Who are the members of the G8? Well, we currently have the USA itself, plus Canada, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy. Wait a minute! Aren't four of these nations former components of the old Roman Empire: United Kingdom, Italy, France and Germany? So we already have four ‘toes of iron’ – but we don't have ten nations? Or do we?
Well, if you think about it carefully, we actually ought to be looking for a group of 11 nations! Remember that the harlot, who rides upon the beast, is a separate entity from the ten nations who are the horns of the beast? So, we need to think of ten nations – in addition to the USA – i.e. eleven in total.
Let's look more closely at the G8, which holds regular economic summits, each time promising great changes in Africa and other poverty-stricken parts of the world, but never delivering. Let me stick my neck out and make a prediction! The G8 will never make a significant reduction in poverty, AIDS, malaria, 3rd world debt relief, or any of the things that really matter to the poorest of this world.
They are an organisation of the 'haves', with no interest in benefiting the 'have-nots' of this world! These are the nations most in control of the world's economy, with great power to manipulate things to benefit – not the whole world – but simply themselves!
At the G8 summit in Edinburgh, Scotland, held in 2005 (which friends of mine attended as protesters), there were NOT just eight nations taking part. As well as those eight mentioned above, the premier of China was there, with a high-level representative of the government of India, plus Kofi Annan, then head of the United Nations organisation. That actually does make 11 rulers, doesn't it?
Now, the make-up of the 'G8' may well change, but it seems a more likely candidate for the 'ten-horned beast' than the EC itself.
Now we have almost the full club – UK, Germany, France & Italy, (toes of iron); together with Canada, Japan, Russia, China, India and ...? (toes of clay). The fact that we don't have an exact ten nations yet is not terribly important, as some nations may well be added. We already have a wider G20 group, so there are plenty of possibilities to choose from.
And it is still possible that one, or more, of the existing member nations could leave – though that would have to be by divine intervention, I think! I believe the membership of this group will become much clearer, (and stronger), as time goes on. Keep an eye on the development of the 'G8'!
The characteristics of this ten-horned entity – conglomerate – are that they currently share the goals and influences of Mega-Babylon. They 'share in her luxuries', profit greatly from their trade with her, have 'drunken the wine of her fornication' – meaning they have drifted further and further from any respect for the God of Israel and his Torah (Tawrat).
Now the members of this group are not yet set in stone. There is still time for a nation – perhaps Canada, the United Kingdom, or whoever – to come to their senses and 'return to their God'. If Norway could make such a choice about membership of the EC, then it is certainly possible for other nations to change their destiny!
Who are the ten horns?
1 They willingly share with the harlot in her luxuries and fornications, though she is riding on their backs.
2 They are composed partly of iron (linked to the old Roman Empire), but also partly of clay (nations with NO connection with the Roman Empire). Incidentally, this would rule out any direct connection with the European Economic Community (EC).
3 The body which currently best fits the description of these economically strong nations is the G8 economic grouping, which makes decisions for the rest of the world! The numbers don’t fit – yet! – but the G8 already involves representatives of China, India and the UN – almost the ten plus one required!
4 There is still just about time for a nation, or nations, to heed God’s word and opt out of this evil destiny!
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10 NEWSFLASH: America is gone!
Imagine this news broadcast repeating around the world:
“We interrupt this programme to bring you an urgent news bulletin:
America has been attacked!
“In the early hours of this morning, thousands of missiles and war planes attacked the United States of America. Warplanes are still flying across Canada, but there has been absolutely no response, or counter-attack, from the USA.
“All communications from the USA have been cut off since 5 am Eastern Time. We are relying on reports from ships off the coast of the USA, who are reporting fires and smoke all the way along the Atlantic coast as far as the eye can see. Reports are also coming in of further devastation on the Pacific coast.
“I honestly can’t believe what I’m reading. This seems like a fairytale, but I repeat, America has suffered a devastating missile attack!
“At this stage, we don’t know what damage has been inflicted, but military experts say this has the hallmarks of an all out nuclear strike.
