SHAPE OF THE FUTURE (2A)

By John Lyall – Courtesy of http://endtimeupgrade.org/shape-of-the-future-2a/

2 – The Final Empire: Its Physical Geography

A. Dual Nature of the Empire

B. Economic Superpower: the New Beast

C. Who Are the Two Superpowers of the End?

D. Is Modern Europe the “Beast from the Earth”

E. Eighth Head

F. Who Are the “Ten Horns”?

A. Dual Nature of the Empire

Now let’s get down to business with this study and consider first an

unusual and outstanding feature of the Antichrist kingdom: its dual nature.

In the course of outlining future history, the Daniel and Revelation books

speak of a future “beast” who was to rule the world in its final days before the

second coming of Christ. This Beast symbolizes a powerful empire and its

ruler who is often referred to as “the Antichrist”. We can say further that,

instead of just one main superpower controlling everything, two powerful

regimes operate together to comprise this final kingdom. Following are some

indications in the Scriptures that point towards this future historical reality:

Daniel 2 – In the vision of the “image”, there are two “feet”, symbolizing

mankind’s last empire; and the feet are made out of two materials

(“iron and clay”).

Revelation 13 – Another vision that pictures two “beasts” working

together to build the End Time empire.

Revelation 17:11 – A more obscure reference here mentions the union of

two (the 7th

and 8th

) ”heads” or “beasts”.

So, this dual End Time kingdom was predicted, it seems, in the Bible. And

in this way it resembles the dual empires of the past: Rome was split into East

and West Rome, and the Medo-Persian empire was the union of two nations,

Media and Persia. The Bible actually portrays the dual feature of these

empires in symbolic form in the Book of Daniel – as “arms of silver” and “legs

of iron”. These were components in an awesome-looking “image” that

appeared in vision form to king Nebuchadnezzar and the prophet Daniel.

(Daniel 2) This intriguing vision was an ingenious projection into the future –

an easy-to-understand explanation that God used to illustrate for us in almost

child-like terms the future panorama of man’s history and progression of

empires that were to control Israel since the time of Babylon, the superpower

that controlled Israel in Daniel’s day.

The diagram above (adapted from a publication of The Family International) illustrates the

different visions of empires seen by Daniel the prophet in chapters 2, 7, 8 of

the Book of Daniel and similar visions seen by John the Apostle in chapters 13

and 17 of the Book of Revelation. Interestingly, the different visions

interconnect with each other and at the same time reveal peculiar features of

the empires that came, or will come, to invade the Mid East area, and to

conquer the nation of Israel.

Now besides Rome and Medo-Persia, there was one more dual empire to

come along symbolized in the two “feet”. This was to be the last empire, for as

the vision unfolds, it is during the era of the “feet” that Christ (symbolized as

“a stone”) will return. “You watched while a stone was cut out without hands,

which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.

And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the

whole earth… the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be

destroyed.” (Daniel 2:34-35, 44)

So, according to this symbolic portrayal, the empire of the “feet” should

come in the time of the End, and be a dual empire of some kind. Although the

meaning of this End Time portion of the vision is becoming clearer in recent

times, there is still much that remains a mystery. To clear up some of that

mystery, it may help to look at how those parts of the “image” that symbolized

ancient empires found their fulfillment in history.

In particular, it is generally understood – through the benefit of historical

hindsight – that the “arms of silver” and “legs of iron” symbolized the dual

geographical nature of the twin kingdoms of Media and Persia, and East and

West Rome. (Daniel 2:32-33) So, if the same rule applies to the final empire of

the “feet”, then we should expect the Antichrist empire will also be divided

into two geographical areas.

Dual Empires of Medo-Persia and Rome

And very likely, these geographical areas would correspond to the dual

feature we find in Revelation 13, which describes the rise of two “Beasts”

during the End Time era of our history. In ancient times, all the former

”beasts” (mentioned in the Book of Daniel) came out of certain land areas and

political domains, from which they controlled the rest of the world of their

day. So, to be consistent with that pattern, likely the two Beasts (also known as

the Antichrist and False Prophet) should each possess a political-geographical

domain from which they can control the world of modern times.

Getting back to the Book of Daniel, some years later after his first vision of

the “image”, Daniel had another corresponding vision in which he saw the

same empires of man symbolized as “beasts” (“Daniel 7″ section in the “Seven

World Empires” illustration above). This next vision (in Daniel 7) also ties in

with John the Revelator’s vision of the two Endtime beasts (in Revelation 13).

One outstanding feature about these visions is this: the dual empires of Medo-

Persia and Rome each corresponded to one “beast” only; each was a “beast”

split into two parts. But in the End Time the situation is unique. For it seems

that not only will there be two geographical territories (symbolized by the

“feet”), but this dual empire will be presided over by two “beasts”. (More

explanation about these unusual features of the End Time empire will be

discussed further on.)

The main question now is, what two territories do the feet of the image

symbolize? One territory, we can gather from Ezekiel 38 and 39, will base

from the land of Russia. The passage there talks of a warlike figure called

”Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal” - all

ancient names for places now in Russia – and he will come from his “place out

of the far north” to invade the land of Israel “in the latter years”. (Ezekiel 38:2,

15-16. See “Ezekiel 38-39” post for more information on this subject.) So, in

common with the previous sea-Beasts, this “Gog” figure has that one peculiar

feature: he makes a conquest of the Jewish people when they are gathered

together in the Mideast. Therefore, he should qualify as one of the “beasts” of

the Bible – and particularly, the warlike sea-Beast of Revelation 13, the last

one to come in earth’s history who is well known as the Antichrist.

So that takes care of one foot. But now what about the other foot? There is

no mention in the Sacred Book about any other land area, one that would

headquarter the other Beast, the False Prophet. But before we delve into that

question, let us first take a closer look at the Biblical description of this

strange new Beast who came “up out of the earth” and was also known as the

“false prophet”. (Revelation 13:11, 19:20, 20:10)

Continue on to 2B: Economic Superpower – The New Beast