We know from prophecy that just prior to the return of Jesus Christ, the ancient Roman Empire will be revived one more time in continental Europe. It will attack and destroy the modern descendants of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah, and it will be subsequently involved in warfare with other Gentile nations.

The last European revival will consist of ten nations or groups of nations who will give their power and authority to a charismatic political and military leader. This leader is referred to as the beast, the king of the North, and the king of Assyria, named King Jareb. He will be of German or Austrian descent, and he will work in conjunction with the leader of a worldwide religious power. That leader is called the false prophet, the man of sin and the prince of Tyre. The political, economic and military power which the “beast” represents, is also referred to as the “beast,” as well as the “Chaldeans”; and the religious power which the false prophet leads, as the “image of the beast” and as the “harlot” or fallen woman riding the beast. That harlot is also described as “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots,” and the entire political and religious system of the last revival of the Roman Empire is also referred to as (modern) Babylon.

In addition, especially the last revival of the ancient Roman Empire and its political leader are quite often described with metaphors depicting animals. In most cases, those animals are depicted as blood-thirsty ferocious beasts; at other times, they would not be wild per se, but they can cause tremendous damage, or they are being used as a comparison for certain attributes and characteristics.

In this Q&A, we will mainly discuss the Bible’s metaphors of lions and locusts when describing the future European power bloc, its leader and their military might.

In Revelation 13:2, we are introduced to the ancient Roman Empire, which had emerged from previous powers such as ancient Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece; and which would be revived ten times after its fall.  That peculiar-looking beast had a mouth “like the mouth of a lion,” with which it would speak great things and blasphemies against God and His holy angels (verses 5-6). In Daniel 7:4, the ancient Babylonian Empire (which had been absorbed by the Roman Empire) was depicted as a lion as well, and we might recall how Nebuchadnezzar spoke proud words for which God punished him.

Additional passages compare the final revival of the Roman Empire and its end-time leader with a lion or lions. In Revelation 9:1-21, John sees in a vision the European power as fighting in war with the powers from the East. The weapons used are described as “teeth… like lions’ teeth” (verse 8). Prior to that event, the European power bloc under the beast will attack the modern houses of Israel and Judah—the USA, Great Britain and other nations of the British Commonwealth, as well as the state of Israel. Note how the Bible is picturing the end-time European power bloc:

“… ‘The lion has come from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way, He has gone forth from his place to make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant… Lament and wail, For the fierce anger of the LORD Has not turned back from us. And it shall come to pass in that day (“in that day” ALWAYS refers to end-time events),’ says the LORD, ‘that the heart of the king shall perish, And the heart of the princes; The priests shall be astonished, And the prophets shall wonder’” (Jeremiah 4:7-9).

With a similar metaphor, God continued to say in Jeremiah 5:6 that “‘a lion from the forest shall slay them… Because their transgressions are many… Your children have forsaken Me’” (Jeremiah 5:6-7).

In Jeremiah 50:17, references are made to ancient and modern Assyria (Germany) and Babylon (United Europe under Assyrian rule). We read: “Israel is like scattered sheep; The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria devoured him; Now at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones.” Verse 20 makes clear that this is [also] a prophecy for the end–time, indicating that a modern king of Assyria and a modern “Nebuchadnezzar” will arise on the world scene.

Isaiah 5:29-30 adds that the “roaring” of the future Babylonian army attacking Israel (verse 25) will be “like a lion, they will roar like young lions; Yes, they will roar And lay hold of the prey… And no one will deliver. IN THAT DAY they will roar against them Like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks to the land, Behold, darkness and sorrow; And the light is darkened by the clouds.”

But after modern Babylon has brought havoc on this earth, God will deal with her as well. This is vividly told in the book of Nahum, describing the destruction of ancient Nineveh, but this prophecy is clearly meant for the future as well: “Where is the dwelling of the lions, And the feeding place of the young lions, Where the lion walked, the lioness and lion’s cub, And no one made them afraid? The lion tore in pieces enough for his cubs, Killed for his lionesses, Filled his caves with the prey, And his dens with flesh. ‘Behold, I am against you,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions; I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall be heard no more” (Nahum 2:11-13).

As an end-time prophecy about modern “Nineveh,” the following comments about the future king of Assyria are noteworthy: “Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria… Your injury has no healing, Your wound is severe… For upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?” (Nahum 3:18-19). In Nahum 1:15, it says: “O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, Perform your vows, For the wicked one shall no longer pass through you…” This is clearly a prophecy for the future, as at first, the wicked one (the modern king of Assyria and his armies) will pass through Judah one more time (compare Daniel 11:40-41).

