This week we have been watching the developing story and breaking news of Britain’s vote and decision to exit the European Union. There have been many convulsions as a result and there will be many more in the days ahead.
The Brexit aftershocks have sent global markets tumbling and 2.8 trillion dollars was wiped out on Friday that represented the biggest daily stock market loss in world history. In the wake, central banks across the world have offered the financial system fresh funds and intervened in currency markets, in an effort to reassure investors sent into panic by the U.K.’s vote to leave.
Voters in France, Italy and the Netherlands didn’t waste any time, and are now demanding their own votes on European Union membership, as the continent faces a new wave of referendums.
EU leaders fearing a string of copycat polls that could tear the Union apart, are exercising their power and said that Europe could not accept a political vacuum and that “this will not be business as usual.” They have demanded Britain invoke Article 50 to trigger the legal mechanism to leave, appoint a new Prime Minister and then exit the EU urgently.
ISIS, already a present evil throughout the world, has renewed calls for attacks in Berlin and Brussels in order to “paralyze” Europe in the wake of the historic Brexit vote.
There are many leaders now calling for immediate change and a ‘New Europe’, and just yesterday the foreign ministers of France and Germany proposed a blueprint for creating a “European superstate” which will divide and limit the powers of individual members following Britain’s decision to leave the EU.
Britain’s exit from Europe is a significant sign and is huge news prophetically speaking. The prophet Daniel saw this all unfolding in the last days, as he interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and the division of Europe. And it is this one last prophecy that describes the final empire, which turns out to be the most important of all for a full understanding of the last days.
“And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.”
Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.”
And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.”
As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.” (Daniel 2: 40-43)
In Daniel’s description of the image he said that the last world empire would be further divided into ten “toes.” According to the symbolism of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, the fourth power to arise upon the earth would undergo further divisions that would ultimately make it a fragmented power consisting of “partly strong and partly broken” components. The strong legs of iron which at first subdued the world with great strength would become feet and toes of softened texture, the iron would become weakened by the presence of “miry clay.”
In the vision he also saw and wrote of a coming world leader, who will emerge out of the chaos, division and realignment of Europe to form this final empire. The Bible calls him the Antichrist that will devour the whole world.
Daniel seems to be keenly interested in every detail, almost as if he somehow knew that a proper description would be very important to those people who would live to experience the end of the age. He also says that this empire would be extremely powerful, just like the legs of iron which characterize the image. It would devour everything in its path and crush the world under the power of its conquering feet.
Daniel after being given this vision, was told to “seal up the vision for it refers to many days in the future” (Daniel 8:26).
There are two books, Daniel and Revelation, that the Christian must have a fundamental understanding of, in order to discern and know the meaning of the prophecies of the days in which we live. Have you studied these books? Do you have a biblical understanding of them as they relate to the many events that are coming to pass? Do you even care to know?
The apostle John in the book of Revelation was told, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near” (Revelation 22:10) That’s us folks!
The final empire is forming before our very eyes!
While the world is grasping for answers, we have a faith that God has foretold and written of, that we would see these unfolding events, discern them, understand them and then prepare for what we know is coming. Remember Daniel warned us of a terrible time ahead for the entire world! But he also provides wonderful hope for those who submit their lives to God.
“And that, knowing the time, now it is high time to awake out of your sleep” (Romans 13:11).
Bobby Blanton