Donna, Matt, John and Doves:
Over the last couple of days or so, both Donna and Matt very precisely gave their reasons to prove the final beast kingdom would either be the Islamic Kingdom or the Revived Roman Empire respectively. Now I can tell, you both sincerely believe what you say from what I read. The problem is one of you is sincerely wrong. I have seen this discussion other times before on the 5 Doves, and it always seems to end the same way, without a concrete answer.
So this leads me to ponder a bit on how we as Christians are suppose to figure out the truth in a difficult quandary like this. Paul tells us to Prove all things; hold fast that which is good in 1 Thess 5:21. It would be good if we had some type of Christian Supreme court we could go to and each prove our cases in front of the Chief Justice especially appointed to resolve such matters once and for all.
So when Jesus was taken up and a cloud received him out of sight in Acts 1: 9-11, who did he leave in charge on this earth to be the final Authority in his stead on all matters pertaining to faith and practice on earth until he returns? Could it have been Peter or the Pope? Or maybe the Holy Spirit or Gabriel? Or do we even have a final authority on earth today in the 21st Century?
Jesus himself informs us who the Supreme Judge is in John 12:47-48 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48) He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
So clearly Jesus tells us we do have a final authority on this earth, and this Judge’s name is THE WORD OF GOD. Now the Judge has previously ruled on the controversial Identity of the final gentile beast empire in Revelation 17: 10-11 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is (Roman Empire in
96 A.D.), and the other (future beast empire) is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space (3 ˝ years). 11) And the beast that was, and is not (Roman Empire), even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Now go back in your own bible and read verses 8-11 carefully. The prophet John states three times that the beast that will arise near the end of the age existed prior to, but not during, John’s lifetime!
1.- “The beast that thou sawest was (existed prior to the time John wrote), and is not (did not exist during the time of John’s writing); and shall ascend (future to John’s day) out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition” (Rev 17:8),
2.-… “When they behold the beast that was (before the time of John’s writing), and is not (did not exist when John wrote) and yet is (will exist again in the future)” (Rev 17:8)
3.- “And the beast that was (existed before the time of John), and is not (did not exist during the time of John), even he (that did not exist during John’s day)
is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. (Rev.17:11)
So clearly, the Judge rules the future beast empire IS NOT ROME! The five that are fallen prior to John’s day are: 1. Babylon, 2. Medo-Persian, 3. Grecian, 4. Ptolemaic, and 5. Seleucid. According to Daniel 11:40-45 the Seleucid Kingdom (King of the north) fits the bill! It existed prior to the time of John and will exist again in the future in the form of Syria/Iraq. Therefore, the region occupied by this former empire will produce the future beast, which is the NEW MUSLIM CALIPHATE that has been hidden in all modern Middle-East Maps since 1917!
