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The 20th century was witness to the most terrible wars in human history. Thankfully we haven't seen anything on like scale in the 70 years since World War II. But will there ever be a time like this again, when genocidal leaders in attempting to rule the world wreak death and havoc on this level?
Your Bible says there will be such a time.
In the face of growing world crises, a charismatic leader akin to the worst dictators of the past will ultimately arise in Europe with promises of peace and safety. Ten other leaders will unite with him, giving their national sovereignty over to this ruler for a short time. The biblical book of Revelation refers to both the power bloc and its leader as "the Beast" -- a revival of the Roman Empire.
In fact, this revival will follow the pattern of the Holy Roman Empire in returning to the church-state union of medieval times. The Beast ruler will form a partnership with the prophesied False Prophet, the leader of the great false church system known as Babylon the Great (Revelation 17) -- religion being seen as a means to hold the politically unstable empire together. False miracles will convince the masses to follow the False Prophet and the Beast.
Despite its weaknesses, the European power will, like its predecessors, be transformed into a war-making apparatus. An astonished world will ask: "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" (Revelation 13:4 ). Yet there will indeed be war -- the very worst ever.
Conflict between this coming European superpower and a Middle Eastern coalition will be the final manifestation of the struggle detailed in the prophecy of Daniel 11 between powers to the north and south of the Holy Land -- Syria and Egypt respectively in ancient times, with the northern power eventually becoming Rome and its successors. Daniel 11:40 says that at the time of the end the king of the South will push or ram at the king of the North.
Psalm 83 presents a confederation of nations, now Muslim, united in common cause against Israel (Psalms 83:1-18 ). This may equate to the final kingdom of the South, perhaps centered in Egypt, the largest Arab state, or possibly Saudi Arabia, homeland of Islam.
Daniel 11:40 shows that some kind of provocative action will be launched from this region against the final king of the North, the European Beast power. It might be a major terrorist attack, in line with jihadists' dreams of striking against European Christendom. In any case, this is the spark that ignites a new world war, as we next see huge retaliation by the northern power, which includes its forces invading and occupying parts of the Middle East and North Africa -- and entering the Holy Land (Daniel 11:40-43 ).
We are also told in Daniel's prophecy that "many countries shall be overthrown" by the European power at this time (Daniel 11:41 ). Other passages reveal the horror of what this entails. It ultimately means disaster for the nations descended from the so-called lost 10 tribes of Israel -- particularly the United States and the other nations of British descent (see our free study guide The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy for more explanation).
Jesus said these events would be followed by "great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24:21 ). The same time is spoken of in Daniel 12:1 and Jeremiah 30:7 , the latter verse calling it "the time of Jacob's trouble" -- Jacob being the progenitor of the tribes of Israel.
So the Great Tribulation is initially the time of suffering to come particularly on the descendants of ancient Israel for their rebellion against God -- to be followed by a year-long "Day of the Lord" judgment on the world at large (Isaiah 34:8 ).
The prophet Ezekiel wrote prophecies for his own day and the end time -- many with dual application to both. Note that Ezekiel 5:4 foretells that a fire would go out "into all the house of Israel." And yet the northern tribes of Israel had gone into captivity about 150 years earlier.
This prophecy, then, was apparently directed to the last days. So it's certainly disturbing to read God's warning that one third would die by disease and famine and another third by the sword of warfare, with the remaining third being carried away into captivity and scattered (Ezekial 5:12-13). Some try to apply this exclusively to the siege of Jerusalem in Ezekiel's time, but a parallel prophecy occurs in Zechariah 13:8-9 , given long after Jerusalem's ancient fall.
Thus, if the descendants of ancient Israel today in their modern nations were estimated at around 300 million people, that means 100 million would die through disease and famine and another 100 million would die through war -- this death toll for just these people being far more than the deaths among all nations in World Wars I and II.
Then another 100 million would be scattered, pursued and taken captive, and other passages seem to say that only a tenth of those will survive (see Amos 5:3 ; Isaiah 6:11-13 , Living Bible). This would leave only 10 million survivors. The genocide against the Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, horrific as it was, is far smaller in comparison.
