Tom's Perspectives
Dr. Thomas Ice
“After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts.”
–Daniel 7:7–8
Since you all have heard the news that Great Britain has voted 52 to 48% to leave the European Union (EU), you may be wondering how this fits into Bible prophecy. Since I have never believed the European Union is any kind of actual fulfillment of prophecy, instead, it is most likely some kind of forerunner that could easily prepare the way for the actual Revived Roman Empire in the form of a ten-nation confederacy as predicted in the Bible (Dan. 2:42–43; 7:24–25; Rev. 13:1–10). Pundits are all over the board when it comes to analyzing what this development means for Britain, the EU, and the world at large. Some are predicting the collapse of the EU, while others think the EU will double down on their tyranny and do away with national borders all together.
Every time something like this has taken place in my lifetime, those who oppose the literal understanding of Bible Prophecy are said to have been proven wrong by the events of contemporary history. I recall when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 it was said by the critics of Bible Prophecy that it would now be impossible for the Russian lead invasion of Israel to take place (Ezek. 38 and 39). Of course, such is not the case since prophecy teachers had taught that it was Russia and not the Soviet Union that was to lead the invasion.
I have read some who are saying similar things today about the exit of Britain from the EU. They are implying that Brexit will bring about an end of the EU and thus disprove our view of Bible Prophecy. Actually, the Brexit vote does not affect a thing in regards to an eventual Revived Roman Empire and its ten-nation union. I would never say that current stage-setting is the actual fulfillment of biblical prophecy that is clearly set within the context of the seventieth week of Daniel, or the seven-year tribulation. I have always taught that the rapture must take place before the tribulation period will commence, and so it must. Thus, whatever happens before that time in relation to the EU is simply further preparation for the eventual fulfillment of God’s plan during the still future tribulation.
I read an article that came out shortly after the Brexit vote arguing that this would not destroy the EU, instead, they argue, it will strengthen the resolve of the EU. Frankly, it could go either way, as far as I am concerned and it would not impact the future fulfillment of God’s prophetic plan since He is not fulfilling those prophecies today, but He is preparing the stage for when they will be fulfilled. In an article entitled: “European SUPERSTATE to be unveiled: EU nations “to be morphed into one’ post-Brexit,”[1] it says, the German and French are proposing a blueprint to make the EU into a single superstate. “The foreign ministers of France and Germany are due to reveal a blueprint to effectively do away with individual member states in what is being described as an ‘ultimatum’”. The article continues to explain: “Under the radical proposals EU countries will lose the right to have their own army, criminal law, taxation system or central bank, with all those powers being transferred to Brussels.” Apparently the leadership in the EU believes that a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. Conventional thinking, which is usually wrong, sees the Brexit vote as the beginning of the unraveling of the EU; but on the other hand, some within the leadership of the EU see it as an opportunity to double-down and create a stronger union, a completely tyrannical union that will merge much of Europe into a single entity.
In another development related to the Brexit vote and the rise of Islamic terrorism, the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said, “as Europeans we must take greater responsibility for our security.”[2] Mogherini continues with the following rationale: "While NATO exists to defend its members—most of which are European—from external attack, Europeans must be better equipped, trained and organized to contribute decisively to such collective efforts, as well as to act autonomously if and when necessary. A more credible European defense is essential also for the sake of a healthy transatlantic partnership with the United States."
I certainly do not know which direction the EU will take in the next few months, whether they will fall apart and dissolve or band together into an even stronger union. However, I do know that one day in the future there will be a Revived Roman Empire that will come together, after the rapture, to form Satan’s final thrust to overthrow God. God is currently in control of all these developments as He has been since the beginning of creation. His plan will come to pass perhaps in a way that none of us will be able to figure out ahead of time. But it will come to pass in His time!
One of the core elements of end-time prophecy relating to the tribulation is the biblical prediction that there would be a revived form of the fourth of the four Gentile kingdoms predicted in Daniel 2 and 7. Since Rome was clearly the fourth kingdom, it follows that some form of her kingdom will be revived. What all the kings horses and all the kings men could not do, God will allow the antichrist to accomplish for a brief period of time (in the future).
Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 and 17 note that a ten-nation confederacy will be revived during the tribulation period. This alliance will facilitate the world domination of the Antichrist for a few years. Dr. John Walvoord explains:
The prediction that there will be a ten-kingdom stage of the revival of the Roman Empire is one of the important descriptive prophecies of the end time. This prophecy anticipates that there will be ten countries originally related to the Roman Empire that will constitute the Roman Empire in it revived form. . . . The prediction requires a political union and then a dictator over the ten countries.[3]
Developments in our own day relating to the renunciation of Europe through the EU are an indication that God is preparing the world for just such a configuration as predicted thousands of years ago in the Bible. After the rapture of the church, the ten-nation confederacy will arise and then the Beast or the Little Horn, also known as the Antichrist, will arise among them (Dan. 7:8, 20, 24–25). The political union is in the process of being developed in our day via the EU. It is not there yet, since the rapture has not taken place, but current developments are giving rise to forcing various people groups into a common union that they do not like. Yet, Scripture says it will occur any way with the use of force, as noted by the description of iron mixed with clay: “And in that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery” (Dan. 2:41–43).
As we keep in mind that Israel is back in their land and a nation, just as Bible Prophecy depicts during the tribulation. The EU appears to be some kind of forerunner to the reviving of the Roman Empire that simply went out of existence hundreds of years ago. For the first time since the Tower of Babel, the world’s mindset, especially among the intellectual elite, is wholly given over to some form of global governance since World War II. Russia is poised to provide her leadership for the impending invasion of Israel as predicted in the Gog and MaGog war of Ezekiel 38 and 39. Persia, which is modern Iran, is also positioning itself for this attack on Israel, along with the other nations mentioned in Scripture.
In concert with Daniel, John tells us in Revelation, ““And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour” (Rev. 17:12). Earlier, John “saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and the heads were blasphemous names” (Rev. 13:1). This is descriptive of Antichrist and his kingdom during the tribulation. The ten horns represent ten powers or kingdoms. The ten diadems on the heads represent ten kings over each kingdom. And the blasphemous names tell us that each is in league with Antichrist in his opposition to God during this time. Therefore we should not be surprised that there are rumblings related to the preparation of the formation of a future ten-nation confederacy. Maranatha!
[1] “European SUPERSTATE to be unveiled: EU nations ‘to be morphed into one’ post-Brexit.” The Daily Express, June 27, 2016. Taken from the internet at the following address: European SUPERSTATE to be unveiled: EU nations “to be morphed into one’ post-Brexit.
[2] “EU Army on way? EU cannot rely on NATO and needs new defense policy says Brussels chief.” The Daily Express, June 29, 2016. Taken from the internet at the following address: http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/684549/EU-cannot-rely-NATO-needs-new-defence-policy-chief.
[3] John F. Walvoord, Major Bible Prophesies: 37 Crucial Prophecies That Affect You Today, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), pp. 314-15.