Who Will Rule Our Future?

Thirty years ago, after the collapse of the Soviet Union into a confederation of states seeking to find their way into a post-Communist future, the United States was proclaimed “the world’s only superpower.” Some believed that we had reached “the end of history”—that wars of ideology were past and that Western democracy had proven to be the only viable system of governance to guide our world into a social and economic era of plenty for all of humanity.

How naïve that all seems today. When Western world leaders gathered in Cornwall, United Kingdom in June of this year for the 47th G7 summit, some noted that the U.S.—far from being the unchallenged leader among the Group of Seven—has become increasingly influenced by the wishes and demands of the other countries represented. Indeed, an eighth presence at the summit—that of the European Union—may have exerted a stronger influence than any single nation represented there.

In the eyes of many, the G7 summit was best defined by who was not there. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva after the G7 meeting, and observers commented on the ways in which the two leaders sought to jockey for influence, each seemingly trying to out-flatter the other to win confidence and approval. Biden called Putin a “worthy adversary” shortly before the meeting—an interesting phrase from a leader supposedly seeking to make Russia a friend—and later described Russia and the U.S. as “two great powers” (MSN.com, June 17, 2021). In turn, when Putin was asked his opinion of Biden, he told reporters, “Biden is a professional…. He doesn’t miss anything, I can assure you” (Reuters.com, June 17, 2021).

So, what does President Biden think about the U.S. relationship with China, long an adversary of Russia to its north? Speaking to soldiers at Langley-Eustis Base in Hampton, Virginia, he reflected, “I’ve spent more time with President Xi of China than any world leader has—for 24 hours of private meetings with him with just an interpreter; 17,000 miles traveling with him in China and here. He firmly believes that China, before the year [20]30, ’35,  is going to own America because autocracies can make quick decisions” (WhiteHouse.gov, May 28, 2021).

The “Chinese Empire,” consisting more or less of its present territory, dates to 221 BC. In a world where nations rise and fall with shocking frequency, China’s history as an empire dwarfs that of the British Empire—to say nothing of the brief global influences of the U.S. or Russia. Only the on-again, off-again Roman Empire stands as a lasting world power comparable to China.

Naturally, then, while China, Russia, the U.S., and the European Union jockey for power on the world stage, we may wonder, Who will rule our future? Whether you believe it or not, your Bible reveals the answer.

Empires Come and Go

Hundreds of years before Jesus Christ came, the great Babylonian Empire conquered many nations, including the kingdom of Judah in the Middle East. The historian Herodotus wrote that Babylon “had a magnificence greater than all other cities of which we have knowledge” (The History of Herodotus, 1.178, translated by G.C. Macauley). But what happened to that powerful empire? Babylon’s depravity led to God’s judgment.

The prophet Daniel, in the pages of your Bible, foretold the rise and fall of Babylon and other vast empires, including the Roman Empire. What happened to the ancient Roman Empire? That mighty empire lasted for hundreds of years, but finally came to its end in 476 AD. Historian Edward Gibbon summarized the causes of the empire’s fall: “After a diligent enquiry, I can discern four principal causes of the ruin of Rome, which continued to operate in a period of more than a thousand years. I. The injuries of time and nature. II. The hostile attacks of the barbarians and Christians. III. The use and abuse of the materials. And, IV. The domestic quarrels of the Romans” (The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, 1862, p. 1,219).

Modern empires, too, have come and gone. In the twentieth century, the German “Third Reich” attacked with a military blitzkrieg and extended its rule over much of Europe and North Africa. Adolf Hitler’s ambitions included the conquest of the Soviet Union, but he failed. Allied armies vanquished the Third Reich. The Soviet Union, or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, consisted of 15 republics spanning 11,000 miles from east to west. This great superpower reveled in its communist ideology. It fought for the hearts of nations and peoples all over the world—and, ultimately, it failed, leaving Russia struggling to regain a semblance of its former influence.

