In the apostle Peter's second letter to the Christian Church, he believes that it is important to "stir up" the saints, reminding them of the "... words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets..." and the Lord Jesus (II Peter 3:1-2). He points out that in the last days those who mock Christianity would question the second coming of the Lord Jesus and say, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation" (II Peter 3:4).
The danger of "losing the edge," of becoming complacent, is always a threat, especially when we are lulled by the false security of a "regular," "normal" daily life. From our perspective, somewhat limited by our daily routine, it can "escape our notice" that the past, present and future are in the hands of God.
The following discussions of Bible prophecies joined together with contemporary events as possible scenarios of fulfillment, are meant to stir you up. Whether these understandings of contemporary scenarios are accurate or not, we should carefully consider the words of Peter: "Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat?" (II Peter 3:11-12).
1. Seven empires that oppose the saints must rise and fall (Rev. 12:3, 13:1; cf. 17:9-10).
Fulfilled? The Bible documents the rise and fall of six empires that have enslaved His people: Egyptian, Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman. Note that the sixth empire was in place during the time that John received the Revelation (the Roman empire). This is apparent from the angel's explanation: "Five have fallen, one is..." (Rev. 17:10). The seventh empire to oppose the saints, the USSR, has recently fallen. The following quote from Compton's Reference Collection chronicles the fall: "During the second half of 1991, the Soviet Union, the world's largest nation and a highly militarized nuclear superpower, broke apart into its constituent republics. This was an economic and political collapse of unprecedented magnitude. On December 25 the Soviet Union was succeeded by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a loose confederation of 10 of the former republics."[1]
2. The seventh empire must be composed of people from elements of the past empires; this would not be a "melting pot," but a collection of nationalities (Dan. 2:41-43; Rev. 13:2).
Fulfilled? The former USSR/present CIS is a huge mosaic of over 100 ethnic groups speaking over 200 different languages. Elements from all the preceding empires are present. Virtually every major religion is represented.
3. The seventh empire must be short-lived, falling after a comparatively short time. This is apparent from the words, "... he must remain a little while..." (Rev. 17:10).
Fulfilled? The USSR lasted only 74 years, shorter than all previous empires.
4. The seventh empire with its ruler, must immediately, after its fall, rise again in the form of a confederation of ten states. The book of Revelation refers to this as an "eighth" empire which is of the seven (empires) (Rev. 17:11-12, cf. Rev. 17:8, 12:3, 13:1,3; Dan. 7:7).
Fulfilled? (partially) On December 25, 1991, the USSR ceased to exist and broke into several states. By 1994, with the addition of Georgia, ten of the states had joined the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). Mikhail Gorbachev, the head of the USSR when it fell, is not presently in power, but in March 1996 announced that he is interested in seeking the Presidency of the CIS.
5. A dominant state must emerge from the ten states to rule the confederation (Dan. 7:8, cf. 7:24). In order for the dominant state to emerge, it must remove the competing power of three of the other states, "... subdue three kings ..." (Dan. 7:8, 24).
Fulfilled? Russia emerged as the most powerful and controlling state of the ten-state confederation. Russia and three of the other states (Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan) had nuclear weapons. Russia used her power to "negotiate" the control/removal of all the nuclear weapons from these other three states, and is now the dominate state controlling the CIS.
6. The identity of the seventh empire must be based upon the belief that mankind is supreme, that there really is no almighty god but mankind himself (Rev. 13:4, 14-18).
Fulfilled? The USSR is founded upon atheism. Lenin, the father of the USSR, was a communist and atheist. His mentor, Karl Marx, taught that religion was an opiate to the people.
7. The confederated empire must be founded upon an economic system which is opposed to the economic system of the world, finally destroying the world economy through warfare. This is apparent from the fact that the world economy is portrayed in Revelation as a "great harlot" which is hated, attacked and destroyed by the "10 horns and beast" (Rev. chaps. 17-18, note esp. 17:16) resulting in economic ruin for the world (Rev.6:5, cf. Ch. 18).
Fulfilled? (partially) The USSR was founded upon communism. Communism is opposed to the world economy, capitalism. The communists lost power at the fall of the USSR, but, are presently gaining power again (control of the Duma) because of the failure of capitalism to take root in the new confederation. The present CIS is plagued by an unstable economy, spiraling inflation, pandemic crime and official corruption. As in Nazi Germany prior to World War II, the stage is set for the radical takeover by a strong leader.
8. The confederated empire must possess the power to destroy people and nations to an extraordinary degree, and eventually do so. This destructive move will be the occasion when the previously wounded and fallen seventh empire rises to full dominant power. The focus of the destruction will be the saints (Matt. 24:15; Mk. 13:14; Dan. 7:21, 8:9-13, 8:23-25, 9:27, 11:31, 39, 13:7, 11; Rev. 6:4).
Fulfilled? (Partially) The old USSR and the new CIS are equal in nuclear weaponry to the USA. A surprise attack mounted against the USA could completely destroy it.
9. This empire and its activities must be as easily identified with the color red (Rev. 6:4) as saints are identified with the color white (Rev. 6:2).
Fulfilled? The communists are commonly referred to as the "reds."
1. The ruler of the confederation will rule with Satan's power in a way not previously seen by mankind (Rev. 13:4, 11-12; Dan. 8:24, cf. II Thess. 2:8-10).
Unfulfilled.
2. The ruler of the confederation must be a person who is shrewd (Dan. 8:25), skilled in intrigue (Dan. 8:23) and deceitful (Dan. 8:25). He will be trusted by those whom he will eventually suddenly destroy (Dan. 8:24-25).
