Part 5. The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. (Revelation 13:1-2)
The end times prophecies include global historical events!
Can we learn from the events leading to a federation in Europe, A federation that will usher the revealing of the antichrist, and his covenant with the Jewish nation? With every masterpiece in a drama or movie, it’s hard to understand well what’s happening until the final stage when the audience get to see and connect the last events with the past.
Actually it’s not until the removal of the curtain when the church is taken away, and at that time, the apostate (false) Church and the ungodly will realize the truth of the end time biblical prophecy. A very practical example: It’s not until one is born again when he or she start to see the bad life of the past.
Those who are totally immersed into the worldly affairs will be doing normal. By normal I mean doing common, usual, regular things. Jesus noted this when he spoke about his second coming. “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:37-39)
Apostle peter was not troubled by the day of the Lord. He reminded the church that what the prophets had spoken about is bound to happen irrespective of the scoffers who tried to create doubt. “But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of the ungodly.”(2 Peter 3:5-7).
The theme of the end time events is not to scare believers but to inspire and encourage them to live a godly life so as to welcome the rapture. Peter calls this living hope and unperishable inheritance, a salvation ready to be revealed. This is the final stage of salvation from the presence of sin. “Who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 peter 1:5 cf 2 Peter 3:11-17).
If you are a kind of a person that follows the world political and economic developments, you can be able to connect to the end time biblical prophecy. You may not clearly understand what’s happening unless you are spiritually devoted to understand and create awareness to the church of Christ. If you understand about the European common market you will understand Daniel chapter 2.”Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people.” (Daniel 2:40-44)
King Nebuchadnezzar in his dream saw an enormous glorious human statue made of head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. Daniel interpreted the dream as a series of successful kingdoms each less powerful with the Babylonian as the head of gold which was Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. After Babylonian kingdom followed Persia (medo-persia) represented by chest and arms of silver, Greek empire represented by belly and thighs of bronze, Roman empire represented by iron. Roman Empire was the fourth powerful kingdom.
End times biblical scholars differ as to the interpretation of the 5th Kingdom. Some say the feet of partly iron and partly baked clay is represented by various periods in the history of Europe. No wonder that during the Second World War and holocaust these scholars thought that the world is coming to an end. Others subscribe to the view that the feet is represented by the divided roman empire during the emergency and spread of Christianity, which was defeated by Christianity. But when you look at the book of Daniel, a rock not made with the hands of men will destroy the statue, it will increase and fill the earth indicating the setting up of the millennial earthly kingdom by Jesus Christ.
The third interpretation of the 5th kingdom which is popularly the best and true is that the 4th Roman Empire will revive under the coalition of ten nations (the ten toes of the statue) which will be led by the Antichrist. The scriptures say, “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.” (Rev. 17:12-13). The ten nations as common market nations will offer support to the one who is called “the beast” (Rev. 13:1) or “the man of perdition,” or the “lawless one.” (2 Thess.2). This is no one other than the Antichrist.
Where will the Antichrist begin to rule, and what would fallow? Follow the next and last issue in next week.
Tobe continued…….
By Rev. Andrew K Mugo and Pr. Peninah Kariuki
A MOMENT OF SPIRITUAL REFLECTION PART 2
