The World In The Latter Days
by Joseph Hunting
In the past many peoples -- Egyptians, Ammonites, Amalekites, Philistines, Babylonians, Romans, Spanish, Nazis, Arab States -- have persecuted the Hebrew nation and been judged by God, from the overthrow of the Egyptians in the Red Sea 3,500 years ago to the crushing defeat of the Arab armies in the Six Day War of 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. What of the future?
Could it be that the European Common Market, Red China and the United Nations, a trio of world powers that seem destined to play an important role in the immediate future, are also about to fulfil God's plan and purpose for Israel and the world in the latter days? A brief look at each in the light of Bible prophecy will be a rewarding exercise.
THE EUROPEAN COMMON MARKET
The Common Market, also called The Treaty of Rome, originally consisted of Italy, France, West Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg who signed the treaty in 1957. Fourteen years, later, in 1971, Britain joined 'THE SIX' and a huge bonfire on the cliffs of Dover, lit by Britain's former Prime Minister, Mr Harold Macmillan, signalled France that Britain had rejoined Europe. On the French coast an answering bonfire was lit to acknowledge the historic occasion.
Britain 's entry into the Common Market paved the way for Norway, Denmark and Eire to follow suit. Time magazine (November 8th, 1971) noted that The Ten will account for one third of the world's trading compared with 14% for the U.S.
THE TREATY OF ROME AND A MONARCH'S DREAM
One of the most remarkable prophecies in the Bible concerns Nebuchadnezzar's dream which was interpreted by Daniel (Chapter 2). The dream concerned a colossus which had a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, torso of brass, and legs, feet and toes of iron. Daniel interpreted the meaning of the various metals as symbolizing four great empires. The head of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian kingdom.
The chest and arms of silver pointed to the Medo-Persian empire which was to follow the defeat of Babylon. The torso and thighs of brass represented the Grecian empire under Alexander the Great. This in turn was followed by the fourth great empire, Rome, signified by the two legs, feet and ten toes.
Daniel revealed that the ten toes would be ten kings that would arise out of the former Roman empire (Daniel 7:24). He then revealed that in the days of these kings the God of Heaven would set up a kingdom which would never be destroyed. (Daniel 2:24).
During the reign of the ten kings there would arise one who was designated in the Bible as "the king of fierce countenance," "the abomination," "the man of sin" and "the beast." This evil ruler would take over the ten powers that would arise out of the former Roman empire. He finally would lead his armies against Jerusalem in the great battle of the end-time known as Armageddon.
The present ten signatories to the Treaty of Rome do not all form part of the former Roman empire, as Norway, Denmark and Eire lay outside Rome's far-flung boundaries of ancient times. However, should changes occur which would bring in three other countries, which were part of the Roman empire as are the other seven signatories to the Treaty of Rome, then the stage will be set for the fulfilment of Daniel's prophecy, which reveals the judgement that will be visited upon these nations when they come up against Jerusalem in battle.
"THE KINGS OF THE EAST" — RED CHINA?
The stirring of over eight hundred million people under the stimulus of Communism may well be likened to the awakening of a giant of gargantuan proportions.
The weapons which this giant now possesses are capable of wiping out vast areas since China has developed the H-bomb. Added to this is the fact that China boasts she can mobilize 200,000,000 men.
China 's emergence as a world power, plus her entry into the United Nations, may also set the stage for the fearful drama foretold by the Apostle John concerning the final conflict known as Armageddon.
"Then the sixth angel emptied his bowl on the mighty river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to make ready a road for the coming of the kings of the east, from the rising sun … And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Armageddon." (Revelation 16:12,16).
THE UNITED NATIONS
Immediately following World War 2 hopes ran high that a United Nations peace-keeping force would effectively deal with disputes, wars and invasions.
From the outset the U.N. failed hopelessly to fulfil its function in this regard. In spite of the fact that the U.N. voted for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine on November 29th, 1947, it failed to stop the Arab invasion of the very state it had created barely six months earlier when the British mandate ended on May 14th, 1948.
Since then the course of the U.N. has been marked by debate, wrangle and failure upon failure to fulfil the role for which it was originally designed. In May 1967 the U.N. had the opportunity to redeem itself by standing in the path of Nasser's invading forces massed in the Sinai desert to crush Israel. But at Nasser's direction it packed its bags and went home!
JERUSALEM AND THE U.N.
Jerusalem has rarely been missing from the pages of the world's press since the rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948, and Zechariah's prophecy that Jerusalem would become a burdensome stone among the nations could well apply to the present situation.
The U.N. partition of Jerusalem in 1948 was as unworkable as it was unjust. Although Israel's claims to Jerusalem dated back 3,000 years to when King David made it his capital, the Jews were denied access to it by the kingdom of Jordan which had the mandate under the U.N. And the U.N. demand that Israel return the Holy City to its pre-1967 borders is just as unrealistic.
A milestone in Jerusalem's destiny was begun on June 7th 1967 when General Dayan broadcast: "This morning the Israel Defence Forces liberated Jerusalem. We have united Jerusalem, the divided capital of Israel. We have returned to the most sacred of our holy places, never to part from it again.
"To our Arab neighbours we stretch out again at this hour — and with added emphasis — the hand of peace. And to our Christian and Moslem fellow citizens we solemnly promise religious freedom and rights.
"We came to Jerusalem, not to possess ourselves of the holy places of other faiths, but to safeguard the city's integrity, and to live in it with others in unity."
And a further milestone was passed in the Camp David peace negotiations which will, in all probability, bring temporary stability and peace to Israel for the first time since the Romans shattered the Second Commonwealth of Israel in the first century A.D.
The Bible has foretold, with unerring accuracy, the fate of individuals, kingdoms, nations and empires that have persecuted Israel according to the promise: "I will curse him that curseth thee." (Genesis 12:3).
But this curse is bound to the promise yet to be fulfilled: "In thee (Abraham and his seed) shall all the families of the earth be blessed."
Only when the Gentile dominion of the world has ended in complete failure will this promise be fulfilled under the blessed reign of Israel's Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords.