SOTF 05 Summary

SHAPE OF THE FUTURE (5)

By John Lyall. endtimeupgrade.org

5 – SUMMARY In the Daniel and Revelation Books we learn that two superpowers (“beasts”) unite to form a world government in the End Time. This unique partnership includes the “earth-beast” whose power, unlike that of the Antichrist “sea-beast”, is based more on wealth than on military superiority.

As the historical landscape stretches before our eyes, we can foresee that Europe and Russia may very well be the two superpowers in question here. In order to become masters of the world, they work together.

And what enables their rise to supremacy? 1) By operating in different domains of power, it’s easier for them to combine forces; and they need to in order to thoroughly conquer and rule the kind of world we have today. 2) Every nation, as symbolized by the iron-clay mixture in the Daniel 2 image, contains within itself a power infrastructure that includes the military establishment and corporate conglomerates. And in this way, the ground is already prepared for the Antichrist-False Prophet combine to take over. 3) One of the fruits of modern technology is that it can transcend the old limitations of gathering power and influence in the world. Modern means of travel, communication, media influence, funds transfer, computer surveillance enable these two Beasts to spread out further, overcoming geographical limitations, ruling in each other’s territory, as well as subjugating large portions of the rest of the world.

Our study of the Daniel 2 “image” has led us to conclude that nations and empires not only have a “physical geography”, but also a “spiritual geography”. For the End Time period of history, the physical geography was represented by the two feet of the “image”. And this is reflected also in the symbolism of the two separate Beasts of Revelation 13 and is even now being fulfilled, it would seem, with the rise of the Russian empire and the European Union.

The spiritual geography for the End Time was represented by the “iron and clay mixed” in the feet portion of the image. This type of “geography” does not have to be tied to the physical land masses, especially now in these modern times. And by looking at how nations are ruled in the world today, we have some historical hindsight to guide us towards getting some idea of what the passage in Daniel 2 about the “iron and clay” mix was referring to.

Basically, it seems the “iron and clay” symbolism will be manifested on two levels: 1) As we’ve learned, the “iron” governmental and military features that characterized ancient Rome have re-appeared in most modern nations, in which also we find the “clay” power operating – the world’s commercial conglomerates wielding great influence over governments and peoples. These power blocs are “mixed” together in today’s world and are already functioning in the political-military-economic infrastructure of nations.

2) And by the time the Antichrist new world order is complete and ready to be launched, when the platform gets big enough, the two power structures will be ready also to launch a new religion. Under the guidance of the False Prophet, Antichrist worship will mix with the worship of Materialism - both of which will be expressed in a new secular-religious system featuring the Antichrist’s broadcasted “image” and “mark of the beast” (needed for buying and selling).

The symbolic picture in the “feet” portion of the “image” is a little complicated and reflects the complex situation of our modern times. Instead of being separate from each other, the Iron and Clay kingdoms are mixed and found in both feet of the “image”. This reflects rather well the modern historical situation where we see that corporate conglomerates and their mega-“merchants” (of Revelation 18:23) have entered the political arena and are working in conjunction with the political-military regimes of the world; such a situation did not exist in ancient times, at least not to the extent that it is now. The mixed iron-clay symbolism also seems to reflect how technology has erased the borders that used to limit the world of ancient times. This peculiar symbolism in Daniel 2 is echoed later on in the Revelation 13 description of the Antichrist and False Prophet Beasts working closely together.

Our world now is a strange one indeed compared to the world of yesteryear. And the glimpses given of it in the ancient Scriptures foresaw this peculiar, complex environment of modern times. There were dual empires in the past, and as far as physical geography goes, the modern empire, like those of the past, will consist of two geographical territories; and it looks as though they will be Russia and the EU. They are like extensions of the ancient boundaries of East and West Rome, just as in the symbolic portrayal of the “image”, the “feet” are extensions of the “legs”.

And then there is the spiritual geography. The “iron” continues from ancient times into the “feet” portion of the image, meaning that both the EU and Russia, in some less visible way, are continuations of ancient Rome: both use Rome’s style of republican government; both have powerful military branches of government. Democratic-type regimes (like the EU) emphasize more the administration side of government inherited from Rome, whereas dictatorship-type regimes (like Russia) emphasize more the military side of government inherited from Rome.