“The last news report received by Reuters was of the President attending a major celebration in New York City, expected to continue into the early hours. No communication has been received from there since, but, from the one satellite we still have access to, it would appear that most American cities are now a smoking ruin!
“US satellites are not responding. We have no internet, phone or radio communication whatsoever with the United States. Whatever has happened there is terrifying to contemplate.
“The world’s only superpower appears to have been destroyed – annihilated – in an totally unprecedented attack! We don’t know yet if anyone has survived, but there has been absolutely no sign of a counter-attack, or any kind of response, from the US.
”The Prime Minister reports that he is dumb-founded with shock. ‘I’ve been trying the hotline to the president all morning’, he said, ‘there is no reply!’
“Meanwhile, stock markets in London, Brussels, and around the world, have suspended trading indefinitely!”
Now, for a minute, just try to re-run that bulletin and replace the USA with, say, the Roman Catholic Church. How realistic does it sound, now? It makes no sense, does it? Nor does it fit in with the words of the prophets.
How will this fall of America take place? Who will the destroying forces be? Time is running out for the United States and payback time is fast approaching!
Remember, in The Revelation, the prophet John describes the prostitute Mega-Babylon as riding upon a scarlet beast, with ten horns and ten crowns on these horns. He describes other attributes of this beast as well, but let’s just consider the ten horns for now.
We don’t have any difficulty in interpreting their meaning, because the angel in the same chapter clearly interprets it for us!
Revelation 17:12 The ten horns you saw are ten kings, who have not yet begun to rule; but they receive power as kings for one hour along with the beast. 13 They have one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast.
16 As for the ten horns that you saw and the beast, they will hate the whore, bring her to ruin, leave her naked, eat her flesh, and consume her with fire. 17 For God put in their hearts to do what will fulfil his purpose, that is, to be of one mind and give their kingdom to the beast, until God’s words have accomplished their intent.
Who do the Hebrew prophets say will carry out this retribution? Firstly, that same ten nation ‘beast’ empire which, until now has been carrying Babylon upon its back. Remember, some of the toes, the ones made of iron, are European countries formerly within the ancient Roman Empire.
Habakkuk 2:4 "See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous will live by his faith 5 indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. 6 "Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, "‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’ 7 Will your debtors not suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you
tremble? Then you will become their victim. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
The fall of Babylon is partly the calling in of her debts. Her creditors will ‘suddenly arise.’ The United States of America is continuing to run up a huge balance of payments deficit, currently more than 14.6 trillion dollars! Among the ten powerful nations of the G8 are several who hold those American debts.
Currently, the debt is owed firstly to China, the world’s strongest economy at the moment; and secondly, to Japan. Sooner or later the debt will be called in and China, Japan and Russia (which holds a considerable portion of the debt) – along with the other seven nations of the G10? – will conspire to overthrow militarily and totally destroy the USA!
This G8/G10 group at present includes Russia, Japan and Germany. Do these nations not include many who still have reasons to be resentful of the USA, and who may have scores to settle for previous military or economic humiliation?
When Russia finally opted for a market economy, during the Clinton era, the USA sent in a high-powered advisor, Richard Armitage, to help the Russians “transition their economy.”
When he left, $500 billion had somehow disappeared out of the Russian economy, and the Russian government could no longer afford to pay its civil servants, or even the soldiers of the Red Army! Instead, a small number of oligarchs suddenly had tremendous economic power and influence across the country.1
Remember, too, that Russia still has many thousands of nuclear missiles, formerly targeted towards the US. A nuclear strike against US nuclear silos would result in a catastrophe; just look at the current nuclear problems in Japan after the 2010 tsunami.
That resentment against the USA has been building up also in many other parts of the world, especially in the Arab and Moslem states. We’ve seen that already through the 9/11 attack.
Most of those involved had Saudi Arabian connections, yet no-one in the US administration decided to go to war with Saudi Arabia! In fact, the first people allowed to fly out of the US after 9/11 were members of the Bin Laden family – some of them wanted for questioning by the FBI!