Today, the UK is struggling to survive “Brexit”—its controversial departure from the European Union. But not that long ago, the British Empire was a dominant world power. By 1921, it covered about 15 million square miles—a third of the world’s total land area—and held about a quarter of the world’s population. It was said that “the sun never sets on the British Empire.”

One hundred years later, the UK is arguably no longer even the most important nation in the commonwealth of federated nations that emerged from the British Empire. In just a couple of generations, the once-great empire gave up lands that today comprise India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Ghana, Nigeria, Somalia, and much of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the Palestinian Mandate and parts of Egypt and Sudan—and, of course, Hong Kong, which Britain returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. The sun has, indeed, set on the British Empire.

Lessons Learned?

Empires at their peak often produce great vanity in their peoples—and in their leaders. They tend to think themselves invincible and their power unshakable. Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, is one striking example. He insisted on his own godless way of life and led others into debauchery, and his empire paid the penalty. That profound lesson is recorded in the pages of your Bible.

The prophet Daniel was in the city of Babylon on the night the Persian army conquered it. Through Daniel, God let King Belshazzar know what was about to happen to him and his empire. This amazing sequence of events is recorded in the fifth chapter of the book of Daniel, in the famous story of the handwriting on the wall. King Belshazzar prepared a feast—a great party—for thousands of his nobles. They drank wine out of golden vessels plundered from God’s Temple in Jerusalem. “In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other” (Daniel 5:5–6).

The king called upon Daniel to interpret this saying. What had the mysterious hand written?

“And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians….” That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old (vv. 25–31).

Today, the handwriting is on the wall for the U.S. and Great Britain. The warning signs are all around us, as our nations become more decadent and immoral. There is still time for us to repent, nationally and individually, but powerful adversaries like Russia and China are ready to take advantage of the growing weakness of the English-speaking peoples.

What About Repentance?

Throughout history, it has been extremely rare to find any society that would turn from its evil ways. Nineveh, the capital city of ancient Assyria, was one of these few—and the humble response of its people actually delayed God’s judgment. The Prophet Jonah came to the citizens of Nineveh with God’s warning: “And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’” (Jonah 3:4).

The Ninevites did not ignore God’s prophet Jonah. Rather, “the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes” (vv. 5–6). Can you imagine any world leader today humbling himself in that way before God?

The Assyrians responded to Jonah’s warning. They repented of their evil ways and God spared them. This happened in the eighth century BC. God spared Nineveh for many years, and even used the nation to punish ancient Israel and bring its people into captivity. After Assyria captured the “Northern Kingdom”—Israel—that kingdom was lost to history and its peoples became known as the “ten lost tribes.”

The prophet Isaiah records God’s purpose in using Assyria to punish Israel. Isaiah quotes God as saying:

Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Yet he does not mean so, nor does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and cut off not a few nations (Isaiah 10:5–7).

God had warned the kingdom of Israel to repent, but its people refused to reform. So, the Assyrians conquered the ten tribes of the house of Israel and moved the captives far to the east in Assyria. Israel’s final captivity took place around 721 BC.

Eventually, however, Assyria returned to its carnal ways, and in 612 BC God allowed the Medes to destroy Nineveh.

World Rule from Jerusalem

God also sent His warnings to the kingdom of Judah, but the nation persisted in its sins. So, God used the kingdom of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar to punish the house of Judah. A majority of Jews were deported to Babylon over a period of two decades, ending with the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. As a young man, Daniel and three of his friends were taken captive and trained in the culture and literature of Babylon. Those young men persisted in the godly values they had been taught in Judah, and God was able to use Daniel to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream—and to give the good news of a coming great Kingdom that will stand forever.

Mankind has long wished for a world-spanning dominion that would put an end to constant war and poverty. As far back as the Tower of Babel, people have dreamed of a one-world government. Mankind, commanded by God to diversify over the face of the earth, chose, instead, to remain together in one place, in defiance of their Creator’s desire. It was not then God’s will that humanity be united under one single human government, and He intervened to scatter humanity across the earth by dividing the languages of man (Genesis 11:1–9). Ever since, every kingdom of men to rise and seek such a level of power has eventually met its end.

