194 - The Kingdom of Man - The Future [B]

The Kingdom of Man: The Future; Rev. 13:1-4; Dan. 7

In Daniel chapter seven we see the flow of empires from the perspective of God, showing the bestial nature of man when man comes under the influence of satanic/worldly thought and man tries to solve man's problems on his own. These four images that are seen: the lion with the eagle's wings representing Babylon, the lopsided bear with the three ribs representing the kingdom of Persia, the four-headed leopard with the four wings representing Greece, and then the final form the beast that Daniel can't describe but John can. John describes this final beast as having the elements of the previous four kingdoms, all coming together—something from each of the previous kingdoms—and will be a part of that final form of the ten-horned beast that represents the final kingdom. We have seen that that represents Rome.

We have also seen that there is a direct connection between Revelation chapter thirteen and Daniel chapter seven. There is the rise of this beast that has ten horns, and then after those ten horns come together there is the rise of another little horn that conquers three of the ten and forms a confederacy. There is the organization of these ten kings before the Antichrist comes on the scene, so that means that this is before the beginning of the Tribulation. The Tribulation is also known (and probably the most accurate way to describe it) as Daniel's seventieth week, that final seven-year period that God demarcated for Israel. That period, known also as the time of Jacob's trouble, begins when the Antichrist, the prince of the people who is to come, signs the peace treaty with Israel. That is what starts the final count-down. So before he rises to that position these events have already taken place—the rise of the ten-nation confederacy and its establishment, the conquest of three of those kings or kingdoms by the Antichrist, and then he takes his leadership position taking charge over the ten-nation confederacy which is the revived Roman empire. It is after that that he will sign the peace treaty with Israel because those are the events that bring him into his position of power. It is believed that all of those events take place between the Rapture which ends the church age and the beginning of the Tribulation. So there has to be a period of time there when that transpires.  

It could also indicate that this organization that brings together these ten nations in this confederacy of the revived Roman empire that there could be precursors to that that are already in place before the Rapture occurs. We may or may not be able to identify it. It is doubtful that the ten nation confederacy will be in place before the Rapture occurs but it doesn't seem to be anything that appears in Scripture that would mean that it could not be in place before the Rapture takes place. We will see from 2 Thessalonians 2, as well as other passages in Daniel, that the Antichrist is not going to rise to power until after the Rapture, and so no one in the church age is going to be able to identify him. The Antichrist does not take his position until well after the Rapture. Certain transition things may start to appear even before the Rapture. But we must remember that no prophecy must be fulfilled in order for the Rapture to occur. The Rapture, ever since the ascension, can occur at any time; that is what is meant when we say the Rapture is imminent. However, certain things have to be in place at the beginning of Daniel's seventieth week. Certain things have to be ready to go at the beginning of the Tribulation. Those things can come together in the transition period between the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation; they can also come into effect prior to the Rapture. But those would be things that have to do with fulfillment of prophecy related to Israel and the role of Israel in Daniel's seventieth week period. That means we are not going to look out at anything today and say it is a fulfillment of prophecy, because it is not. The next things that truly fulfill prophecy don't come into effect until after the Rapture—with maybe one exception, and that is the chronology related to Ezekiel 38 & 39. That has to do with the invasion of Israel from the north by an army that is made up of an alliance that is mostly from the area of northern Turkey, Russia, Persia and Libya. There are three or four different views that dispensationalists take as to when that event occurs. We have these different things that can occur before the Tribulation begins—maybe even before the Rapture occurs—but they are not signs of the Rapture, they are things that have to be pout into place for what comes after the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation.

We know that before the Tribulation can begin there has to be the return of a certain number of Jews to the land to form some sort of government which can enter into a covenant with the Antichrist. We also know that before halfway through the Tribulation there has to be a temple rebuilt. Something has to happen on the temple mount in order to make that possible.