We also read in chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Nahum that modern Nineveh, the “bloody city,” will be utterly destroyed through “horsemen with bright sword and glittering spear” (Nahum 3:1,3) and through “chariots” “with flaming torches,” which “run like lightning” (Nahum 2:3-4). These are clearly descriptions of modern weapons. But God continues to tell us in Nahum 3:4 that the destruction will come “Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations through her harlotries, And families through her sorceries”—a clear reference to modern Babylon’s harlot or fallen woman and her daughters in the book of Revelation, chapters 17 and 18. The harlot of modern Babylon and her sudden destruction are also described, for example, in the 47^th chapter of the book of Isaiah, and in chapters 50 and 51 of the book of Jeremiah.

In the book of Joel, destruction of modern Israel and Judah is likewise prophesied just prior to the end-time “day of the LORD” (compare Joel 2:1, 11; 2:31; 3:14). Many regard the description of this coming destruction in the first chapter of the book of Joel as a literal invasion of locusts which will devour the produce of the land. It is however very possible that that “great army” of locusts (Joel 2:25) refers to the weapons of modern Babylon. We read in Joel 1:6 about this army of locusts that “… a nation has come up against My land. Strong, and without number; His teeth are the teeth of a lion, And he has fangs of a fierce lion. He has laid waste My vine, And ruined My fig tree; He has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white” (Joel 1:6-7).

Deuteronomy 28:42 may include another reference to the modern European army overtaking Israel as an army of “locusts,” stating, “Locusts shall consume (Margin: possess) all your trees and the produce of your land.” Notice the context in verse 36: “The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods—wood and stone.”

We also find that in Revelation 9, describing the beast power’s war with the kings of the East, its weapons are pictured as locusts associated with smoke, which were not to devour the grass or any green thing or any tree (clearly, these are not literal locusts), but they were to torment people for five months (Revelation 9:3-5). The “shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle” (verse 7), and they were very noisy and had tails like scorpions with stings in their tails to hurt people with them (verses 9-10). We see that modern weapons and military equipment, including helicopters, are described which will cause such torment. But as we have seen, God will deal with modern Babylon as well. Nahum 3:15-17 tells us that fire will “eat [them] up like a locust” so that they “flee away,” even though they had multiplied their army and the commanders and generals of their army ”like locusts.”

Returning to Joel 2:2-3, we also read that the modern Babylonian army at the time of or just before the day of the LORD is depicted as a “people… great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. A fire devours before them, And behind them a fire burns… nothing shall escape them.”

Why would God compare the Babylonian system with ferocious lions? First of all, we read that Satan “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Even though God allows it, it is actually Satan who will give his power and authority to the beast (Revelation 13:4). Also, the “locusts” in Revelation 9 “had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon (Destruction), but in Greek he has the name Apollyon (Destroyer).” That angel is none other than the great Destroyer, Satan the Devil, who brings destruction wherever he goes. (Compare Luke 9:55-56.)

The lion is described as “mighty among beasts And does not turn away from any” (Proverbs 30:30; compare Judges 14:18 and Amos 3:8). Likewise, the final European revival of the ancient Roman Empire will become a mighty military power (compare again Joel 2:2-3) which will not turn away from fighting the USA and the UK, as well as the state of Israel and other countries in the Middle East, and also the kings of the East. Satan, the Destroyer, will give the Babylonian system and the final leader power to destroy—remember that the modern king of Assyria is referred to in Jeremiah 4:7 as the destroyer of nations.

We also read that God compares Himself with a powerful lion (Jesus is referred to as the Lion of Judah, Revelation 5:5), especially when dealing with and judging His enemies. We are told that God will become a lion to modern Israel and Judah. Hosea 5:14 quotes God’s words as follows: “I will be like a lion to Ephraim (Great Britain, by extension including the USA as well), And like a young lion to the house of Judah (the state of Israel and the modern Jews). I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away and no one shall rescue…” He also says in Hosea 13:8 that He will “devour them like a lion…”

Even though Satan will give his power to the beast, it will nevertheless be God who will allow it and who will actually use the modern king of Assyria to punish Israel. God will behave as a lion by using the “lion king” of Assyria and his followers to defeat Israel in war. We read in Isaiah 10 that God will send this future king or European military leader “to an ungodly nation And against the people of My wrath” (Isaiah 10:6). He describes this ungodly nation (mainly the USA and UK, as well as Judah) as “a sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters” (Isaiah 1:4). He speaks of its leaders as “rulers of Sodom” (Isaiah 1:10) and of the people as “people of Gomorrah” (same verse). God also warns that those “who lead” the people of the USA, the UK and Judah “cause you [the people] to err, And destroy the way of your paths” (Isaiah 3:12; compare Isaiah 9:16). God also asks those in America’s, Britain’s and Israel’s legislative bodies “who decree unrighteous decrees” (Isaiah 10:1) what they will “do in the day of punishment” (verse 3).

