TODAY'S TECHNOLOGY IN BIBLE PROPHECY
Lesson 39: The role twentieth century economic alliances will play
in the formation of tomorrow's world government.
I What prophetic facts indicate that the nations symbolically
represented by seven heads and ten horns, should already be
present in today's world?
A First, the Rev. 17:8 statement that "the beast was,
and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit"
(post-AWWI ashes), teaches that the beast will be in
place before AWWI breaks forth.
1 The authority for this conclusion can be determined
from John's specific reference to the segment of the
vision he was viewing when he recorded this verse.
2 For example, "and [the beast] is not" (present tense)
establishes the material fact that John was viewing
this prophetic time slice of the vision immediately
after AWWI, when the world will be so disrupted that
international organizations, great power summit
meetings, etc., will cease to function or meet.
3 Accordingly, "the beast was" reveals that the power-
ful seven heads and the fundamental structure of the
international ten-horned institution, that will carry
out the actual governing processes of the Fourth
Beast, will be in place before AWWI occurs.
4 John's definition of his viewing reference point
shows further that even though the seven heads and
ten horns will cease to function during the upheaval
wrought by AWWI, they will "come up out of" (IGENT)
the post-AWWI ashes and rebuild an even more powerful
international governing beast.
B Second, Zechariah's definition of "the shall not pass"
Sebat generation teaches that everyone who was under the
age of twenty the day the Russians launched the first
manned space flight around the earth, on April 12, 1961,
will witness the prophesied events leading up to
Christ's Return.
C Since the Sebat generation continues to grow older with
each passing day, AWWI should irrupt on the world scene
within the next decade or two.
D Note further that the atomic weaponry and space-age
equipment necessary to fulfill the major prophecies of
the last days are in place, poised to do their tasks.
E The presence of these prophetic facts logically state
that whatever the seven heads and ten horns represent,
they will be in place before AWWI erupts.
II A systematic approach to determining if any of today's
international alliances and organizations fulfill the
Bible's description of the formation of the last beast.
A Before embarking on an examination of the Fourth Beast,
consider the following points.
1 According to Rev. 12 and 13, the seven heads and ten
horns will be the most powerful components of the
Fourth Beast and they will share that power between
them.
2 Furthermore, their power will be based on their
consolidated economic leverage since John's text
clearly shows that the beast's main source of
strength will rest on its ability to control the
international financial system.
3 All things considered, it is reasonable to expect the
coalitions of nations depicted as heads and horns to
be bound together in an economic alliance, rather
than a military confederation.
4 Note further that the organizations depicted as heads
and horns should appear on the world scene sometime
after April 12, 1941-that is, within the lifetime of
the Sebat, "shall not pass" generation.
B Daniel's initial description of the Fourth Beast lists
the first two things to look for in its formation.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a
fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong
exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured
and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the
feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that
were before it; and it had ten horns (Dan. 7:7).
1 Note here that Daniel followed his general
introduction of the Fourth Beast with a description
of the first thing to look for in its formation, "and
it had ten horns" that "are ten kings" (Dan. 7:24).
2 What facts support the position that the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) fulfills
the prophesied role of the ten horns?
a The IMF was established in 1944 (within the
lifetime of the Sebat generation) for the purpose
of keeping order in the international monetary
system.
b The 182-nation IMF's inner circle of finance
ministers from the world's ten wealthiest
industrial powers-the Group of Ten (G-10)-make
almost all of the world's important monetary
decisions.
c The G-10 nations are Belgium, the Netherlands,
France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Canada,
Japan, Sweden, and the United States.
d The IMF has vast international economic authority
(no foreign country can get a cent without an
extended agreement with it).
e Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, the IMF
added many East Block nations to its membership,
including Russia.
f The IMF is not a regional economic institution
like the European Economic Community, but an
all-encompassing financial organization with
global clout.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up
among them another little horn, before whom there were
three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and,
behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and
a mouth speaking great things (Dan. 7:8).
1 The other "little horn" that "came up among them"
predicts the rise of an eleventh power to a position
of prominence as the second thing to look for in the
formation of the Fourth Beast.
2 What facts support the position that the European
Economic Community (EEC) [often referred to as the
Common Market], fulfills the prophesied role of the
"little horn?"
a Since the Common Market's founding in 1957, its
proponents have promised the Europeans "great
things" through the removal of all barriers to the
free movement of goods, services, and capital
among EEC member states and through the eventual
establishment of political unity through the
creation of a United States of Europe.
b According to present schedules, the 15 EEC nations
will become a single marketplace of 340 million
consumers, nearly equal to the combined populations
of the U.S. and Japan, in the near future.
c Thus, even though the original six EEC nations
started out as a "little [economic] horn" in 1957,
they have the potential to grow into the most
lucrative trading block in the world.
3 What is wrong with the popular position that the
Common Market fulfills the prophecies concerning
the ten horns?
a The European Union is composed of fifteen nations,
not ten, and it is seriously considering adding ten
to fifteen more European nations.
b The EEC is a regional economic trading block.
c Unlike the EEC, the IMF has a global membership
and global economic authority.
d Under the IMF charter, the member governments have
agreed on broad lines of international policy-for
the first time in history.
e Creation of the IMF with its vast international
authority is precedent setting, which is in keeping
with the biblical portrait of this powerful
ten-horned organization.
