PROPHECY
by Louis T. Talbot
THE COMING WOR
Prophecy not only gives us the broad outline of coming events, but it also sets forth some very remark able details concerning the future alignment of nations. This should interest us greatly, especially in this day when history is being made at such a fast and furious pace. The Three Great Confederacies in the End of This Age The Bible portrays three great confederacies which are to function under dictatorships at the end time. There is, first, the great northern confederacy with Russia at its head, which will also include Germany and probably other northern Euro pean countries. Then there is the eastern or “ sunrising” confederacy under the probable leadership of Japan, which is to produce the amazing army of 200 million sol diers. And there is the revived Roman Empire with the superman or antichrist as its nominal ruler. I say “nominal” be caus e to this superman will be given supernat ural wisdom and power from the devil himself. Now do not think that the three powerful heads of these confedera cies are to be warm friends. Quite the contrary, they will be deadly enemies; and their enmity toward one another will provoke a portion of the final struggle of the armies of the earth that is to culminate in the Battle of Armageddon. Like wise, the so-called friendship of the dictators today, written all over the pages of our newspapers, is to be of short duration, we believe.
of the Revived Roman Empire The particular “ sign” to which we want to give our attention here is the future revelation of “ the man of sin,” as the head of the revived Roman Empire. This manifestation of the “ lawless one” will take place as soon as the Church is gone, even as Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. The seventh and eighth chapters of Daniel also describe a man known as the “ little horn.” As I study the Word of God, I believe that these two are one and the same, none other than the anti christ, who is to be the head of the revived Roman Empire. That is, the nations which now occupy the territory once a part of the old Roman Empire of the Caesars will confederate into a re vived Roman Empire. In this new grouping there will be 10 king doms, each one ruled by a dictator, with one supreme dictator exercis ing control over the others. This supreme personage will be the anti christ whose seat of authority is clearly seen in Daniel 7:7, 8. “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it de voured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”
The Translation of the Church — the Next Event in Revealed Prophecy Just one other word before we consider the greatest of these pow erful confederacies yet to hold sway over the earth. I received a letter from a brother who asked if there are any prophecies yet to be ful filled before the church can be translated. To such a query, my answer is no. I believe the only event that must transpire before the Lord returns for us is the comple tion of the body of Christ, which is the Church. And I take my an swer from the Word of God. The Church began on the day of Pente cost and has been “ added to” ever since that day. It includes every person who has put his faith in Christ as Saviour. This body will some day be completed, when the last person who is to be a member of the bride of Christ has been bom again. At that moment, I believe, the translation will take place, and those who are “ asleep in Jesus” will be raised first. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together w i th them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:13-18). This event will be secret and silent so far as the world is concerned. They will know only that a great many people have suddenly disappeared. There will be some wonderment, no doubt; but I think that the devil will have some seemingly plausible explanation to offer, and the world will go merrily on.
"The Man of Sin" — the Head
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