As for the religious angle, this is brought out clearly in Revelation 13: the sea-Beast demagogue will arise from his territory (Russia according to Ezekiel 38-39), and the earth-Beast’s religion of Materialism will operate from the EU (as we surmised earlier). But as the two Beasts combine operations, their “religions” will combine also – the False Prophet’s Materialism with the Antichrist’s demagoguery. And this fits in again with the symbolism of “iron and clay mixed”.

A common viewpoint regarding this “iron and clay” symbolism is to see it as representing the division between modern dictatorships and democracies; to some extent this is an accurate assessment. However, it is only a part of the entire picture (or “elephant”). To be a little more comprehensive, and according to our study thus far, it might be more precise to view the “iron and clay” symbolism thus: the “iron” represents the legacy of Rome where the seat of power rests, not with a hereditary monarch, but with the military and government administration (with its more efficient delegation of power via representative rule and use of extensive law codes). Rome’s government system became the foundation for today’s world, and now every nation has some version of this “iron” style of rule within its borders. Perhaps it was because of this continuation of military-republican governing structure that the ancient Roman empire (the “legs”) and the End Time empire (the “feet”) were lumped together as the “fourth kingdom” (in Daniel 2:40-41).

And the “clay” represents the commercial-financial system which, under the looser controls of democratic government systems, has managed to worm its way into supremacy in so many nations of the modern world. Working together, the two governing regimes have already created some powerful empires in Europe and America during the Modern Age and will, in the near future, create the ultimate worst – the final Antichrist empire.

This new “clay” component in Daniel’s “image” marks how the End Time empire (of the “feet”) differs from ancient Rome (the “legs”), and from other empires of the past: modern nations, even though they all have some form of “iron” government, are also influenced and controlled by the commercial forces – the “clay” - to varying degrees. And this is across the board: whether they be democracies or dictatorships, all nations are in some way a mixture of “iron and clay”.

Most nations have two seats of power: One rests with the military and government administration, and the other with the commercial forces that

affect that nation, whether directly from inside or indirectly from outside. We understand then that both Russia and the EU are descendants of the “iron” style of rule that began with ancient Rome; and both are also heavily influenced by the new form of “clay” regime that has been ruling the world with a heavy hand, during the 20th century especially. Even communist Russia, by all appearances an iron-style regime, was sponsored in its beginning and kept afloat afterwards with the help of some of the world’s richest financiers. (Communism had one thing in common with the moguls of Capitalism: the desire to seize, monopolize, and hold on to power and influence by preventing the rise of free enterprise.)

In the past, European nations looked like the “democratic” ones while Russia was the “dictatorial” one. But as time goes on, these distinctions between the two societies are becoming blurred. As the world grows more unstable – especially because of its seemingly never-ending economic upheavals – likely there will be a call for stronger government. Looking at Germany after World War I is an interesting example to consider. The Weimar government, which took over from the Kaiser, was trying to exercise democracy. But because of too much indecision, internal squabbling, and lack of charismatic leadership, the German people got fed up with it and turned instead to the Hitler strongman who, decisively in the beginning of his rule, solved many of the problems that had gone unresolved during the reign of the Weimar government.

In similar fashion, we may see a shift in the balance of power between the “iron” and “clay”. What we see now, the present political-economic arrangement, is not exactly how it will appear in the future. The “iron” military presence probably will assert itself a lot more in the new “new world order” of the Antichrist and False Prophet. The “clay” forces, who have been sponsoring the Antichrist and his military forces will still be around, of course, very much a part of the new world government.

It could be said that the democratic system did serve the purpose of allowing these mega-“merchants” to engineer their rise to supremacy in the world and thereby keep the “iron” forces under their thumb to a large extent during the last hundred years or so. In spite of its noble ideals, the advent of democracy has played into the hands of the capitalist owners of wealth; it has enabled them to operate without interference from powerful sovereigns or dictators and thereby catapult themselves into a position of great dominance in the world.

