In the last chapter we looked at the first five trumpets and the first of three woes. Before we begin studying the sixth trumpet and the second woe, there are a few things that must be clarified. In the past chapters of this book I would simply refer to the appendices, but I know many readers have not flipped to the back and read them. This section on the sixth trumpet and the second woe is too important not to be understood completely; therefore we are going to define everything up front instead of using the appendices.
King of the North/Lamb from Earth King of the South
In Daniel 11:1-30 we see a repeat of the three world empires that followed Babylon: Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. More detail is given as to the events that occurred under each empire, but we have already covered all this in enough detail to suit our purposes. All we need to recognize is that in Daniel Chapter 11 the king of the North usually represents the dominant power and the king of the South represents a secondary power. In verses 31 through 33 we find the Catholic Church described. We know it is the Catholic Church because it is described as doing away with the regular sacrifice, as setting up the abomination of desolation, and as persecuting those who do not fall into line (see chapter five of this book). To confirm our identification of the Catholic Church here in Daniel, verse 37 says that he (the church, or the Pope) shows no regard for the desire of women. Catholic priests are celibate and show no regard for the desire of women.
Daniel 11:40 says, At the end time the king of the South will collide with him… meaning a secondary power will wage war with the Catholic Church. Catholicism is the largest and most visible of all Christian denominations, so if any other religion, such as radical Islam, were to want to attack Christianity, this would be a logical description for the Bible to give of the first target. Verse 40 continues; …and the king of the North will storm against him (the king of the South) with chariots, with horsemen and with many ships; and he (the king of the North) will enter countries, overflow them and pass through. So what is this dominant power that will fight for Christianity against the king of the South? The answer to that question is found in Revelation Chapter 13.
Then I saw another beast coming
up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. (Rev.
13:11) We know that a beast represents a
nation, kingdom, or political power. And
we learned that the beast in the first half of Revelation 13 was the Catholic
Church (see chapter five of this book), and that it came up out of the sea,
meaning it arose out of a population of people (see Appendix 2). This new beast, however, comes up out of the
earth. This can only mean that it is a
new power, one that does not rise out of an established population. There were two brand new nations that arose
around the time of the decline in the power of the Catholic Church in
1798: Australia and the United States of
America. The United States was the only
one to become an independent nation around this time and is the only one that
is a dominant world power now.
Therefore, this beast from the earth must represent the United States.
As
an independent nation, the United States has always acted as gently as a lamb
domestically by offering religious and political freedom to all its citizens,
but in the world theater it speaks with the power of a dragon. We know that a horn represents individual
people, rulers of nations or a position of great power (see Appendix 2). In the end times, under the sixth trumpet,
two powers, one religious and one political, will arise in the United
States. Since the US is predominantly a
protestant nation, we can surmise that the religious power will be someone who
represents Protestant Christians. The
president will work with this religious leader and together they will govern
America.
Back in Daniel Chapter 11 we see what else the king of the North, the United States of America, will do at the end times. He will enter the Beautiful Land (the Middle East), and many countries will fall…Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt (representing the king of the South) will not escape. But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. (Dan. 11:41, 42, 44) As this chapter is being written, the United States is involved in a prolonged conflict in Iraq…the location of the Euphrates River. This conflict arose out of the 9/11 attacks against the US by radical Muslims: Islam versus Christianity, the West versus the East, the king of the North versus the king of the South.
The US involvement in the Middle
East is only the beginning. Iran, North
Korea, Syria and others are perceived as threats to the Western world and
Daniel says that the US will expand its campaign to the East and North.
The False Prophet
In Matthew 7:15 Jesus said, Beware of false
prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous
wolves.
Revelation 13 continues with its description of the United States’
religious leader’s powers, one of the two horns on the lamb that arose out of
the earth. He performs great
signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the
presence of men. And he deceives those
who dwell on the earth, because of the signs which it was given him to perform
in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an
image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. (Rev. 13:13,
14) This religious leader, in the guise
of a lamb or in sheep’s clothing, is going to perform signs that are meant to
deceive people into believing that he is sent by God to organize an image to
the beast, when in fact he speaks like a dragon and is inwardly a ravenous
wolf. The signs he performs may be
powers given to him by Satan, or they may simply be sleight of hand magic
tricks. We cannot know. What we do know is that he will be convincing
enough to make people follow him unquestioningly and to make an image to the
beast.
The apostle Paul was talking about the end times when
he said this: …one who's coming is in accord with the activity of Satan,
with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of
wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the
truth so as to be saved. For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is
false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth but
took pleasure in wickedness. (2 Thess. 2:9-12) People will often believe what they want to
believe when it seems to benefit them the most.
God allows this as each person on earth has been given free will to love
God and accept the truth or love wickedness and believe what is false.
