As humans on planet earth, we usually think of war as being the most oppressive thing we may have to endure. However, at the time of the end, just ahead of us, there will be a leader come to power who does not, for the most part, gain his power through war. In fact, many will be hoping for war in order to try to get rid of this leader.
Taxation in the United States is fairly oppressive. The average person labors from January to May in order to pay all the taxes that will be coming their way that year (income tax, sales tax, property tax, excise tax, telephone tax, car tax, insurance tax, gas tax, corporate tax, etc.). Thanks to the three bailouts, the indentured servitude will now be from January to July. However, much of the taxation will be the silent taxation, inflation caused through cranking up the money machine (printing more Yankee dollars).
Europe is even worse. Their taxation is so high it borders on genuine slavery. Each member state in the European Union is being taxed with the tax money going into a central fund, which will be used for the benefit of the European Union. Tax money coming out of Ireland, for example, will not necessarily be returned to Ireland. It will be used as the Eurocrats (European Bureaucrats) see fit. The European Union is becoming noted today as being one of the most oppressive taxing entities on the face of the planet. This will continue. In fact, there will soon be a leader who will be famous as a raiser of taxes. When he is destroyed it will not be in battle (Daniel 11:20). And he will be replaced by a vile person who will gain his power by flatteries (Daniel 11:21), not by war. The King James “vile” is from the Hebrew “‘aph”, meaning angry, forbearing, and wrathful. The word also refers to the nostril, nose, and forehead because those parts of the face start to change as a person becomes angry. The facial expression and body language of this person, the willful king, will be one extra identification of the man who will play such a big role in the end time. His calling card will be flatteries, from the Hebrew “chalaqlaqqah”, (which rolls right off the tongue) meaning flatteries, slipperiness, smoothness, and fine promises.
This beast person who is destined to be the leader of the beast power will have as his power base ten nations (or groups of nations) in Europe, symbolized by the ten toes of clay and iron of the image described in Daniel 2:41-43. This will be, in essence, the Holy Roman Empire, though certainly not holy in the eyes of the Eternal. The clay and iron means the ten nations will be partly strong and partly broken (verse 42). However, there is another significance of the clay and iron; these nations have mingled themselves with the seed of man (verse 43). What does that mean?
The iron is symbolic of the strength of Gentile nations (Italy, Germany, Austria, etc.) when they are in power. The clay is a totally different set of bloodlines that have mingled themselves in Europe with Gentile families. Who are they? Who is it that represents the clay?
“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? says the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in mine hand, O house of Israel” (Jeremiah 18:6). Isaiah acknowledged this same principle (Isaiah 64:8).
The country calling itself Israel today, does, in fact, only consist of, for the most part, two tribes of Israel – Judah and Levi (plus a small portion of Benjamin). Most of the other tribes of Israel relocated long ago. A large portion of the other tribes are living in Europe now. There are people of the tribe of Reuben who live in northern France. The tribe of Dan is scattered, with many of its people settled in Ireland and Denmark. Much of the tribe of Zebulun is in Holland. A large portion of the tribe of Gad is located inside Switzerland. These tribes of Israel (the clay) have mingled with the seed of man, the Gentile nations (the iron) (Daniel 2:43). They have basically lost their identity. This will be part of the lesson of the end time. Just as Israel tribes do not mix very well with the Gentile nations so also true Christians do not mix well with non-believers (2 Corinthians 6:14). The mistakes made by the children of Israel are for our example upon whom the ends of the earth are come (1 Corinthians 10:7-12). The point to all this is not to emphasize blood lines, which are of relative insignificance, but to realize that Christ’s headquarters will be run by people who are either physically or spiritually Israel. Who are the individuals who would be spiritually Israel? Christians, of course.
If you are Christ’s then are you Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29).
The vile leader is also referred to as the willful king because of what Daniel wrote about him:
“…the king shall do according to his will, and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak extraordinary things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished for that that is determined shall be done” (Daniel 11:36).
His trademark is blasphemy. He will be speaking great marvelous things and blasphemy against God, His tabernacle and the host of heaven for a duration of 42 months (Revelation 13:5-6). That is three and a half years. He will have a huge appeal to many of the youth, particularly the foul-mouth singers who will find blasphemy to be something attractive to their mind set. In cycles, there exists a generation that curses their parents and are pure in their own eyes, having lofty eyes with eyelids lifted up (Proverbs 30:11-13).
But even though he will exalt himself above all gods, in secret he will be steeped in idolatry and in the worship of his own false god.
“Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for reward” (Daniel 11:39). He will likely be similar to the historical Antiochus Epiphanes who set up a statue of Zeus in the temple of God. However, he had the face sanded down and replaced with his own face so that he, in essence, was the one being worshipped.
The King James “holds” is from the Hebrew “mibstar”, meaning fortress. The King James “most strong” is from the Hebrew “maowz”, meaning place of safety. This world class dictator will occupy a place of safety as his headquarters because eventually the population will begin to be aware that he is the beast and he will see the need for special protection because of how hated he will be. To indicate this will be a time of “big brother” society is an understatement of huge proportions.
The ultimate in human misery will occur at the end, just ahead of us. It will be a time of trouble unparalleled in human history.
“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book. And many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:1-2).
Jerusalem today is a corrupt and violent city. There is coming a time when Jerusalem will no longer be like Sodom and Egypt (Revelation 11:8). It will become the headquarters for the government of God, teaching us how to live without oppression and evil (Isaiah 2:2-4).
-wilyelder
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