I am going to do something much different than usual today. Today I post several questions that I believe are important to consider when assessing where we are in relations to the End Times. The main purpose of these questions is to help people think about where they stand on several issues that potentially impact where we are in relations to the End Times.
- Determining where we are in relation to the End Times is not a simple matter. There are many things to consider. I hope the questions listed in this article not only help people to think about these issues but to also illustrate how complicated it is to assess whether we are ready to see the start of the End Times.
- I may have already shared some of my own views about some of these questions in past articles, but I pose these questions again for the purposes of this article.
Europe: Is the European Union going to be a significant End Times player?
If you believe the answer is “yes”…
Has the European Union developed enough politically to be a significant End Times player now?
- If not, what could drive the European Union to develop further politically into a significant End Times player?
Has the European Union incorporated every country that it is supposed to or are there more countries that it still needs to incorporate (in other words, are there still more countries that need to join the European Union)?
- If the European Union has not, how long will it take for them to incorporate the remaining countries?
Is the Antichrist going to emerge from Europe?
- If so, does the European Union possess a military that is capable of Middle East conquest right now? If not, how long will it take the European Union to develop one?
- If the Antichrist is not going to emerge from Europe, how will the Antichrist deal with Europe? Will the Antichrist try to conquer Europe or try to use diplomacy to win their support?
If you believe the answer is “no”...
What could prevent the European Union from being a significant End Times player?
Another Question to Consider: What role will the European sovereign debt crisis play in impacting Europe’s future? There are many heavily indebted countries in Europe right now that are having problems reducing their debt and some countries have or will soon need a rescue from the European Union and International Monetary Fund (i.e. Portugal). Some people believe that Europe’s future is tied to how Europe deals with this problem.
- Is it a problem that will eventually serve to unite Europe or to divide Europe to the point where the European Union loses members?
Russia: Is Russia going to be a significant End Times player?
If you believe the answer is “yes”…
Is the Antichrist going to emerge from Russia?
- If so, does Russia possess a military that is capable of Middle East conquest right now? If not, how long will it take Russia to develop one?
- If not, how will the Antichrist deal with Russia? Will Antichrist try to conquer Russia or try to use diplomacy to win their support?
If you believe the answer is “no”…
What could prevent Russia from being a significant End Times player?
A Question to Consider: Will Russia be able to maintain its territorial boundaries in the Far East as China becomes an increasingly powerful entity in the region? Russia geographically is a very large country. However, most of Russia’s population is concentrated west of the Ural Mountains. Siberia, which is a resource-rich region east of the Ural Mountains, is becoming increasingly populated by people from China over time. Russians are very concerned that China will attempt to take over Siberia.
- This article provides an excellent look at Russia/China relations when it comes to the issue of Siberia. Link
United States: Is the United States going to be a significant End Times player?
If you believe the answer is “yes”…
What role will the United States play during the End Times?
- Will the U.S. oppose the Antichrist?
- Will U.S. support the Antichrist’s conquest?
Will U.S./Israeli relations continue to decline?
- If so, will the United States eventually turn against Israel?
- If not, will the United States try to support Israel against the Antichrist in some fashion?
If you believe the answer is “no”…
What will lead to the United States not having a significant End Times role? The United States has a major presence worldwide, so it is difficult for many to imagine the U.S. not having some influence in the world when the End Times begin. Therefore, this is a very important question for those who do not think the United States is going to be a significant End Times player to address.
Another Question to Consider: What impact is the United States’ gargantuan debt problem going to have on the position it has in the world in the future?
- Is the United States going to be able to maintain/afford its very influential position in the world?
- Is the United States debt problem going to lead to a rapid economic and military decline?
The Mideast
Has the Middle East experienced enough turmoil for the End Times to begin?
- If yes, then what is the catalyst for the End Times to begin now?
- If not, what other events need to happen in the Middle East before the End Times can begin?
Does a Middle East war(s) need to transpire before a “covenant with many” can be reached?
- If yes, how big of war does it need to be?
- If not, why is a war not required?
How will Arab countries react to the “covenant with many”?
- Will Arab countries accept the “covenant with many” or will Arab countries be angered by it? If Arab countries will be angered, will they go to war over the “covenant with many”?
Some General Questions to Consider:
Is there a sufficient level of famine in the world to say we are at the cusp of the start of the End Times?
Is there a sufficient level of pestilence in the world to say we are at the cusp of the start of the End Times?
Is there a sufficient level of war and rumors of war in the world to say we are at the cusp of the start of the End Times?
Is there a sufficient level of political instability in the world to say we are at the cusp of the start of the End Times?
Are we seeing an unusual level of false Christ activity in the world?
Could resource scarcity play a role in the future?
What role will China, a rapidly rising world power, have in the future?
Can the Antichrist emerge and thrive under today’s global economic, political, financial, and social system or does the world need to change a lot more before global conditions are conducive for Antichrist’s emergence?
- Relating to this, is the current global economic, political, financial, and social system sustainable? If not, does it fall apart before the emergence of Antichrist?
These are some of the questions that I believe are important to consider when assessing where we are in relations to the End Times.
- I admit that there are probably some other important questions that I have not thought of now, but probably will later.
- I may address some of these questions in future articles…
Anyway, I hope posing these questions is useful in some way, shape, or form…