As for the future of democracy, it could be that, since the rise of the Antichrist will happen under his sponsorship, the False Prophet Beast won’t need so much freedom or democracy anymore, nor will he need the commercial empire of the “great whore”. While she declines, his economic grip on the world will continue under the Antichrist’s protection, as he becomes arbiter of the new world order’s buying and selling system.

Another interesting conclusion from our study thus far has to do with the common thread of dualism intertwining the symbolisms of (1) the “iron and clay feet” of the “image” (2) the sea and earth “beasts” of Revelation 13, and (3) the “red horse” and “black horse” of Revelation 6. These symbolic portrayals seem to relate to each other, as if they are different ways of expressing the same thing.

This duality also marks another way in which the End Time empire will differ from the empires of ancient times. Besides a dual physical geography, which was characteristic of Medo-Persia and Rome, the modern empire has also a dual cultural (or spiritual) geography. For example, East and West Rome had a uniform iron-only type of government, culture, and religion; it was the same metal empire split into two parts. But in the “feet” there is this mixed-up iron-clay government and culture – two Beasts, not just one Beast split into two geographical areas. We might call it a double duality: 1) two geographical areas (the two “feet”) harboring two Beasts, or sources of power (from “sea” and “earth”), and 2) two less visible infrastructures: “iron” symbolizing Rome’s political-military system; and “clay” symbolizing the regimes of corporate conglomerates. These infrastructures facilitate the worldwide operation of each Beast regime and its religion (demagoguery and materialism respectively). That may be a very simple picture, but hopefully, it gives at least the general outline.

As these two Beasts join forces, they will transform into a single End Time kingdom. Each beast ends up occupying the other’s territory in a sense. It may work like this: the Russians will adopt the Europeans’ credit system of the “mark of the beast”, and the Europeans will give their allegiance to the Russian Antichrist. And the rest of the world, to varying degrees, will be captivated by the joint “religion” promoted by these two superpowers. With its mixed “iron and clay” government and religion, the influence of this soonto-arrive dual kingdom will be doubly powerful as it attempts to seize control of the world in its dying hours.

In order to exercise control over the world, the powers of evil (Red Horse and Black Horse) must first be exercising control in the world. The political, economic, and technological mechanisms through which they can function must be in working order. And so it is that the old Roman “iron” form of republican, military domination over nations has combined now with the “clay” commercial ownership of nations. And this will happen as, not only a combination of two superpowers (two Beasts of Revelation 13), but has already happened in the subtle intertwining of two “systems” of rule everywhere throughout the earth (symbolized as “iron and clay” mixed): “iron” which lends itself to man-worship (typical of all the metal empires); “clay” which draws men into materialism, the worship of things and wealth.

In summary, the ruling societies of modern times have become partnerships between business community and military establishment – a type of government system that in ancient times had not come into full bloom.

Having this kind of economic-political infrastructure in place in every nation will make it easier for the Antichrist and False Prophet kingdoms to unite and impose their new regime on the world. “Whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men.” (Daniel 2:43 – KJV) As they unite, these two political kingdoms become one kingdom that will dominate the world politically, economically, and religiously. Their unity may only be temporary however; the verse goes on to say, “they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.” But what this could mean is difficult to speculate on at the moment.

So now we have a rough picture that gives some shape to the future that is coming. As time goes by, the picture will become clearer, and along with that, undoubtedly, some adjustments and fine-tuning will be needed in our understanding of these things. “For now we see through a glass, darkly.”

(1Corinthians 13:12 – KJV). But we do have the benefit of some historical hindsight. And many of the things that were vague before – seen “through a glass, darkly” – can be understood more clearly nowadays.

It inspires our faith when we can appreciate from the Sacred Book God’s amazing foresight. If He could foresee the future so well from such a long time ago, then He really knows the score. And it comforts us to know that He’s the One really in charge. Right now, the evil forces are being allowed quite a bit of control. But we can be assured to know, according especially to the words of the Daniel and Revelation Books, that their dominance will be short-lived and will crumble forever before the rise of the soon-coming Kingdom of Heaven on earth. “And in the days of these kings (or kingdoms of iron and clay in the feet and toes of the image) the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

(Daniel 2:44) ~ END ~