Unfulfilled. Note: The former head of the USSR, Gorbachev, is trusted in the West. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990, the only communist so honored. He has traveled extensively in the West, lecturing and establishing relationships with influential westerners, since losing power in the former USSR. He is a communist and an atheist. If he does come to power in the CIS he will be welcomed by western leaders who want to see better control in the CIS.
3. He must rule the empire at the time of its fall and then again after it rises again as a confederation. (The "mortal wound" (Rev. 13:3) is to the seventh head. Each of the heads is both a kingdom ("mountain") and its king (Rev. 17:9-10). Thus, in Rev. 13:3 when John sees the seventh head of the beast wounded, he is seeing the fall of both the kingdom and its king. The healing of the wound would necessarily also involve the rise again to power of both the fallen kingdom and the fallen king.)
Unfulfilled. Note: Gorbachev, the former leader of the USSR, in a March 1996 interview expressed interest in running for President of the CIS in the June 1996 elections.
4. The ruler of the confederation must make a surprise attack upon the saints, destroying to an "extraordinary degree," earning for himself the title, "the abomination of desolation" (Dan. 8:9-13, 8:23-26 cf. Matt. 24:15, as in point 8 of "The Confederated Empire").
Unfulfilled.
5. The ruler of the confederation must be an atheist who worships military might, and believes that he, as the most powerful man on earth, really is the only true "god." He must destroy all competing power and assert himself as god thus "standing in the holy place" (Matt. 24:15), "standing where he should not be" (Mk. 13:14), "so as to seat himself in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God" (II Thess. 2:4 cf. Dan. 11:36-38).
Unfulfilled. Note: Gorbachev is an atheist and communist.
6. The ruler of the confederation must be a man who could eventually require loyal subjects of his kingdom to be marked on their right hand or forehead (Rev. 13:16).
Unfulfilled. Note: Gorbachev bears a remarkable birth mark on his forehead. Could allegiance to him be shown in the future by a required mark on the forehead?
7. After he destroys the saints he must set up a different method of observing the passage of time (i.e., calendar, work-week) (Dan. 7:25, 8:11 "... removed the continuity...", 8:12, 8:13, 8:26, 11:31, 12:11). Thus the mention of 2300 evenings/mornings is a cryptic way of describing 1150 work days when the calendar is no longer based on the six-days-work one-day-rest system. Essentially Daniel 8:14 says that 1150 work days must pass for all to be restored. To figure the whole passage of time would require adding back the Sabbath days[2].
Unfulfilled.
1. The saints must be primarily located in a nation which is a mighty military power that stands as a defacto obstacle to the ambitions of the seventh empire (Rev. 6:2 "... a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow..." Dan. 8:24 "... mighty men and the holy people...," cf. 12:7 "... as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people ...").
Fulfilled? The USA, missionary home-base of the evangelical Christian church, is the strongest nation on earth. It was the primary opponent of the old USSR but is now a "friend" of the CIS. If a new leader of the CIS seeks world domination the USA would be the primary obstacle.
2. The churches of the saints must have become involved in apostasy before the confederation arises (Referred to in II Thess. 2:3 and described in Rev. 2-3; II Tim. 3:1-5, 4:3-4; I Tim. 4:1-3).
Fulfilled? The churches have, and are experiencing the apostasy described in Revelation chapters two through three.
3. The saints must become alarmed at their apostasy and begin a movement to repent and overcome their sin. This movement will be cut short by the military attack of the rising confederation (Rev. 6:1-4, cf. 6:9). The saints, responding to the Lord's call to "overcome" (Rev. chaps. 2-3) go out "... overcoming so that they might overcome ..." (Rev. 6:2, lit. Greek, not "conquering"). This new resolve to live for Christ alarms the rider on the "red" horse (Rev.6:3-4) who attacks and kills the saints. Thus we find the saints "... under the altar ..." (Rev. 6:9).
Fulfilled? Promise Keepers, now an international movement, is uniting Christians across denominational and racial lines. In 1996 over a million Christian men will meet in various cities across the U.S. Repentance is being called for in areas characteristic of the seven letters of Revelation chapters two and three. In 1997, Promise Keepers is planning to mobilize Christian men for a march on Washington DC to repent and pray. Well over a million men of all denominations and races are expected to participate.
4. The attack on the saints must involve one-quarter of the earth (Rev. 6:8).
Unfulfilled. Note: Any attack on the USA would necessarily be an attack on saints and involve at least one-fourth of the earth.
1. The period of duration for the Confederated Empire (eighth) will be 42 months (3½ years). This period will begin when the leader of the confederation destroys his perceived enemy (the saints) and earns for himself the title "the abomination of desolation." (In the book of Revelation the breaking of the second seal, Rev. 6:3, is the destructive attack of the confederation leader.) It will end at the events of the seventh trumpet and the appearing of the sign of the Son of Man (Rev. 11:15, cf. Matt. 24:29-31; Rev. 13:5, cf. 12:6, 11:2-3; Dan. 7:25, 8:13-14, 9:27[3], 12:7, 12:11-12).
Unfulfilled.
For whom are you living? What are you doing? Where are you going? What
are your goals? Do your answers to any of these questions make sense in
light of the Lordship of Jesus Christ and His return? May your answer be
as the psalmist, "... my soul thirsts for God, for the living God
..." (Psalm 42:2).
- Steve Amy
Lamb Light and Lamb Light Short Studies are produced by a team of Christians from the Christ Evangelical Church, Orem, UT. We are accountable for our conduct to the members and leaders of that local church. The Lamb Light team leader is Stephen Amy. The Pastor of the church is Scott McKinney, (801) 225-3038.
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