In Ezekiel 6:6 , God further warns the descendants of ancient Israel, today's major English-speaking nations, "In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste." The destruction of Judah in Ezekiel's own day utterly pales in comparison to what this verse actually says. What we're apparently being told here is that major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, London, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland will be obliterated.
Perhaps we can now see how there could be such a huge death toll as that described in chapter 5. This appears to require the work of nuclear weapons or some other new superweapons -- perhaps in conjunction with natural catastrophes from God including drought, famine, disease epidemics, earthquakes and other disasters (compare Leviticus 26:31-32 ; Deuteronomy 28:24 ). The prophesied destruction is utterly horrific. But, barring unexpected national repentance, it is going to happen.
Yet some parts of the world will not fit easily into this European-centered, pseudo-Christian system. Consider the rest of the Muslim world -- the many Islamic states across south-central Asia over to Indonesia. And how will major nations of the East -- like Russia, India, China and Japan -- view all this?
They will no doubt be alarmed over European actions in the Middle East. The Islamic states especially will be incensed over European occupation of Muslim lands.
The ruler of the Beast power will be troubled by "news from the east and the north" -- the direction of these countries across Asia -- and will launch a strike to force their submission (Daniel 11:44 ). As laid out in Revelation 9:1-12 , the war machinery of the Beast (as both arise figuratively from the abyss -- see Revelation 17:8 ), portrayed as locusts and scorpions (perhaps helicopters and tanks from the vantage point of visions in the preindustrial first century), will prevail for several months.
The mention here of inflicting pain without killing may refer to the use of chemical or biological agents or new pain rays or other weapons yet to be developed. Revelation lists this as the first of three woes (Revelation 9:12 ) -- these corresponding to the last three trumpet blasts of the book.
The second woe is a massive counter-offensive by Eastern forces with a vast military force of 200 million troops, resulting in the destruction of much of Europe and a third of mankind killed (Revelation 9:13-19 ). The death toll here is in the billions -- far beyond any war ever. It would certainly seem to imply the unimaginable horror of another devastating exchange of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction.
Then, with the third woe, in which seven last plagues are poured out on the earth, something amazing will happen: "The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn" (Matthew 24:30 ). Sadly, a defiant mankind will yet refuse to repent of its evils.
On the earth events will spiral even further out of control. The European dictator's establishment of his capital in the Holy Land (Daniel 11:45 ) will lead armies from the Eastern powers to march toward Israel, intent on finishing the job of wiping out this competing superpower.
Then, just as the two sides prepare to fight a final, climactic battle (Revelation 16:16 ) -- just when it seems that humanity will reach the brink of self-extinction -- then God will intervene (see Matthew 24:22 ).
Jesus Christ will then come in glory to Jerusalem -- but it will be to battle. The nations will be angry at this turn of events (Revelation 11:18 ). Apparently the Beast and Eastern kings will see the returning Lord as a common enemy, for "all nations" then march to Jerusalem to fight Him (see Joel 3:1-2 ; Joel 3:9-17 ; Zechariah 14:1-15 ). Yet He will vanquish them.
For many, their flesh will dissolve away while they're still standing (Zechariah 14:12 ) -- such will be the power of the returning King of Kings. The Beast ruler and False Prophet will be cast into a lake of fire (Revelation 19:20 ).
The saints who accompany Jesus Christ, His converted followers from this age, will also have a part in meting out judgment at that time (see Psalms 149:5-9 ). Jesus said His followers do not fight today, as His Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36 ). But when His Kingdom comes to take over this world, we will assist in bringing God's justice -- tempered, of course, with His mercy.
Sadly, it will take all this to set humanity on the right course. For it's not until the world comes to the most horrific, nightmarish period of history ever, with unconscionable misery, that the way forward into lasting peace can begin to be taught and learned on a global scale.
But you do not need to wait until that time! If God is opening your mind to understanding His ways, you can turn to Him right now and receive His help in building His character, in rejecting the ways that lead to war and striving for peace.
And let the hope of God's coming Kingdom encourage you through the worsening conditions of the world around you. Yes, dark days are coming. But the brightest future imaginable lies just beyond! Hold tight to that hope, and never let it go!
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