It is also noteworthy that God will behave as a lion towards Israel because Israel’s princes “are roaring lions” (Zephaniah 3:3). God had compared Israel and some of its tribes with a lion, to show its potential strength (Numbers 24:9; compare Genesis 49:9; Deuteronomy 33:20, 22; Micah 5:8). But with false pride and self-reliance, Israel used its strength and abilities to turn against and forsake God, similar to Lucifer who became proud of his beauty and turned against his Maker. God wants Israel to repent, but most will refuse to do so, and great punishment will be the consequence. Destruction is decreed, and the modern Babylonian system under the “beast” will be used as a roaring, devouring lion to bring this punishment on the roaring lions of the nations of Israel and Judah.

However, true Christians need not be afraid. God promises them angelic protection so that they “shall tread upon the lion… the young lion… [they] shall trample underfoot” (Psalm 91:13). This can refer to protection from Satan and his demons (Romans 16:20), as well as protection from people and worldly powers (Psalm 22:20-21; 57:4).

Finally, a remarkable transformation will take place in the Millennium and during the Great White Throne Judgment. The wild nature of lions and people and nations behaving like ferocious lions will be changed. Isaiah 11:6 says that the “calf and the young lion” shall lie down together, and that “a little child shall lead them.” Isaiah 11:7 says that the “lion shall eat straw like the ox,” and Isaiah 65:25 tells us that formerly wild animal, including the lion, “‘shall not hurt NOR DESTROY in all My holy mountain,’ Says the LORD.” Isaiah 11:9 states the same, but adds an important component: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, FOR the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Men and worldly powers had become hateful and destructive under Satan’s influence. But once God’s Kingdom is ruling this earth, they will learn of God’s ways and embrace true knowledge. As a consequence, their mindset and nature will change so that “Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4). For instance, Israel and Assyria will become a “blessing in the midst of the land” (Isaiah 19:24). Assyria will be called “the work of [God’s] hands” and Israel will be referred to as “[God’s] inheritance” (Isaiah 19:25).

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

To see the entire context of this passage, we are quoting God’s promise to ancient Israel in its entirety, as quoted in Exodus 34:22-24:

“(22) And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks of the firstfruits of wheat harvest [Pentecost], and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end [Feast of Tabernacles]. (23) Three times in a year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the LORD God of Israel [Three festival seasons—one in the spring, one in the summer and one in the autumn—are mentioned here, as one has to appear before God on every annual Holy Day: Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread as the first season in the spring; Pentecost as the second season in the summer; and the fall season, consisting of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day]. (24) For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in a year.”

The Church of God has taught for a long time that this statement applies to us today as well, in that God grants us security when we observe God’s annual Holy Days by assembling at the Church’s designated Feast sites—especially during the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. The Church’s understanding of this passage has been that God will protect our belongings, which we are leaving behind during this time, so that no one will covet them and break into our homes to rob us during our absence.

While in the overwhelming number of cases, the homes of members were not robbed while they were observing the Feast of Tabernacles, there have been a few incidents when thieves broke into the homes of members and prospective members during the time of God’s annual Holy Days. How can we explain this apparent inconsistency?

Let us look at some biblical examples in order to fully understand the nature of God’s promises.

Healing

Regarding physical healing in this life, God has promised that He will heal us, when we pray to the Father in faith and fulfill other biblical requirements such as understanding and accepting Christ’s Sacrifice and God’s limitless power; keeping God’s commandments; reconciling with others; and asking for the elders of the Church to anoint us with oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Still, some are not healed in this life. We state the following in our Q&A, “When we ask God for healing and are not healed, does this mean that we don’t have enough faith?” 

“Scripture says that the prayer of faith will ‘save the sick,’ and God will ‘raise him up’… [But] we must understand that it may NOT be God’s Will to heal us right away, or completely, or at all, in this life. And there are reasons for that. To argue with and deny this, we are really ‘tempting’ God or better ‘testing Him severely,’ trying to force OUR Will on Him…

“… even if we had ‘perfect’ faith and lived a ‘perfect’ life and had brought about perfect reconciliation with our brother and sister, God might STILL NOT heal us in this life from a particular sickness. Why not? Because God might have in mind a superior purpose for us in this life which He deems much more important than our healing from temporary frailties… We… understand that ‘all things work together for good to those who love God’ (Romans 8:28)… We might not fully understand all the reasons why someone is not healed right away or at all… but we MUST have the absolute faith and conviction that God knows everything; that He can do everything; and that He will do everything that we ask… in His due time and subject to His Will.”

