Chance,

You made some extremely amazing points!!!

Including:

Maybe the CCP will be weakened/destroyed in a coming war.

 

So maybe these other super powers have served their purpose and are weakened or destroyed.  But they are replaced with something far worse.  If WWIII is between Russia/China//U.S./Western Allies and ends quickly - some of the world will probably not be directly involved.  Maybe some of the Middle Eastern/African/SE Asian/South American? countries will survive.  They could survive such a war - to rise up. But they will rise up - war or not.  These kings are prophesied. Ten kingdoms will work together. Ten kings will take power.

I have been thinking along very similar lines. Also similar, are things which Dumitru Duduman said, some 40 years ago.

So my thought, and it's just that, my thought, is that the U.S. will be taken out of the way, first.

Currently, in addition to Russia and China, there are other nations who could also inflict much damage on the U.S.

Some, like North Korea and Iran, already despise the U.S. with inordinate hatred, with Pakistan, not far behind.

The U.S. also made other enemies, over the past number of decades.

Also, the U.S. has recently caused some Middle Eastern nations to turn.

Then, when the people of Europe realize, possibly this winter, that the U.S. keeps pressuring their nations to continue sanctions on Russia,

and if they discover that the U.S., duping & using one of them, to sabotage the gas pipeline,

and they begin freezing and going with out food, that they also may turn.

That would end up with most, if not all, of the areas of both the western & eastern legs of the ancient Roman empire, to all turn away from the U.S.

Then, since a single country would be hard pressed to take out the U.S. alone, they would need to consider a joint surprise attack.

Russia & China can currently do much damage to the U.S., launched from within their own countries, or from submarines.

Others, like North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, and India, would need help, on getting their weapons to within striking range.

They could be helped by Russia & China, and perhaps by threat, or promise of future benefits, Mexico & Canada could be turned, allowing closer access.

Then if there could be a betrayal of the U.S. by European nations with advanced weapons, combined with the others,

there would be sufficient fire power for a surprise first strike.

If all those nations could secretly plan and prepare for such a first strike, and if the LORD allows them success, in order to judge the U.S., they could do it.

Suddenly, without notice, the U.S. could be instantly barraged by a seemingly countess number of weapons.

Also, the combined success of hackers from Russia, China & North Korea, with betrayal by NATO countries, coupled with EMP type explosions,

then the majority of ground based retaliatory capability of the U.S. would preemptively be nullified.

That would leave only U.S. submarine based retaliatory capability, possibly without any further communication from the mainland.

Those subs could, and would likely, launch that response, against their primary targets, Russia and China, which would greatly decimate those two nations.

North Korea would suddenly, no longer have leverage of extreme threat over South Korea, and similar between India & Pakistan, they would all need to cooperate.

Such a scenario, which could occur within one hour's time of the go-ahead, would see the U.S. totally destroyed, and Russia & China no longer super-power status.

The world's economy would be completely upended - what would suddenly be the basis of world currencies, or their worth? 

How much of the world's economies had major portions related to export to the U.S.? Who could, or would, suddenly buy all their goods?

As you pointed out, this vacuum could lead to a rise of the ten kings, who had no power as kings, up to that moment.

They may have most likely been the masterminds behind the first strike destruction of the U.S.

Their sudden rise to power, along with the appearance of the antichrist, would be allowed by the LORD, in fulfillment of prophecy, and directed & empowered by the devil.

Could those ten kings be from the areas of the western & eastern legs of the ancient Roman Empire?

Boundaries could easily be redrawn, like after the first world war.

Could these 10 & the antichrist, seem to offer "peace", and possible solutions to the world's sudden economic crises, including famines, as well as post-war illnesses & injuries?

So, perhaps if this scenario is possible, then it would most likely occur immediately preceding the tribulation, or at it's very start.

Again, these are just my opinions   -   and opinions are like armpits: everyone's got a couple of 'em, and well, perhaps they ...

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