Daniel had a vision of a Terrible Beast.
It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left (Dan 7:7).He saw an Empire that would crush and devour many other nations.
In a recent interview Jeffrey Sachs described a nation that is ruthlessly trampling and destroying other nations. He is not a Christian, but I think he got a glimpse of the Terrible Beast.
Gerry Nolan writes (condensed),
The neglect of NATO's internal decrepitude underscores a strategic myopia. It reflects a geopolitical theatre where the West, led by a flailing superpower, clings to the vestiges of influence through fiat might, even as its military edifice crumbles.The spectacle of Britain's defense unraveling—ships mothballed before their time, a scant number of operational tanks, and an Army halved by medical downgrades—casts a long shadow over NATO's collective might. With such endemic debilitation at the heart of its second pillar, the alliance's capacity to project power or even sustain its logistical lifelines is cast into doubt... The irony of NATO's predicament is laid bare, with Britain's military disarray serving as a poignant emblem of the alliance's broader malaise... the manufacturing backbone of NATO's second most formidable army, the United Kingdom, is ensnared in a quagmire of incompetence and woke-induced paralysis... a facade of support propped up by nations struggling to muster their own martial strength.
This financial outpouring, juxtaposed against the backdrop of Britain's defense quandaries, prompts a deeper interrogation of the efficacy and aim of such support. With NATO grappling with its own existential challenges—dwindling arsenals, a beleaguered supply chain, and a military ethos under siege by the very ideologies it purports to defend—the allocation of such vast sums to Ukraine rings hollow. The heart of NATO itself, the US is staring down it’s own recruitment debacle, coupled with industrial capacity woes, with vast shortages of ammunition, amidst high demand (in Ukraine and Israel). It begs the question: To what end are these resources deployed when the foundations of the alliance itself are fraught with vulnerabilities and a creeping obsolescence?
As NATO stares into the abyss of its own making, the predicament of its once vaunted military powers—exemplified by Britain's decline—serves as a cautionary tale. The alliance's readiness to bankroll a conflict on the Eastern front, while its own arsenals and forces wane, speaks volumes of a strategic dissonance, a disjuncture between aspiration and capability. In this grand narrative of support for Ukraine, the tragic irony is that the very sinews of Western military might are fraying, leaving unanswered the poignant query: What can Ukraine, or indeed its patrons, hope to achieve... when the very sinew of their martial strength is atrophied by neglect and ideological schisms?
In the grand tapestry of our times, where geopolitical currents shift with the ferocity of a tempest, the narrative unfolding before us is not merely a story of conflict but a profound testament to the end of an era... the specter of NATO's disarray and Britain's military woes reverberate not as a clarion call of unyielding might but as the haunting dirge of a dominion facing its dusk. The staggering sum poured into the quagmire of Ukraine emerges not as the lifeline it was intended to be but as the last act of a strategy mired in delusion and denial. This is the West's final tantrum to cling to the shadows of a fading unipolar world, even as the dawn of multipolarity breaks.
The unfolding drama, set against the backdrop of Britain’s dwindling martial prowess and the internal contradictions tearing at NATO’s seams, paints a vivid picture of an alliance at odds with itself. This is not the steadfast coalition of lore, but a fragmented entity, grappling with its relevance in a world that no longer orbits around a single hegemonic power. A world no longer intimidated by the protection racket of NATO.
As we peer into the heart of this geopolitical earthquake, it becomes evident that the path forward demands not just a reevaluation of strategies but a fundamental reassessment of what constitutes true leadership on the global stage. The future beckons with the promise of a multipolar world order, one where cooperation supersedes confrontation, and mutual respect for sovereignty forms the cornerstone of international relations. In this new era, the true measure of strength lies not in the ability to dominate or intimidate but in the capacity to build bridges and forge a shared path toward collective security and prosperity.