One of the best books written in the last fifty years on biblical prophecy is a book called Things to Come by Dwight Pentecost. In that work he wrote: "The key to understanding Daniel chapters 7-12 is to understand that Daniel is focusing his attention on one great ruler and his kingdom which will arise in the end time." So this is all future oriented.

A question comes up sometimes because people try to identify these ten horns historically. So we ask whether the ten horns or the little horn past or future. There are four reasons to take this as future. First of all, no historical form of the Roman empire existed in a ten-king or kingdom format. It never happened. And these are ten contemporaneous kings; they are at the same time and not successive. Second, the little horn comes in an uproots three others. Nothing like that has taken place historically. Third, this kingdom is followed by the scene of final judgment that is described in Daniel 7:9-12 and we are not living after that judgment. Fourth, the final kingdom is totally destroyed and is replaced by Christ's kingdom.

There are actually four stages that we discern of the Roman empire. In the past stages the first is the united stage which is the Roman empire that we looked historically up until about 476 AD when the western empire collapses. There is the two division stage that occurs earlier than that—the eastern empire and the western empire with the emperor Constantine in about 315. He moved the capital from Rome to Constantinople. Then those historical kingdoms died out or were conquered. Then there is a future stage that is set up that is described in Scripture. First, there is a ten-king stage and then the stage when the Antichrist comes in and sets up a world government stage.

In the picture that we have in Scripture it is very clear that there is going to be this global kingdom or this kingdom that will rule over the other nations of the earth. It is going to take preeminence over the rest of the world and it has its base out of the old Roman Empire. With regard to the European Union the thinking among European elites is to try to bring together some sort of government that can unite European nations for the purpose of trade. We see the same dynamics at work today to build a global economy. The same kind of thinking was behind the North American Free Trade Agreement. It had the same dynamics. It says let's pull together the North American influence into some sort of economic unity for the purpose of commerce and trade.

We need to see the dynamics in this because it is the same kind of thing as in other areas of politics. It is not the result of legislated activity where the people have voted. In fact, it follows the philosophy that was laid down as early as the 1920s to sort of assume power, take charge, take control over things, pass regulations, build the bureaucracy that runs things, and then if people complain then back off a little bit, but not to make any overt moves that will gain power or make it evident that that is what is being done. It is done through policies, through various bureaucratic maneuvers.

On February 7 1992 the Maastricht Treaty was signed, which was another key move in the development of the EU. It was the treaty that was the basis for changing the currency in Europe into one currency. It is hard to have a united organization for the purpose of economics if there is not a single currency that is common to everyone. This led to the creation of the Euro which then drove the politics. Once there was the move to a common currency where the motivation is trade and money and commerce and breaking down some of the trade barriers between different nations it led to developing a foreign policy, common military goals, a criminal justice system and judicial cooperation with a supra-jurisdiction, so that the European Union could then override decisions made by the individual countries. This is a violation of the fourth divine institution, individual nations, and it breaks down national sovereignty. This doesn't happen through overt moves done in one step, it is a matter of gradualism as these policies become accepted by leaders, and people wake up one day and ask how they got there.

With the Maastricht Treaty there was the development of planks: the development of the union of the European community, the development of the unity of customs, an internal market dynamics, a common agricultural policy, economics and monetary union, which then led to building a building a common foreign and security policy which ultimately has to push to a common military for the protection of the entire EU and a common police, and this leads to cooperation in justice and home affairs. With the development of the EU there was the development of the flag to symbolize their unity. The flag is a circle of twelve stars. This is biblical: the twelve stars that are around the woman's head in Revelation chapter twelve. The EU will not tell us where they get this, but there is this strong trend to use biblical symbols, good and bad, for what they are doing—and they don't know why they are doing it! And they don't give an explanation for it. In Europe there are seen many statues of Mary, and Mary will have twelve stars around here head. That is because the Roman Catholic interpretation of Revelation chapter twelve is that the woman is Mary and so she has these twelve stars around her head. But they can't tell us what it is for. So where they get this imagery is directly out of the Bible. The EU has established its parliament in Brussels which seats 732 members.