The futures of Russia and China can be found in the Bible’s account of Gog and Magog. And we know from Revelation that, before Christ’s return, an army consisting of 200 million soldiers will march westward across the Euphrates toward a final end-of-this-age conflagration in the Middle East (Revelation 9:16), where they will fight against the armies of ten end-time political entities held together under the sway of a figure known as “the beast” (Revelation 17:12–13). This will be a mighty European-based entity, which a powerful false religious leader will try to use to advance an anti-Christ agenda.

Yes, the Roman Empire is prophesied to rise once more before the end of this age and the return of Jesus Christ! But its supremacy will be short-lived, and will end with such widespread military and ecological devastation that planet Earth would not survive were it not for the well-timed return of Jesus Christ to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth (Matthew 24:22). Yes, there will be a world-ruling kingdom in our future; Jesus Christ will rule from Jerusalem!

Thank God for His kind and loving government that will ensure world peace for all nations! The world will have a universal system of laws to ensure godly liberty and godly freedom. Notice: “Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Micah 4:2).

Are You Ready to Rule in God’s Kingdom on Earth?

And who will be assisting Christ in ruling the nations and establishing that peace? The Apostle Peter once asked Jesus what responsibilities he and his fellow Apostles would have in the coming age. The Messiah replied, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).

And where will the saints, faithful Christians, be judging? Revelation 2:26 tells us that those who overcome sin with Christ’s help in this life will be given authority over the world’s nations in the coming Millennium. Scripture bears witness that God will make us “kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10).

Jerusalem, a city of ongoing conflict in our day and age, will eventually live up to the meaning of its name and become a “city of peace.” The King of kings, Jesus Christ, will rebuke warlike peoples and nations. Old weapons of war will be turned into instruments of peace and productivity. Some of you reading this article may have seen the sculpture outside the United Nations in New York depicting a man beating a sword into a plowshare. Imagine how the world will be transformed under Christ’s rule: “He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Micah 4:3).

And the Kingdom of God will stand forever—you can count on it! That is the good news we strive to share with you in this magazine. Even if your nation does not heed God’s word, you will be blessed individually if you believe and act on God’s revealed truth. And that truth reveals the future of “modern Israel”—the nations descended from the ten “lost” tribes, including the U.S., Great Britain, the British-descended nations, and many of the peoples of northwest Europe. If you do not already have a copy, please write or call to request a free copy of The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy, or read it online at TomorrowsWorld.org. It uncovers the biblical origins of our Western nations, using biblical prophecy to reveal what historians, world leaders, and political analysts do not know! But you, as a faithful student of your Bible, can understand.

God has blessed the earth with majestic mountains, fertile valleys, and productive plains. We marvel at pristine lakes and churning oceans. We appreciate the variety of flowers, plant life, birds, animals, and sea life. Yet, as beautiful as the natural world is, it will become more beautiful in tomorrow’s world, when even the very nature of animals will change. The glorious Kingdom of God on earth will produce beauty and productivity the world has never known. Isaiah gives us this vision of the future 1,000-year period of Christ’s reign with the saints:

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:6–9).

What a glorious time! But until then, whether or not our nations learn the lessons of history, we can repent individually—and we must. The day of God’s judgment on humanity’s failed ways is approaching fast. Those nations and individuals who turn to God will be blessed. What should you do? Do not wait for your nation to change. Now is the time for you to seek God with all your heart.

The prophet Isaiah gives us this exhortation, encouragement, and promise: “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6–7).

Yes, dear reader, the amazing truth is that you can rule our future—under Jesus Christ, the King of kings. If you repent, are baptized, strive to obey your Savior, and overcome sin with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will be resurrected as one of His firstfruits to assist Him in His glorious millennial rule. The peoples of all nations will learn to live in peace and harmony as never before—and you can be a part of it. Do not neglect this extraordinary opportunity that God is offering to only a relative few in this age. Act on His calling!