Gerry Nolan writes,
In a theatre of the absurd that could only be conceived by a dying hegemon in denial, the United States, under the comic guise of bolstering democracy and countering authoritarianism, continues to hemorrhage its wealth and moral standing on the global stage. This grand illusion, sustained by a bipartisan consensus in Washington, stands in stark contrast to the crumbling edifice of American society, beset by internal schisms and a populace weary of forever wars. The latest congressional extravaganza—funneling billions into made-by-the US catastrophes in Ukraine and Israel—serves not as a testament to American strength but as a damning indictment of a superpower in spiralling decline.This grotesque spectacle unfolds against the backdrop of a nation grappling with crises of historic proportions: a border crisis, sky high crime rates, failing infrastructure, immense poverty, amid whispers of civil war brewing beneath the surface, and an electorate polarized to the point of paralysis, by design. A 2024 election campaign that is pouring gasoline to the fire with a delusional and highly divisive Biden administration facing down a resurgent Trump campaign poised to fracture any veneer of "united states" Yet, amidst these tempests, the American political machine, with almost comedic irony, chooses to pour its dwindling resources into the bottomless pit of wars that it will not win, that most Americans stand in opposition to.
The absurdity of this situation cannot be overstated. At a time when American infrastructure crumbles, poverty escalates, and the social fabric tears at the seams, the decision to escalate involvement in unwinnable proxy wars is not just misguided; it's a tragic comedy of errors. This is a nation that, rather than addressing the glaring disparities and injustices within its own borders, opts to engage in the cynical machinations of regime change and enabling genocide, exporting chaos in the name of democracy, all while its own democratic institutions teeter on the brink.
The tragic irony here is palpable. The United States, once a beacon of hope and tasked as a guarantor of global stability, now plays the role of an arsonist, igniting fires it cannot extinguish. The American populace, already disillusioned by the endless cycle of conflict and intervention, finds itself caught in a Kafkaesque nightmare: their voices ignored, their needs sidelined, and their futures mortgaged to the ambitions of an elite class obsessed with maintaining a façade of global dominance and relevance.
Moreover, the schism within American society is not just a domestic issue; it has profound implications for its standing on the world stage. Allies and adversaries alike watch with a mix of bewilderment and opportunism as the U.S. struggles to reconcile its internal contradictions. The promise of American leadership, once a lighthouse of stability, now flickers uncertainly, as the nation's priorities become increasingly inscrutable to any rational observer...
Most modern translations of the New Testament use the English word “beast” for the Greek word “therion”. A beast is one of the main characters in John’s vision. The problem is that we do not use the word beast much these days. We speak of animals, but we rarely refer to a beast, so it is hard to understand what John is describing.
I recently read a translation of the New Testament (by NT Wright) that translates therion as “monster”. This immediately rang a bell for me. Every child knows about monsters. They know that they are big powerful and terrifying.
In my Notes on Revelation, I refer to a monster rather than a beast. This makes it easier to get a sense of what John saw.
In a recent series of posts, I gave ten reasons why the United States might be the Beast of Revelation. The Beast is a bully.
While fighting the coronavirus, the United States has continued with bullying other nations.
I observed three things last week that were a little disturbing. Serious deception – Politicians and their followers will accept a lie if it will get them what they want, especially if they dislike the victim. Massive hypocrisy – Feigned outrage at an enemy that does bad things, while turning a blind to a friend that does greater evil. Immense love for bully power.
All these lead beastward.
The United States has the largest population of Jews outside Israel. These are good, diligent, productive people, but they have no spiritual protection. If they have not accepted Jesus, they are still under the Mosaic covenant, but they are unable to fulfil its requirements. The covenant sacrifices that covered the sins are the people were discontinued when Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70, so they have not expiation for sin. This leaves them under the curse of the covenant without any remedy.
US Christians tend to assume that the status of the Jews depends on the covenant with Abraham recorded in Gen 12:2-3. This is wrong. This covenant still stands, but it has been amplified by the covenant with Moses. The blessings promised to Abraham were channelled through the covenant with Moses (just as they are now being channelled to those who believe in Jesus through his covenant). Therefore, the status of the Jewish people depends much more on the covenant with Moses.
The curse of the Mosaic covenant gives the spiritual powers of evil the right to attack them. The large number of Jewish people in the United States without any spiritual protection leaves a door open to evil spiritual attack, which is far more dangerous than the nations leaky land borders.
This spiritual vulnerability might allow the Terrible Beast to emerge in the United States. The fact that many Jews lives there, but are still under the old covenant, gives the powers of spiritual evil to establish the beast in that land. The devil hates the children of Abraham with a vengeance and pursues them to destroy them (Rev 12:13), so he is keen to get his Beast established in the United States, so can destroy the Jewish people sheltering there. This explains why evil and violence are so prevalent in the United States, despite the large number of Christians living in the nation.
The advance of Islam, together with the other three horsemen of Revelation are events that God allows in order to expose the hubris of political and military power. The powerful nations of the world respond to these events by seizing immense political powers for themselves. By gorging on political power, they allow the Terrible Beast described in Revelation and Daniel to emerge.
The Roman Empire was not something odd. It was just a typical empire from that time, but more effective, more ruthless and more powerful than others. The Beast of Revelation will not be something different or unusual in its time. It will not be something totally new and different, like in the in the Left Behind series. The Beast will just be a very powerful nation that uses military, economic and political power to control events all over the world. It will gather an alliance of smaller nations to assist it accomplish its purposes.
Christians who understand what is happening will oppose the Beast, but they will not fight it with military or political power, because that would be playing into its strength, because in a political contest, power will always win. They will speak against it prophetically, and the response will be savage. Many Christians will be martyred for challenging the militaristic and political heart of the Beast.
These prophetic Christians will be among the martyrs John saw under the altar, crying out for justice, when the fifth seal was opened (Rev 6:9=11). The first four seals cause trouble that allows Beast to emerge. The opening of the fifth seal allows it to persecute Christians.
A state of Israel based on political and military power is not God’s purpose for his people. He wants Israel to export wisdom, peace and law (Is 2:2-4), not military hardware. The current militaristic state will have to be swept away before God’s purposes can be fulfilled.
The Israeli people who have chosen military and power for their salvation will get what they want. The Beast of Revelation, which is the ultimate political and military power will invade Israel, and they will get such a dose of extreme military and political power that they will hate it forever (Dan 11:13-16).
God has allowed ISIS to emerge in the Sunni areas of Iraq and Syria, so that the Beast will invade the Middle East. This will take a while to happen, but the identify of the Beast will be revealed, when it invades the Middle East to try and destroy ISIS. American Christians who want to send the marines in against ISIS, are implicitly wanting America to the Beast of Revelation.
Christians who are advocating military force against Iran and ISIS will find themselves operating as cheerleaders for the Beast as it emerges. They will find themselves operating as horned prophets, advocating their enemy and opposing the purposes of God. Many will get sucked into deception and will not realise until too late that they cannot escape.
NATO is back in the news, pushing military forces up to the border of Ukraine. It is a strange beast that is not well understood.
NATO was established in 1949 by a treaty between the United States and the nations of Western Europe to defend against the power of the Soviet Union. With the collapse of the Soviet system, NATO should have been redundant, but it has been kept on as a way for the United States to project power while pretending to be something else. The US invasion of Afghanistan was branded as a NATO action to give it a cloak of respectability.
The reality is that NATO is a toothless tiger, because most of the nations of Europe have disarmed and do not have serious military power. When NATO supported the rebellion in Libya, the European nations ran out of weapons in a few days. The United States had to do all the heavy lifting. The European powers are militarily weak, so the most that they can do in most situations is to impose economic sanctions against people and companies.
In Revelation 13, John saw a beast coming out of the sea. This Beast looked like a lamb but was really a dragon (Rev 13:11), ie it seemed to be on Jesus side, but shifted over to the other side. I have suggested that this terrible beast could be the United States.
According to John, this Beast sets up an image of itself (Rev 13:14-15). This image of the Beast could be NATO. It behaves in the same way as the United States, and is really a mask for American power. NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Daniel saw a powerful empire called the King of the North (Dan 11). NATO is linked to the King of the North.
The image of the beast does not use military power, but relies on police power to destroy all opposition.…cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed (Rev 13:15).
This beast also relies on economic sanctions to achieve its objectives.It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a badge of servitude… so that they could not buy or sell unless they had it (Rev 13:16-17).
The NATO countries claim to target sanctions against the rich and powerful, but it is usually the poor who suffer most.
