As my first blog message, I am writing this letter to you today out of a great sense of urgency! As one examines the newspaper headlines or listens to the evening news, they are able to recognize that we are living in troublesome times:
- Clock ticking to Israel's 'destruction': Ahmadinejad
- Putin threatens to target Western Europe with nuclear missiles
- Turkish Troop enter Iraq
- US-Russia war of words hijacking G8 'climate' summit
- Iran's president says ‘too late' to stop nuclear program
- Syria, Iran, Hizbullah planning war
- North Korea has fired short range missles
Even those that are not avid readers of Bible prophecy recognize that something is just on the horizon. Thanks to the Left Behind fictional book series, which has been on the fiction best sellers list several times over, has made even the non-Christian aware of such things as the rapture, the mark of the beast, and the antichrist.
The time is now at hand that the churches need to teach the truth concerning endtime Bible prophecy. Even the apostle John, writing almost 2000 years ago, tells us this same thing:
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”
Revelation 1:1-3 (emphasis mine)
The time truly is at hand and the message is even more critical for the American churches than ever before! You may be puzzled – why the American churches? Bear with me for a moment. Go now, open up your Bible and read Daniel 7 – all of it. Seriously! Take a few minutes to read the chapter before you move on with this letter.
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”
Revelation 1:1-3 (emphasis mine)
The time truly is at hand and the message is even more critical for the American churches than ever before! You may be puzzled – why the American churches? Bear with me for a moment. Go now, open up your Bible and read Daniel 7 – all of it. Seriously! Take a few minutes to read the chapter before you move on with this letter.
This vision of Daniel is so often interpreted to represent the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome – as in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream from Daniel 2. Now, take a closer look – examine verse 17:
“These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.”
The interpretation given to Daniel is that of four nations that shall arise – future tense! Also notice verses 11 & 12. These first three beasts/nations are in existence at the time that the fourth beast/nation is on the earth. This fourth beast, as described in verses 19 thru 27, with its little horn, is none other than the last day’s antichrist world system. I believe that what Daniel has been shown is the modern nations that will be in existence at the time of the antichrist and the return of the Lord.
The interpretation given to Daniel is that of four nations that shall arise – future tense! Also notice verses 11 & 12. These first three beasts/nations are in existence at the time that the fourth beast/nation is on the earth. This fourth beast, as described in verses 19 thru 27, with its little horn, is none other than the last day’s antichrist world system. I believe that what Daniel has been shown is the modern nations that will be in existence at the time of the antichrist and the return of the Lord.
As you may be able to tell, I view these beasts of Daniel 7 to be the modern nations of Great Britain, the United States, Russia, and Germany/European Union. The fourth beast, of course, is the final government of the antichrist – which is depicted even more clearly in Revelation 13:
“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power . . .”
This final beast is made up of the same beasts of Daniel 7, a union of nations! Except when you look carefully, there are no eagle’s wings. That which represents the U.S. is missing! Why?
I have put together a multimedia teaching (PowerPoint, overheads, etc.) that is meant to help answer that very question and look at other aspects of Bible prophecy. I’m not asking for offerings or donations, I’m simply asking for time. I would love to have the opportunity to bring this teaching to your church, your family, to you.
If you are not interested in this material, please pass this blog on to someone that you know is. If you are interested, please feel free to contact me at anytime.
In the Cause of Christ,
Bro. Hamblin
I have put together a multimedia teaching (PowerPoint, overheads, etc.) that is meant to help answer that very question and look at other aspects of Bible prophecy. I’m not asking for offerings or donations, I’m simply asking for time. I would love to have the opportunity to bring this teaching to your church, your family, to you.
If you are not interested in this material, please pass this blog on to someone that you know is. If you are interested, please feel free to contact me at anytime.
In the Cause of Christ,
Bro. Hamblin
Rev. 22:16