- Seek to make changes in times and in law. (7:25b)
- Have 3 ½ times to do his work (Explained in Revelation as 1260
days –11:2,3 or 42 months 13:5).
Do we see 10 nations clearly committed to
revive the Roman Empire with a Federation of Nations? No. Do we
see movement that will make such an event possible? Absolutely.
Amazingly coincidental, it was 1948, the same
year Israel became an independent nation in 2500 years, that
unification of Europe began. Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg
entered into the Benelux Treaty which became the nucleus for
European Economic unity.
In 1951, the European Coal and Steel Community
was formed with West Germany, France, and Italy joining the
original three.
In 1957 Great Britain joined these nations in
the Treaty of Rome, setting up:
- The European Economic Community
- Euratom – to develop peace time uses of atomic energy
- Continuation of the coal and steel community.
They bound these three divisions together with:
- An executive council of ministers
- And European parliament
- A European Court of Justice to which individual nations and
their police forces were bound to obey.
By 1981 there were 10 members and by 1995 there
were 15. Economic and political union of recognizable nations had
become a reality. In 1993 the European Economic Community (EEC)
approved the "Ecu" as its standard money. In January of 1999 all
nations of the EEC agreed to enter into full economic unity by
having one Central Bank and one common currency.
In the early 1990’s the EEC tried to intimidate
Saddam Hussein to adopt a peaceful policy by the threat of an
economic boycott. He laughed at their threat. They would find that
it would require the military power of a "Desert Storm" to
accomplish this. This has been repeated in 2003 with
Operation: Iraqi Freedom.
"The Prince Who Is To Come" Daniel 9:26
In many ways the prophecy God gave in Daniel
9:24-27 is one of the most awesome prophecies in all of the word of
God.
"Seventy weeks are determined for your
people and your holy city. . ."
This refers to seventy weeks of years equaling
490 years. The Jews used units of seven years (shabua) to measure
time instead of decades of ten years as we do in the western world.
God’s purpose in these 490 years is to
- Provide redemption which was accomplished by Christ’s death on
the cross and
- Bring about the national restoration of Israel which will be
accomplished at the second coming of Christ (9:24)
"Know therefore and understand that from the
going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there
shall be seven weeks and sixty two weeks. . ." Verse 25
Out of four Persian decrees relating to Israel’s
return to their land only the fourth decree by Artaxerxes on March
5, 444 BC authorized the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. The
seven weeks or 49 years was the period in which Jerusalem was built.
To the seven weeks was added a period of 62 weeks making a total of
483 years until Messiah, the Prince (Jesus Christ).
To Sir Robert Anderson, a retired Scotland Yard
Inspector, we owe the debt for his meticulous work in determining
the span of these 483 years. Using the Jewish lunar calendar of 360
days to a year and multiplying that times 483 years equaled 173,880
days. Tracing out those 173,880 days results in a closing date of
March 30, 33 AD. That was the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a
mule and officially presented Himself to Israel as their Messiah.
"After the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be
cut off, but not for Himself;. . ."9:26a In the week following
the presentation of Jesus to Israel He was crucified on the cross of
Calvary. We must notice that the prophecy says, "After the
sixty-two weeks (69 total) Messiah will be cut off."
Between the 69th week and the 70th week is the
church age, "the mystery which has been hidden from ages
and generations; but has now been revealed to His saints"
Colossians 1:26. Israel’s time clock will not start again until she
signs a seven year peace covenant with the anti-Christ or ("The
World’s Coming Emperor.").
". . .And the people of the prince who is to come
shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. . ." (9:26b) The
people who destroyed Jerusalem and it’s Temple were the Roman
Legions under Titus in 70 AD. This gives positive identification
that the prince who is to come will be prince of a revived Roman
Empire.
"Then he shall confirm a covenant with the many
for one week (seven years). ."
(9:27a) Before the ink dries on the signatures of
the Roman Prince and Israel’s president, Israel’s clock of seven
years will be ticking.
". . .But in the middle of the week he shall
bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of
abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the
consummation which is determined, is poured out on the
desolate." (9:27b) Here is positive confirmation that the
covenant between the Roman Prince and Israel includes authority for
Israel to:
- Rebuild their temple
- Authenticate their priesthood and
- Renew their sacrifices and offerings.
This verse also reveals that after 3 ½ years
the Roman prince will break the covenant; forbid any further
offerings and sacrifices and commit an abomination in the Temple
that will make it desolate. In His "Olivet Discourse" Jesus
confirmed that this event is still future. "Therefore when you
see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, spoken of by
Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let
him
understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the
mountains." Matthew 24:15, 16.
Is Israel ripe for a peace covenant that will
give them peace, security, and the authorization to renew the
practice of their religion under the Mosaic Covenant. Indeed they
are. It is headline news in virtually every major newspaper and a
topic on television world news. Moreover, it has been a
continuing news item in varying degrees of intensity for fifty-two
years.
Will the United Nations Produce The Man To Be
Emperor Of The World?
A great deal of the idealism that constructed
the United Nations is the same idealism that will ultimately bring
abut "The Federated Nations Of Europe" but the United Nations is a
paper tiger, bogged down with cumbersome committees. It is more
talk than action.
As surely as the word of God is true there will
come a point when ten nations of the former Roman Empire will
unite in a political, economic and military federation. Within
this framework the coming Emperor of the World will rise.
Copyright © 2002 Thomas E Berry
All Scriptures quoted from NKJV unless otherwise noted
Copyright © 2008 Truth Helpers Inc.
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