The Beast of Revelation is not a person. It is a nation that dominates the world, just as Rome, Greece, Persia, Babylon, Egypt and Assyria did in the past. Giving the name “Antichrist” to the Beast of Revelation and Daniel has no basis in the scriptures. Their beasts are nations that dominate huge empires. Renaming the Beast turns a nation into a person, which is misleading and wrong.
The Kingdom of God is the will of God being done.
Democracy is the will of man being done.
The Kingdom of God and Democracy are opposites.
The Beast of Revelation is the culmination of a democratic empire.
If democracy is the beast, then this photo shows the mark of the beast.
Daniel’s great insight is that all human government is evil. All human political power will have to be swept away, before the Kingdom of God. The good news in his message is that first three beasts are signs that the collapse of human government is getting close. The time when the the Holy Spirit is able to bring in the Kingdom of God is also near.
The collapse of the fourth beast will be very messy. The Bible refers to this as the Time of Distress. This will be a very short period of time, but it will be quite unpleasant. The world economy will go into decline causing much pain for everyone. Christians will rejoice in these trials, because will they see the fullness of the Kingdom of God springing fourth.
Christians do not need to fight human political power. God will sweep away human political power by bringing judgment against it. The four winged leopard will contribute to the destruction of the fourth beast.
William Lind recently commented about the impact of economic troubles on fourth generation warfare on the legitimacy of the state. We must remind ourselves that the root and origin of Fourth Generation war is a crisis of legitimacy of the state. One of the functions the state is now expected to perform, in free market as well as socialist countries, is to ensure that the economy functions as well. A world-wide financial panic followed by a world recession or depression would mean the state was failing in one of its core functions. That in turn would further diminish the legitimacy of the state.
He notes that a state’s legitimacy is a not a function of elections, but depends on the ability of the state to provide vital services. Fourth generation warfare will play an important role in undermining human faith in human government. Intelligent Fourth Generation entities, ranging from some drug gangs through organizations such as Hezbollah, are competing directly with the state for people’s primary loyalty. If those Fourth Generation entities can provide basic services, including food, when the state can no longer do so, they will gain the legitimacy that state is losing. In Fourth Generation war, that is a bigger win than any potential military victory.
The four winged leopard will undermine the empire set up to defeat it by undermining its legitimacy. People will wake up and realise that their governments are not delivering the security that they promised. They will resent paying taxes to a government that does not deliver. Human government will eventually collapse when people no longer trust it to care for them.
In terms of 4GW theory, the lessons here are two. First, a global economic crisis is likely to lead to a much deeper crisis, a widespread existential crisis of the state itself. Second, the Fourth Generation entities that benefit from this crisis will be those that provide basic services more effectively than can the state. Once again, just as from a military perspective, we see that the "Hezbollah model" is the most promising model for Fourth Generation, non-state organizations. That model includes a highly competent military that can defeat state armed forces. But it employs its military capability sparingly, fighting only when attacked or when a low-risk, high-payoff military opportunity presents itself, which will be seldom.
For 4GW entities, the outcome of wars will remain unpredictable. Instead, the Hezbollah model focuses day-to-day on providing services to the people, building its legitimacy vis-à-vis the state and gaining the population’s primary loyalty. At some point, that loyalty will become so strong that not even military defeat by a state’s armed forces will destroy it.
Daniel’s third beast was leopard with four heads and four wings. After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule (Dan 7:6).
The leopard is an animal known for its agility and intelligence. It lies in wait near a town to tear to pieces anyone who ventures out (Jer 5:6; Hos 13:7). It is also very swift (Hab 1:8). The two pairs of wings are also an indication of swiftness and speed. This beast has four heads and it is given authority to rule. The number four represents the earth. A head stands for authority, so the four heads mean that this beast has authority throughout the earth. This suggests that the beast is not a nation, but a worldwide movement. The leopard is found in India, Asia and Africa, indicating that this movement will be based in the developing world.
When I first wrote about this leopard in the 1980s, I thought that this foretold the development of international terrorism. This is partly true, but it misses the point, because focussing on terrorism just produces fear. The leopard represents more than mindless terrorism.
The key to understanding the leopard is the word “four”. The four-headed leopard (4WL) represents groups using “fourth generation warfare”.