What is interesting is that those who are at the core of building the EU, who are picking the symbols and building the buildings, know exactly what they are doing and why they are doing it. The architect of the translation building built it to look like the unfinished tower of Babel. They are going to complete the process: undo, as it were, what God did at Babel in Genesis chapter eleven. There is an official EU poster with a slogan at the bottom: "Europe: Many tongues, one voice." This is the kingdom of man in operation. So we have this merger of the old into the new: the old tower of Babel is definitely being merged into the modern view of the EU. There is a connection there, the same kind of thinking that dominates the EU that we will see in the final form of the kingdom of man.

The symbols that the EU has chosen to represent it—Scriptural background: Revelation 17:3 ^NASB "And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns." This is a picture of the final form of the kingdom. Then the coin: if you go to Greece you will find the picture on the coin of the woman riding the beast, and you will see the imagery of the woman riding the beast several different ways in different documents related to the EU. The Constitution for the EU that was adopted on October 29^th, 2004, was signed and accepted in Rome. So, once again, Rome is a geographical center for activities for the EU. 

The basic chronology of the EU coming together out of the old Roman Empire: In 1951 was the European coal and steel community coming together as six nations. That led to the 1957 Treaty of Rome which was the European Economic Community, the same six nations. In 1973 four more nations joined. In 1981 Greece joined, the tenth member. By 1986 Portugal and Spain had joined. 1991 was the end of the cold war with the fall of the Soviet Union. In 1992 the Maastricht Treaty created the Euro. In 1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden joined. In 2002 the Euro was adopted. In 2004 ten more nations joined with a new Constitution. It is much larger than ten nations but it shows that it has adopted consciously this mentality and symbolism of the kingdom of man, and it uses the biblical imagery.

In a book on Revelation by Thomas Ice & Tim Denney they stated: "One would have to be totally ignorant of the development within the world of our day not to admit that through the efforts of the European Union Humpty Dumpty [The old Roman Empire] is finally being put back together again. This is occurring like all of the other needed developments of prophecy at just the right time to be in place for the coming Tribulation period." We don't think the EU is the final form of the kingdom but it is setting the stage in a very profound and unusual way for the coming together of this European revived Roman Empire. So we live in a time when these kinds of things are setting the stage. As we move closer and closer to the end times we see these ideas, the value system that is portrayed in Scripture for the Antichrist, for the end time kingdom, being portrayed and being adopted consciously and unashamedly by many nations and peoples. And it is interesting that in some cases, like the twelve stars, they are not even sure why they adopt them. Why are they using the woman riding the beast as a symbol for the European Union?

As we go forward in Daniel chapter seven we have to be reminded that God looks ahead. There are these gaps in prophecy. In the mountain peaks of prophecy the church is down in the valley and not seen, and the next event is going to be the Tribulation period. Following the Tribulation period there is the judgment on this kingdom, and this is portrayed in Daniel 7:9-12, following the rise of the Antichrist's kingdom: the judgment from the Ancient of Days.

Daniel 7:9 ^NASB "I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took {His} seat; His vesture {was} like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool…" "… His throne {was} ablaze with flames, Its wheels {were} a burning fire." This is a picture of God the Father. He takes His seat on the throne, and surrounding Him there are other thrones set up. Recall in Revelation 4 & 5 that at the beginning of the Tribulation period John has a vision where he is taken to heaven to the throne room of God. God the Father is sitting on the throne and in His open right hand there is a scroll. In front of Him there are the four living creatures and there are twenty-four elders sitting on twenty-four thrones. These elders are representatives of the church who are serving in the presence of God at that particular time. So that fits perfectly with the imagery that we see here in Daniel 7 of God the Father sitting on His throne and before Him there are these other thrones—which would be the twenty-four elders of the church but are not identified in any distinguishing way in this chapter. But once we get to Revelation chapter four it would make sense. "… His throne {was} ablaze with flames, Its wheels {were} a burning fire. [10]  A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him…"  So there is this imagery of these wheels and fire that is not unlike Ezekiel has when he describes his vision of the throne of God. Psalm 104;4 ^NASB "He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fire His ministers." So there is this description of the angels before Him like fire. Cf. Ezekiel 1:7. The fire pictures purification and the righteousness of God. Daniel 7:10 "… Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened." There is a compression here of several events that are taking place. It is that mountain-top idea of prophecy. Daniel 12:1 says, ^NASB "…everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued."

