The Times of the
Gentiles of the Gentiles are coming to and end and we are entering the Time of Distress.
Daniel and
Revelation describe a Beasts (or empire) that emerges during this
time. The general
consensus among Christians is that the Beast of is a European political organisation.
It is generally
accepted that a political power called "antichrist" will
start a "world church" and force every person in the world
to have a credit number tattooed on their wrist.
Here I present an
alternative view. In the last century, the United States has
emerged as the dominant power in the world. Its military
capability and economic strength is unmatched and
unprecedented. The United States is the Beast that John and
Daniel prophesied.
Unholy Quadunity
The book of Revelation actually describes the
emergence of four great powers during the Time of Distress. These four powers work together
with one purpose. They claim that they are working for good, but
they expand the kingdom of darkness. The members of this unholy quadunity
are:
These four characters have different names
and different functions, but they all merge together to achieve a
common goal. The members of this quadunity will be described in the
following sections of this article. They are:
These forces emerge together, with the first
three supporting the fourth. Humanism has brought about a vast
increase in the power of the state. The American entertainment
industry has encouraged the export of American culture. The globalisation of
the American economy has spread American influence. The United
States is now using its military and political power to stamp its
mark on the world. These four forces have worked together to
establish United States hegemony in the world;
without anyone realising it.
Democracy
is an important aspect of The Terrible Beast.
Amercian Hegemony
Americans do not see this as hegemony, but
as exporting American values of freedom and democracy to the entire
world. The United States has become an imperialistic nation, with
the goal of saving the world from evil. The initial motivation might
be good, but eventually this enormous power will corrupt those who
exercise it. George W Bush has good intentions, but he has already
overseen a vast increase in American power. Power is always
dangerous. Messianic power is even more dangerous. This American
hegemony will be perverted for evil ends.
Collapse of the Beast
The coming of these beast is not a sign that the second coming is
close Revelation and Daniel have very little to do do with the
second coming.
The primary purpose of Daniel and Revelation is to describe the
collapse of human political power. For all of human history, the
people of the world have been controlled by various kings, emperors
and sundry political power. Over the last few centuries, various
democratic demagogues have taken over this controlling role.
Before the Kingdom of God can come to fullness on earth, human
political power must be swept away. Daniel and Revelation describe
how God will accomplish this great change. God raises up first three
beasts to accomplish this purpose. The fourth beast is the “last
hurrah” of political power. Enormous political power will be
accumulated in order to resist God’s shaking of the world. This
terrible human empire will collapse into such a mess that the people
of the world will never trust human political power again.
Confidence in politics and democracy will crumble. Once human
political power is smashed, the Kingdom of God will be able to
emerge. This is what we are all seeking.
Christians do not need to fight human political power. God will
sweep human political power before us, as he comes against it in
judgment. When political power is chopped up, pushed down and spread
around to ordinary people who trust and obey Jesus, the Kingdom of
God has come.