The doctrine of Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW) was first defined in 1989 by William L Lind and a team of American Marine Corp analysts. I am not stupid enough to think that Daniel was thinking about 4GW, but I do believe that when Walter Lind was working with his mates to describe this new phenomenon, the Holy Spirit popped the number four into their minds, as a clue for alert readers of Daniel.
4GW describes a return to a decentralized form war in which the state has lost its monopoly over combat forces. One of the major participants is not a state, but an ideological network that employs tactics that weaken a powerful state.
Prior to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, wars were fought by families, tribes, religions, cities and business enterprises, not just with armies, but also with navies, Westphalia gave the state a monopoly over war. The first generation of state-controlled war used line and column tactics, where battles were formal and the battlefield was orderly. This created a military culture of order.
The second generation began in the middle of the 19th century when rifled muskets, breech loaders and machine guns made the old line and column tactics suicidal. The solution was mass firepower, most artillery fire. Order was restored by placing infantry in trenches and using centrally-controlled artillery according specific plans and orders. Obedience was more important than initiative and discipline was imposed from the top.
Third Generation warfare was developed by the German Army and is commonly known as Blitzkrieg or manoeuver warfare. The emphasis is on mobile firepower, speed and surprise. The aim is to get behind the enemy’s lines and destroying them from the rear.
The fourth generation marks a radical change in the nature of warfare, because the state loses its monopy over warfare. 4GW undermines the authority of human governments, by exposing their weakness.
Daniel saw for beasts rising out of the sea. Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea (Dan 7:2-3).
The sea is a symbol of the multitudes of people living in the world (Rev 1715). These events happen at a time when the people of the world are all stirred up. The beasts represent strong human political powers. They are not imposed from above, but are raised up by the people themselves.
The first beast represents the struggle between the United States and Islam in the Middle East. This struggle began in 1978 with the Iranian revolution and is still going. Unfortnately the outcome is not good. Whether it wins or not, America will be changed. It began with a heart towards God, but when its power is challenged, it turns its heart towards human political power and military power. It will stand on its feet, but it will stand in human strength, rather than trusting in the power of God.
The first beast paves the way for the second. For a long time Russia’s power was in decline. Its strength has emerged toward the west and will grow in the future, because America is bogged down in the Middle East. The western powers will engage in endless pontificating and posturing but they are powerless to assist Georgia and any other ribs, because they need Russian support in Afghanistan and against Iran.
The events of the first and second beast will open the way for the third beast. Each beast is different from the others, but they are all based on human power. Their appeal as an option for peace will have to be smashed before people will seek the kingdom of God. The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time (Dan 7:12).
Each of the beasts will have their power and authority stripped away.
The biggest risk to the world economy is the men who pull the levers of power in the government and the financial system. They have considerable ability to get things wrong while trying to put things right. Most depressions are caused when unexpected events are exacerbated by political and financial leaders. The credit crunch is the result of foolish responses to previous troubles. The capabilities of our political leaders have not improved with time, so they still have massive ability to stuff things up.
The Federal Reserve is currently pumping credit like a thirsty man at a dry well. The Fed knows nothing else, but boosting credit is just more of the same; more of what created the credit crisis in the first place. Massive credit creation may limit the worst of the immediate damage, but it will spawn terrible problems for the future. Current policies will leave a lake of liquidity. When confidence conspires and leverage ramps up again, the world economy could spin into hyper-inflation.
The central banks are now pushing the banks to do more lending, but this is naive. Their solution is the same as the problem. Reckless lending got the world into a mess, so more lending will not save it. A new borrowing binge and spending spree will not restore the economy.
Bush’s $700 billion rescue package for the banking sector may restore banking confidence, but it will not resolve the problem, because it rewards weaker lenders with new capital. In free market, the competent and wise people who prepared for hard times usually take over the assets of the reckless and incompetent. This time the reverse is happening. Governments are taking from the prudent people and businesses that built up wealth and giving to the careless, foolish and bungling banks. That cannot be good for the economy.
The American financial system is seriously flawed. It will eventually collapse when God has had enough of American shenanigans, but until that happens, it will lurch from minor crisis to minor crisis and from power to more power.