4 Since Daniel stated that each of the ten horns
represent a country, is it inconsistent to take
the position that the "little horn" represents
the twelve nation Common Market?
a No, the EEC's initial stated objective was to work
toward the political unification of the European
countries into a single nation, the United States
of Europe.
b Note further that the establishment of the EEC in
1957 (13 years after the creation of the IMF in
1944), follows the order of the first two things
to look for in the formation of the Fourth Beast.
c In summary, if the EEC can be made to fit the
imagery of the ten horns, then the creation of the
IMF-the most powerful international financial
institution ever assembled in the history of the
world-must somehow be dismissed as irrelevant.
5 How might the little horn eventually succeed in
uprooting three of the first ten horns?
a First note that the ten most economically powerful
nations in the IMF are awarded their position of
importance and voting power on the basis of their
contribution to the Fund's pool of resources.
b In time some less developed nations may grow in
economic stature and eventually displace several
nations that are currently among the ten most
powerful in economic importance.
c Thus, once the "little horn" grows into a major
economic power it could force the restructuring of
the "ten-horned" group by uprooting three of the
ten members and subsequently replacing them with
three more economically powerful members.
C The Revelation lists a third feature to look for in the
evolving formation of the Fourth Beast.
3 And was seen another sign in heaven; and behold, a
great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and
on the heads of him seven diadems (Rev. 12:3, IGENT).
1 Here the ten horns in Daniel's vision of the four
beasts are shown attached to Red China along with
seven heads, directly after AWWI.
2 The crowns of authority show the seven nations
depicted as heads making the decisions that will
be implemented by the less powerful, ten-horned
organization.
3 What facts support the position that the world's
seven strongest industrial powers, the "Big Seven"
(Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, and
the United States), fit the Bible's description of
the seven "crowned" heads?
a The heads of the "Big Seven" states have had an
economic summit meeting once a year since 1975 for
the purpose of discussing international financial
affairs such as economic ties with China.
b Never before in the course of history have the
world's seven strongest economic powers met once a
year for 26 years to make far-reaching decisions
affecting all the nations of the earth.
c Note further that the establishment of the annual
"Big Seven" summit meetings in 1975 follows the
prophetic order of the third feature to look for
in the formation of the Fourth Beast.
d The IMF's current subordinate role to the
governments in charge of the world's "Big Seven"
sovereign industrial powers, also fits the imagery
of the ten horns' position during the time when
these two organizations will assist Red China in
her rise to world prominence.
e The most recent example of "Big Seven" assistance
for China occurred in the mid-90s, when President
Clinton (despite China's blatant use of slave labor
in the manufacture of goods for export) renewed
China's most favored nation trading status and
discarded U.S. policy requiring China to improve its
human rights record.
f Since today's "Big Seven" provide a recognizable
literal reflection of the imagery of seven "crowned"
heads that are prophesied to emerge on the world
scene before AWWI occurs, we need not look for
another seven to appear.
III The Revelation's portrait of the final development of the
Fourth Beast during the days following the Sixth Trumpet
World War.
1 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten
horns and seven heads, and on the horns of it ten diadems,
and on the heads of it names of blasphemy
(Rev. 13:1, IGENT).
A What post-Six Trumpet War forces will likely prompt the
reversal of the dominant role between a group of nations
like the "Big Seven" and the ten most powerful members
of the IMF?
1 First, the destruction wrought by AWWI will decimate
the world economy.
2 Governments and their constituents will be open to
the idea of creating a powerful world bank, a vastly
strengthened version of the pre-AWWI IMF, capable of
creating its own computerized money for the purpose
of jump-starting the world economy.
3 In order for this ten-horned financial institution to
succeed, the "Big Seven" powers will "give their
power and authority to the beast" (Rev. 17:13, NASB);
that is, to the bureaucrats running the ten-horned
institution in charge of the world's banking system.
B What does the "names of blasphemy on the heads of it"
reveal?
1 The names of blasphemy show that the leaders of the
"Big Seven" nations have been informed by the world's
Christians, that God has warned against the evils of
setting up a powerful world government.
2 This can be determined by simple observation of the
imagery-even as names of blasphemy written on the
head of a person could be seen by everyone, so does
the imagery show that everyone will be aware of God's
advance warning against the world government, the day
it is installed by the "Big Seven" powers.
11 "And the beast which was and is not, even he is an
eighth, and is of the seven" (Rev. 17:11, IGENT).
A In view of the "Big Seven" heads presence on the world
scene, what, if anything, can be said about the eighth
head?
1 Interestingly, in recent years the European
Commission President also attends the annual "Big
Seven's" summit meetings, and his "eight" head
invariably appears in news photographs along with the
seven official heads of state representing the "Big
Seven" powers.
2 Thus, even though the "Big Seven" wield the official
power at these summits, the EEC has its "eighth" head
present to represent the Common Market's growing
global economic clout.
3 In other words, in recent times, "even he"-the
position of EEC Commission President-"is an eighth,
and is of the seven," inasmuch as the EEC
Commissioner is definitely present at the "Big Seven"
summits as an official observer of the proceedings.
B In summary, these developing events should not be viewed
as positive identification of the eighth head, but
rather, as a subject that should be kept under
continuing observation.
C Which of today's nations are possible candidates for the
world dictator to launch his rise to power from after
AWWI?
1 Either Britain, France, Germany, or Italy.
2 He must be from a nation that is an European Union
member and also a member of the "Big Seven."