Let’s face it, the motivation is already there. The means are available: nuclear weapons in Russia, China and elsewhere. The tools are available: potential terrorists all over the Moslem world, with a readiness to attack the USA from within. All that is required now is the opportunity!
If these forces were to unite and plot together against the USA, what could stop them? Only divine intervention! But if that should no longer be available, then disaster would be inevitable.
Jeremiah 51:8 Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. Wail over her! Get balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed. 9 “‘We would have healed Babylon, but she cannot be healed; let us leave her and each go to our own land, for her judgment reaches to the skies, it rises as high as the heavens.’
This verse seems to describe God’s willingness to heal, rather than to judge, Babylon, but the choice is in her own hands. The prophets clearly describe the LORD’s unwillingness to judge nations, even when it is clearly foretold:
Jeremiah 18:7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.
Of all nations, surely these words apply to the United States right now? Against this we have the clear words of Jeremiah, “We would have healed Babylon, but she cannot be healed,” which seems to suggest that maybe things have been left too late for healing?
This disaster will take place “In one hour!” The prophetic words seem to emphasise the sudden-ness of her fall – “Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.” (Jeremiah 51:8)
Revelation 18:21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.
Jeremiah 50: 44 Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
There will be no time for anyone, military or civilian, to prepare – except, of course, for those who have heeded these prophetic warnings beforehand. There will be protection for those who are remaining alert and prayerful – though what form that protection will take is difficult to predict.
We know approximately who will carry out this attack – at least those who will lead and mastermind it. This will not be a small terrorist group, no matter how well organised. The prophets speak of several nations coming against Babylon – specifically those whom she has been riding upon, the ten nation alliance of economically strong nations.
Revelation 17:16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
The attack will be led by the ‘beast’, the new world ruler to be, accompanied by the ten rulers who will hand over to him and give him his initial authority. This is the conspiracy to end all conspiracies. One man, with the authority of ten of the world’s most powerful nations behind him, will plot to attack and totally destroy Mega-Babylon. But there will be plenty of helpers ready to carry out these attacks.
Revelation 18:6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. 7 Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
There is another international organisation that perhaps we should mention here. It is now known as the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation and has boasted that they represent ‘half of humanity.’ The six member states at present are China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – with India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan having observer status.
There are no European nations involved – so this cannot encompass the ten nation power bloc of Daniel and The Revelation, but the gathering together of these nations is certainly ominous.
Where will the main attack be launched from?
Jeremiah 50:2 Babylon will be captured; Bel will be put to shame, Marduk filled with terror. Her images will be put to shame and her idols filled with terror. 3 A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land. No one will live in it; both people and animals will flee away.
9 I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured.
41 “Look! An army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are being stirred up from the ends of the earth.
Jeremiah 51:48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon, for out of the north destroyers will attack her,” declares the LORD.
An army attacking in battle formation? An alliance of great nations from the land of the north? It looks like the attack will come from the north, perhaps taking thinly populated Alaska first, in order to attack from there. How might this affect Canada?
Jeremiah 51:27 “Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations for battle against her; summon against her these kingdoms: Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander against her; send up horses like a swarm of locusts. 28 Prepare the nations for battle against her— the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their officials, and all the countries they rule.
Ararat, as we know, is in Turkey. Ashkenaz is thought to refer to Germany, from the fact that Ashenazi, or European, Jews originate from this area. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, in medieval rabbinical literature the name Ashkenaz was used for Germany.
The Medes is a r
eference to Persia, i.e. modern day Iran, plus the countries they dominate, or control – such as Lebanon (Hezbollah), Syria and Gaza (Hamas). No surprises there, then! Some of these nations may already have suffered defeat at the hands of Israel, and so may in turn be ready to take revenge against the US.
Will this include a nuclear attack? It seems likely, according to the description in The Revelation:
Revelation 18:8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. 9 “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment , they will stand far off and cry:
The Whore and her Mother: 9/11, Babylon and the Return of the King Page 11