The Father is described in these terms. His vesture is like white snow, and that pictures purity, the integrity of God's righteousness. His hair is like pure wool, again speaking of purity, wisdom. The throne represents His majesty and His authority, but it is the Father who is the only one sitting on the throne. Jesus never sits on the throne in Revelation until He comes back at the second coming. The throne is ablaze with flames, its wheels are were of burning fire and coming out before Him, a picture of judgment. Psalm 97:3 ^NASB "Fire goes before Him And burns up His adversaries round about."

There is a similarity of the picture of the Ancient of Days in Daniel chapter seven and the picture of Jesus Christ in Revelation one. This has to do with the fact that the Ancient of Days is the judge that is portrayed in Daniel chapter seven. When Jesus appears to John on the Isle of Patmos and He appears in a similar way it is because both are focused on judgment. That is what the imagery depicts. Revelation 1:14-16 describes it. ^NASB "His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet {were} like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice {was} like the sound of many waters." The picture of Christ here is that of a priest (white robes) and also that of a judge.

Then we have the picture of the final judgment on the kingdom of man. Daniel 7:11 ^NASB "Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire." That is described in Revelation chapter nineteen. [12] "As for the rest of the beasts [the other elements from the previous kingdoms], their dominion was taken away…" So these elements that had been part of the Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman empires continues and it all still a part of that revived Roman empire until it is destroyed, and then the dominion of all is destroyed at the same time. "… but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time." That extension of life refers to the extension during the period of the revived Roman empire. This is compared to Revelation 19:19, 20 ^NASB "And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. [20] And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone."

In Daniel 7:13, 14 we see the conclusion. ^NASB "I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming." This is the image that gets picked up again and again and again in the Gospels, and later whenever we read the phrase Son of Man it comes out of Daniel seven. "…And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him." This is the same image that we have in Revelation 5 of the Lamb who was found to qualify because He was slain for our sins. "And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and {men of every} language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed." The kingdom isn't given to Jesus until that time. So we are not in a mystery form of the kingdom today, we are not in a spiritual form of the kingdom today, we are not in any form of the kingdom today. No form of the kingdom can come about today. The problem is that mankind under the kingdom of man has been mesmerized by this idea of creating a perfect society and a perfect utopia on earth. This has truly energized political parties and political philosophies since the 19^th century. Of course it precedes that but since the middle of the 19^th century this has been a major player, especially in progressive views of politics and government. It is the idea that the government can bring in a perfect society that can solve all of the problems of man. At its very core there is a rejection of total depravity and the sinful nature of man. It isn't until someone can come in and rule who is perfect, without sin, who can solve that problem in terms of human government, and this is the Lord Jesus Christ. God gives Him dominion, glory and kingdom that all might serve Him.

The term Son of Man indicates Christ's humanity, but it also indicates that He is the one who is ultimately going to set up the kingdom. So it is a title for the Messiah, the Son of Man is Daniel 7:13, who comes to rule over the earth. It emphasizes His authority, Mark 2:10 ^NASB "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…" It also emphasizes His glory, as seen in passages such as Matthew 26:63-65.

In Daniel 7:15-27 the key word is "kingdom" which is used eleven times. So the focus is on the replacement of the kingdom of man with the only kingdom that will ever solve our problems. Politics will never solve our problems. The problem isn't a political problem; the problem is a soul problem.    

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