A J.R. Church Classic from December 1991
We are living in the most exciting time in the history of all of mankind. We are privileged to see the fulfillment of Bible prophecy as no other generation in history. Are we seeing the revival of the Roman Empire? Theologians of past generations wrote about it and warned that it would come, but our generations witnessed its formation. Long before there was a Roman Empire, Ezekiel wrote of their rise upon the world scene. He called them the “merchants of Tarshish” in Ezekiel 38:13:
“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof…”
According to Genesis 10:4, Tarshish was a great-grandson of Noah. His descendants migrated to Western Europe, including Spain and England. Later, Tarshish became the name of the biblical city on the southern coast of Spain. Long before there was a Roman Empire, Europe was populated by the merchants of Tarshish.
Ezekiel mentions all the “young lions” or offspring of the merchants of Tarshish. The fact that he calls them “young lions” tells me that the mother “lion” was inevitably to become Great Britain, whose insignia is a lion. The “young lions” probably includes the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and all present and former colonies of England.
An inscription discovered in 1780 on a cliff above Mt. Hope Bay in Bristol, R.I., contains an engraving written in Tartessian Punic. It said, “Voyagers from Tarshish, this stone proclaims.” This fact was published in Reader’s Digest in February 1977. The inscription was believed to have been inscribed around 533 B.C.
Harvard University’s Department of Archaeology has found five locations within the continental United States where the merchants of Tarshish had colonies. And 2,500 years ago, Ezekiel wrote about a world empire established in Europe by those “merchants of Tarshish.”
But that’s not all. Daniel, another prophet of the exile, also wrote about a future Roman Empire. Nebuchadnezzar’s monster vision of Daniel 2 pictures four great world kingdoms: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. They were pictured on his monster-man as a head of gold, a chest and arms of silver, a midsection of brass, and legs of iron. He spoke of the feet and the toes representing 10 nations who would someday confederate their governments in an effort to establish a loosely knit world government.
In Daniel 7, there is a further description of this last great world power, the revived Roman Empire. It is described in verse 7 as a beast, dreadful, terrible, strong exceedingly, and with great iron teeth. It will devour, break into pieces, and stamp the residue with its feet. The beast is described as having 10 horns representing 10 nations that will organize this future revived Roman Empire.
Well, the monstrosity is here. It has taken the form of the European Economic Community. How do we know? One only needs to research the structure and goals of the European Common Market to find that plans have been made to establish a one-world government with a unified economy.
These “merchants of Tarshish” hold the key to the fulfillment of the end-time Bible prophecy. It is rather interesting to me that the United States currency, the basis for the world’s economy, had its origin in Tarshish, on the coast of Spain, and was originally backed by Spanish silver.
Just look at that seal on the back of our money, the pyramid with the eye above it. What does this mean? The U.S. Treasury Department explains that the symbol appeared on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States, adopted in 1782. The pyramid is said to represent permanent strength, and the eye above the pyramid stands for an all-seeing deity. Above the eye are the words Annuit Coeptus. This means “He (God) has favored our undertaking.” At the base of the pyramid is the date 1776 in Roman numerals. Below are the words Novus Ordo Seclorum, which means “ a new order of the ages,” or in the words of George Bush, a “new world order.”
According to Daniel 7 and Revelation 13, a “new world order of the ages” will indeed come. It will spring from the old Roman Empire. As a student of prophecy, I am fascinated by the decline of our dollar. But, according to the prevailing view of prophetic Scripture, America’s dollar and economic status must decline in order to give way to the emergence of Western Europe.
As we read in Revelation, John predicted that a great depression would come when money would collapse, and the economy of the world would crumble. A new world currency would then be instituted. Eventually, this new economy will require an engraving upon the flesh, a mark on the right hand or forehead.
Now, let’s look at gold. Twice during the Nixon administration, the American dollar was devalued for the first time in history. August 1979, the same man who made those devaluations returned to Washington to take control once again of our economy. At that time, I feared that the price of gold would escalate, and indeed it did. The price of gold more than doubled, soaring to some $800 an ounce. But why? Why should the price of gold be manipulated in the money markets throughout the world? Obviously, the dollar is destined to die.
Even though the price of gold has set new record heights, it continues to be the Number One source of investment. Many countries are turning from confidence in the dollar and are beginning to hoard gold as a hedge against collapsing economies. But James wrote, “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days”(James 5:1-3).
According to this prophecy, gold and silver will be hoarded in the last days. How perfectly is this Scripture being fulfilled today? The scramble for gold is as intense as ever, just as surely as we have seen the fulfillment of this Scripture during these days, we shall also see the fulfillment of the rest of it: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl… …Your gold and silver is cankered.”
It is my opinion that one day soon, the world’s economy will be converted to a new money system, and gold will no longer be considered the basis for the U.S. currency, which went off the gold standard some years ago, the monetary system of the entire world will be taken off the gold standard. At that time, gold and silver will cease to be accepted as a medium of exchange. Ezekiel wrote, “They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord:” (Ezek. 7:19).
“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six” (Rev. 13:16-18).
According to this prophecy, one day, members of the human race will have to submit to an engraving upon the flesh before being permitted to buy or sell. The currency unit at that time will require a number or mark. How close are we to such a requirement? Closer than ever before!
Let us look a little closer at Daniel’s prophecy. He looked beyond the nightmare and saw a better day. He wrote: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed:…” (Dan. 2:44)
Daniel was shown the vision of a great evil empire that would arise within the borders of the old Roman Empire just prior to Christ’s return. In verse 41, there is an interesting Scripture. It reads: “And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided…” (Dan. 2:41)
In the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, the feet and toes are to be the last form of the Roman Empire in the days of the Second Advent of Christ. The feet represent the same as the two legs, the Eastern and Western divisions of the Roman Empire of Daniel 2.
The toes represent the final division of the Roman Empire into 10 kingdoms ruled by 10 kings from 10 separate capitals. For centuries, the Roman Empire has been broken down. The riddle of Humpty Dumpty was written about the collapse of the great Roman Empire. Only in our generation has any fruitful effort been made to restore this empire as prophesied by Daniel.
The prophets of long ago could not have described it more perfectly!
Don’t miss out on Issue #31 of Prophecy in the News magazine, focusing on the light speed jumps in business, economy and the global spider web-like network tightening around us.
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