Bernanke and Co Ltd are throwing the kitchen sink at the global credit crisis, but they produced the crisis, so it is unlikely that they understand the solution. That does not matter, as wrong solutions often appear to be efficacious, and appearances are all that count in the political world.
The politicians and bankers will prop it up their economies, but they will be sowing the seeds that sprout into the next problem. That is fine, because political powers never want correct solutions. They cannot eliminate problems, because they need the next crisis to justify an expansion of power.
Mistakes by political leaders do not mean state power will diminish. State power will increase dramatically throughout the economy and society, as people demand political action to solve the problems their political leaders created. The main consequence of the credit crunch will be an enormous increase of state power throughout the world.
The United States was started by good men. The United States has a greater proportion of Christians than any nation in the world. Surely they would not allow their nation to become a terrible beast.
We should note two dangers.
I hope I am wrong, but wise men should be vigilant.
Daniel had an amazing vision of a dreadful beast.After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns (Daniel 7:7).
The angel explained to Daniel the nature of this beast.He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it (Dan 7:23).
This beast represents a future empire that will be totally different from everything that has gone before. It will trample and crush most of the world.
The key to identifying this empire is the ten kings or governments that gave power to the terrible beast.While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully (Daniel 7:8).
To understand this verse we must ask and important question. How many kings? I always assumed there were just ten kings in action, but a close examination shows that this is not correct. The book of Revelation gives an important clue.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).
Two things are important. The ten kings or governments only hold power for a short time. They willingly gave their authority to the terrible beast.
Now look at what Daniel said.The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings (Dan 7:24).
Daniel also noticed three kings. They are subdued by the emerging empire. This means that they were not part of the ten. The ten willingly handed over authority to the emerging empire. The three kings were unwilling and had to be subdued. The ten kings are on the head of the beast, because they share its nature. The three kings are not on the head of the beast because they opposed it.10+3=13
Ten willing kings plus three unwilling kings means a total of 13 kings or governments.
The key to identifying the beast is to find a place where thirteen governments come into existence for a brief time. They surrender there authority to a single government, because they think it will be good. The new government is situated in a small territory in the middle of them. The new government begins with very limited powers but its power grows rapidly unit has total control over all thirteen governments. Three of these kings try to secede but a crushed and forced to remain.
Modern Christian make a lot of the mark of the beast described in Revelation. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no-one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for Wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666. Rev 13:16-18
This persecution takes place in a time of famine, when food is scarce. Every person is given a mark, which is a sign of allegiance to the Beast. It is the number or name of the Beast. Any person who does not have this mark, will not be allowed to buy or sell. Christians would not be able to take the mark, so they will not be able to buy or sell. The persecution will take the form of economic discrimination. The actual procedure will be implemented by the false prophet (Rev 17:6).
A great deal has been made about the introduction of credit cards and computerised check-out counters. It has been suggested that each person would be tattooed with a credit number on their wrist or forehead. These would be used to make all financial transactions, in what would be a cashless society. It has even been suggested that there is a giant computer in Brussels which will provide the link-up, and that its operators euphemistically call it "the beast". Some people have even imagined that they see the number 666 on some credit cards.
We should not get too carried away with all this. If we look closely at what John says, we see that each person is not given their own individual number, but the number of the Beast. Each person is given the same number or mark, and not a personal credit number. In fact the mark is not a credit number but a mark of allegiance to a political ruler, the Beast.
This vision does not need modern computer technology to be implemented. In John’s time when a slave was sold in the market-place, he was branded with a hot iron on the forehead or arm with the mark of his owner. This made it impossible for the slave to escape. It would be something like this that John saw.
A ruler could have done this in any age. He would have all his people tattooed with a mark representing his name. A decree would then be issued forbidding all citizens from trading with a person who did not have the mark. Anyone who refused to take the mark would be effectively outlawed. The persecution John saw in the vision could have taken place in any age. We should not place too much importance on the advances in computer technology. Computer technology may be used to bring it about, but the existence of computers and credit cards, does not necessarily mean that it is coming soon.
John did not have a vision of a cashless society. He only saw people being branded with a mark of allegiance. The fact that we appear to be advancing towards a cashless society, does not mean that this part of the vision is being fulfilled.
More here.
