(March 3, 2008) According to the Washington Times China is increasing its military capabilities at a high rate of speed in order to wage wars beyond its perennial enemy Taiwan. (China speeds pace of military buildup) The article states, “The report also warned that China’s expanding military forces “are changing East Asian military balances; improvements in China’s strategic capabilities have implications beyond the Asia-Pacific region.” “The new weapons include road-mobile long-range nuclear missiles.”
China for centuries if not millennia kept to itself in the area of world events. That all changed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries when China became an economic and military power in the world. It appears that they have become equals with the United States in both of these domains. Now it seems that they are following an aggressive military policy which will one day lead them to involve themselves in a devastating worldwide war.
God showed to His servant John what would take place at the end of the current age. He told him to write down the things he saw and heard. In Revelation 9 John saw the judgments of God falling on the earth. Each of these judgments were preceded by an angel blowing a trumpet. When he heard the sixth angel blowing his trumpet he saw and heard the event that was unleashed by this angel:
“14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.” (Revelation 9:14-19)
Later on John saw the final series of God’s judgments on the world. These were initiated by angels pouring out vials or bowls of judgment upon the earth:
“12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16:12-14)
John heard the command for the angels in charge of the Euphrates River to go into action. As we see this action involves the drying up of this river. It would appear the reason for this is to allow a large army to pass through it uninhibited. John heard the number of soldiers in this army to be 200 million “horsemen”. The description of the devastating capabilities of these horsemen can lead one to believe that what John saw was unfamiliar to his “First Century” eyes. It may very well be that he was seeing a modern mechanized army. This army will be led by the “kings of the east”, those that live east of the Euphrates River. These kings could consist of China, India, Japan, and the other Asian countries. The combined population of these countries consists of billions of people which would be more than enough to field a military force of 200 million soldiers. It is interesting that at this time the Euphrates River is under the control of the United States military in Iraq. However I cannot say what, if any, role the U.S. would play in this area leading up to the “battle of that great day of God Almighty” or Armageddon as it is more popularly known.
The point is that for the first time in history this prophecy could come to pass because the numbers and capabilities are in play.
Related posts:
- CIA director warns of Chinese military buildup (May 8, 2008) CIA director said that China's military buildup and international behavior could lead to an adversarial relationship with the rest of the world. (CIA: China's military could get 'adversarial') The article reports, "China and India will affect strategic planning, he said. 'Competition for influence will characterize the relationships...
- Is the way being prepared for the “kings of the east”? (March 26, 2009) China disputed a new U.S. report that assessed its increasing military power "as a 'gross distortion' and interference in its affairs." (China criticizes new U.S. report on its military) The most revealing statement the report made was "that China is developing longer-range capabilities that could have an...
- ABC News: Apocalypse Now: Floods, Tornadoes, Locusts (June 12, 2008) ABC is promoting a September television special in which experts will discuss the survival of humanity. (Apocalypse Now: Floods, Tornadoes, Locusts) In times of severe trouble most people look to God for the answers to what they are experiencing. Is what the world going through currently of...
- Nuclear arms race in the Middle East? (April 2, 2008) U.S. diplomats in Saudi Arabia declare that if Iran obtains nuclear weapons a lot of the other Middle East countries will try to keep with up them by building their own nuclear arsenals. (U.S. Diplomats Forecast Nuclear Arms Race in Middle East if Iran Gets the Bomb)...
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Tags: Armageddon, China, kings of the east