The Stirrings of Kings...

Are peace and prosperity in our future, or should we expect continued violence and suffering? Will world leaders, or the great national or religious powers, broker lasting peace? Or, will ethnic and national hatred continue to spawn war, rape, new power blocs, and all types of violence around the world?

Can we even now see three major end-time powers taking shape: the economically and militarily mighty king of the North, influenced by a great, false religious system (Revelation 13:11–14; 19:20); the king of the South; and the great eastern powers, or kings from the east (Daniel 11:40, Revelation 16:10–12)?

What does escalating violence have to do with the rise of these three mighty end-time powers? And what is prophesied for the United States and British-descended powers during this time?

World leaders—ranging from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to U.S. President Barack Obama—have spoken out against violence and crimes against humanity.

Marking the 15^th anniversary of Rwanda's horrific genocide, where "more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were shot, clubbed and hacked to death in some 100 days by extremist Hutu militias," President Obama said the grisly statistics were so overwhelming that they risked losing their meaning. Furthermore, he stated that the world powers should "never let such atrocities happen again" (Daily Telegraph, April 8, 2009).

Two months later, President Obama visited the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. In a thinly veiled attack on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he strongly chastened Holocaust deniers as "ignorant and hateful" (Daily Telegraph, June 5, 2009).

Bet even as we remember these past horrors, the prospect of greater violence and war grows. Iran and North Korea persistently develop their nuclear-weapons programs. Meanwhile, Iranian President Ahmadinejad repeatedly calls for Israel's annihilation, while claims of "medieval torture" of arrested political demonstrators further discredit Iran's government (BBC News, August 2, 2009).

In Iraq, the UN Refugee Agency reported on June 5, 2009 that more than 4.7 million Iraqis have fled their homes, many in dire need of humanitarian care. In Sudan's Darfur region, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, hundreds of thousands have been killed, and more than 500,000 have fled ethnic violence. And in China, "ethnic violence—the worst to hit the country in decades" between Han and Uighur Chinese, is responsible for claims of thousands jailed, missing, beaten and killed (Associated Press, August 2, 2009).

Not even beautiful Sri Lanka has escaped ethnic war. This displaced nearly 300,000 people and drove many into refugee camps which UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon soberly noted were "the most appalling scenes I have seen" (CNN, May 26, 2009).

Even in the United States, the cities have become killing grounds. The FBI reports approximately 1,500,000 violent crimes per year, including nearly 17,000 murders, and more than 90,400 forcible rapes ("Crime in the United States," U.S. Department of Justice report). Additionally, hate crimes are on the rise.

For example, Chicago averaged more than one child murdered per week for the first half of 2009, with many of the fatalities the clear victims of ethnic hatred. These sad statistics are painfully illustrated by the case of a 15-year-old Chicago boy who was stabbed, beaten, burned, and shot to death earlier this year. And, what was his offense? The alleged motive was simply his ethnicity (Chicago Tribune, May 4, 2009).

Will future presidents and kings bring lasting peace? Or, are events moving rapidly toward escalating and worldwide violence? Jesus Christ warned of end-time ethnic and regional violence: "Nation [Greek ethnos, meaning "ethnic group"] will rise against nation [ethnos], and kingdom against kingdom" (Luke 21:10–28). This is to be followed by earthquakes, famines and pestilences. These are events typified by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Then, the Great Tribulation will come upon modern Jacob, culminating in the dreadful Day of the Lord.

Despite world leaders' objections, ethnic and national violence continues to increase exactly as Jesus foretold. And contrary to hopes of peace, warring kings will temporarily devastate the earth at the end of this age.

Continued economic calamity will combine with powerful ethnic, political and religious movements to create unprecedented civil stress. These increasing pressures will eventually shatter the once strong bond between two brother nations: Ephraim (the United Kingdom) and Manasseh (the United States). Additionally, they will be against Israel. The unprecedented U.S. pressure on Israel to accept a Palestinian state is one such example of Isaiah 9:21 and other prophecies beginning to unfold.

Daniel 11:25–27 shows the king of the North (a German-led Europe) and the king of the South entering into an uneasy alliance. With Ahmadinejad's recent blustering, some have wondered if Iran could be the king of the South, but that would be false. Iran is east; not "south," of Jerusalem. And, Iranians are Persian; not Arabic. God's Church has long understood that Daniel, Revelation, Psalm 83 and other scriptures foretell a Muslim-Arab confederation and king located south of Jerusalem that will be one of these three end-time power blocks.

This alliance will be quickly broken when the king of the South attacks the king of the North only to suffer a devastating loss when the northern power retaliates with overwhelming force (Daniel 11:40). Daniel 11:44 shows that the great eastern powers (kings) will also become embroiled in this end-time world war. Isaiah 10:5–6 and elsewhere show that, a German-led Europe will be the tool of God's wrath, used to brutally punish the United States, Britain and their allies. War and terror is coming as horrific as Buchenwald, Rwanda, Iraq or Darfur, but on a much larger scale (Ezekiel 33:6; Matthew 24:21; Revelation 3:10).

By the time these end-time kings are in full strength, the sad reality is that despite temporary economic gains or promises from the UN Secretary General, the U.S. President, or other political or religious leaders, a grim future will have consumed ancient Jacob's descendants (the United States and British-descended nations). Several passages record that, immediately before Christ's return, because of rebellion against God's laws, the modern descendants of ancient Jacob will have become completely economically and militarily broken (Deuteronomy 28:47–48; 30:1–3; Ezekiel 5:12; 34:28–30; Jeremiah 31:1–4).

The status of modern Jacob will be truly pitiful by the time of Christ's return. But, thankfully, Christ will return as the real King of kings (Matthew 24:5–22, Luke 21:9–27).

God's faithful Church is commissioned to warn the world about these coming times (Ezekiel 33:6–7), to preach repentance, and to proclaim the good news of the coming Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15, 13:10).

Sadly, most will reject these warnings (Micah 7:4). Some will believe but fail to dedicate themselves to supporting God's work of preaching the Gospel as active, prayerful members of God's organized Church (Ephesians 4:11–13). Instead of learning to work humbly with and in God's Church now, some will remain "on the sidelines," because their "love" has "grown cold" (Matthew 24:12–14; Revelation 3:16).

There is a great work still to be done. The laborers are few (Matthew 9:37–38), but Matthew 25:21 shows that the reward is great! With God's help, we can become those zealous servants—doing His work—in whom Christ will be well pleased at His return!