The book of Revelation tells the story of the rise and fall of the democratic state. Although it achieves power, it will eventually collapse under its own weight. When man ignores God, things go wrong on earth. The curses and plagues described in the book of Revelation are the consequences of rampant state power. The democratic state will demand more and more power to deal with these problems and plagues, but it will fail. As it demands more power, the problems will just get worse. Eventually everything will collapse under the strain.This will present a tremendous opportunity to Christians, if they are ready. Thing will get so bad that the kings and politicians will want to hide.Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains (Rev 6:15).
The powerful people will be so shaken that they will want to hide.
Mary prophesied the collapse of human government.He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
The birth of Jesus marked the beginning of the end for human rulers. They will be brought down from their thrones as their empires collapse.
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble (Luke 1:51, 52).
The people of the world will be looking for a better form of government. They will have had enough of human government and be open to an alternative. If Christians are ready to present a alternative, it will be well received. People will be crying out for the government of God. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever (Rev 11:15).
The collapse of democratic government will create a great vacuum that only the government of God can fill.
Christians must not use force against democratic government. They must wait for God to judge it. They should wait for it to collapse under its own internal weakness. A lot of stuff might have to happen first. Christian communities will need to be restored in every location. During the transition, these communities may have to protect themselves from attack and provide economic support for each other as the global economy breaks down, but that is another story.
The military power of the United States is even greater than its economic power. It currently spends more on defence than the next 15 to 20 biggest spenders combined. The Congress has currently agreed to increase military spending by $US50 billion. This is more than the entire defence budget of Germany or the UK. The United States defence budget could grow to be greater than that of the all other countries in the world combined.
The United States has overwhelming nuclear superiority, the world’s dominant air force, the only true, blue-water navy and military bases all over the world. It leads the world in exploiting the military applications of advanced communications and information technology. Listening devices allow military planners to monitor enemy communications. Satellite technology allows them to observe a battlefield in detail. Commanders are linked by an intranet that gives precise information about battle formations and unmanned planes and guided missiles are becoming increasingly sophisticated. These developments give unrivalled ability to co-ordinate and process information about the battlefield and destroy targets from afar with extraordinary precision. This military superiority gives the Untied states a unique capability to project power around the world, and it achieved with less than 4 percent of GDP.
The United States is also making it hard for any other country to catch up. It currently spends three times more on military research and development than the next six military powers combined. US spending on military research and development is greater than the total spending on defence by Germany or the UK. In the next decade, advanced technology will cause an enormous leap forward in military capability, so the military power of the United States will continue to increase dramatically.
In the past, the United States tended to have an isolationist approach to the world affairs. It has only became involved when drawn in by events. The election of George W Bush brought a significant change in this respect. Previous governments recognised the unprecedented power of the United States, but did not know how to use it. George W Bush has brought to power men who believe that America should use its unique power to shape the world order and control its direction for the next century. L’Express newspaper called this messianic imperialism. The United States has become an imperialistic nation, but it does so to save the world from evil.
A disturbing aspect of this American imperialism is the encouragement that is been given by Christians in the United States. Here are few examples.God bless America, because God is with you. This nation did not become a strong nation, getting on its knees to despots and tyrants, we have defeated them from George Washington to George Bush and as a nation we are going to stand on our feet and defeat the tyrants of the world, and now is the time to do it. God bless George Bush (Pastor John Hagee).
I find these statements very disturbing. The Kingdom of God cannot be established by military power. Military power always lead to domination, even if it is democratic domination. Christians seems to be encouraging the United States into the role of the Beast of Daniel.
For in these days says the Lord my prophets will wear the attire of a soldier. They will call themselves Marines, Army, Air Force and Navy. I will send them abroad and they shall tread down the adder and the serpent that set itself against them. They will bring my retribution and revival.... Wherever the soles of their feet tread they will possess the land. They will reestablish my borders and boundaries in the land. No longer will the dragon of tyranny reign upon the head of that generation… America, I have sent you as evangelists and prophets to the nations. You have donned the uniform of the soldier and are setting a new precedence of the warrior heart (Chad Taylor – My Prophets in Uniform).
Here are some of adventures that Daniel prophecied for this military power, but not for good.
Next One
Another