We also wrote this in our Q&A, “Unconditional Promise for Healing in this Life?”

“When we ask God for healing, we MUST believe that our request will be granted. When we ask God for healing, we must not doubt at the same time by thinking that perhaps it is not God’s Will to heal us. Such a prayer would show doubt (Matthew 21:21-22; Mark 11:23)…

“It really boils down to the question as to whether we have ‘unconditional love’ for God and His Way of Life–never willing to forsake that way if things don’t work out in the way which we want them to… Christ NEVER doubted that whatever the Father decided was best for Him and others… We must never lose this conviction that God knows best, and that whatever He decides is the very best for us. With that understanding, we will gladly accept God’s Will in our lives… whatever it may be.”

Applying this example to Exodus 34:24, we can likewise say that even though God’s promise might sound to be an unconditional promise, there might be overriding circumstances and a superior purpose prompting God in a particular case not to protect a member’s home during his absence for the Feast, and even though this might perhaps be hard to understand, God would have decided to act in such way for the best of the member.

David said in Psalm 37:25: “I have been young, and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.” But still, for a very short time on the cross, God the Father had to forsake Christ, the righteous, because at that time, He was carrying the sins of all the people, and God does forsake us when we become unrighteous and forsake Him. Even though one could view David’s statement in Psalm 37:25 as a godly promise, there might be overriding circumstances in a particular case which would prompt God to decide in a different way. With each one of God’s promises, it is important to take all passages together and look at the entire picture.

Obedience to Parents and Tithing

Obedience to parents and tithing are examples of godly promises of long life and physical blessings, but we might find that some who apparently honored their parents might die at a young age or that some who might have tithed may not be blessed physically. We address both aspects in our Q&A: “Why do people die prematurely, even though they honor their parents? Doesn’t this contradict God’s promise of long life in Exodus 20:12?”

“To properly understand God’s promise of a long life to respectful children who honor their parents, we need to consider three different possibilities:

“(1) Even though some may appear to live righteously and to keep the Fifth Commandment, they really don’t–in God’s eyes… In addition, some who die, without having enjoyed long lives, might have kept the Fifth Commandment, in a general way, but they might have violated other commandments of God. But God’s law is a package, and can’t be looked upon in an isolated fashion. James tells us that when we violate one of God’s commandments, even though we keep the rest, we have still violated God’s entire law (James 2:8-13). When we do that, we cannot expect God’s protection in dangerous situations, or His intervention to save us from premature death.

“The same is true in respect to God’s promise in Malachi 3:10. God promises us physical blessings if we pay His tithe to His Church. We cannot expect being physically blessed by God, if we refuse to obey His commandment to tithe (verse 9). In other words, one is under a curse who refuses to pay God’s tithe to God’s Church… But even if a person tithes diligently–like the Pharisees did in Christ’s time–he still can’t expect that God will bless him financially, if he violates other laws of God. These could be laws regulating sound financial principles, as well as spiritual laws…

“(2)… in properly understanding Exodus 20:12, we must realize that God may decide to override His general promise of long physical life, under certain circumstances. It was preordained that Christ’s life on earth would be short–even though He kept all of God’s laws perfectly. Also, God may sometimes decide to let a righteous person die, to save him from the evil to come, as the righteous will be resurrected to eternal life within the next second of his consciousness (compare 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

“(3) The fact that the righteous will inherit ETERNAL life provides a third way of looking at God’s promise in Exodus 20:12. When God resurrects a righteous person to eternal life, He will give him the land or the earth to possess forever (compare Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37:11; Isaiah 57:13; 60:21)… When we read in Exodus 20:12 that the one who honors his parents will be living long in the land, it can also be understood to mean that he will live long on the earth–as an immortal spirit being. The implication is, of course, that if we refuse to keep God’s commandments, and especially the one enjoining us to honor our parents, we will not obtain eternal life–we won’t live long on the earth or in the land which God has promised to Abraham and his spiritual descendants (compare Romans 4:13-25; Galatians 3:29).

“God has indeed promised long life to those who obey Him. A special blessing is expressed for those who honor their parents. It is not an unconditional promise in the physical realm, as God may deem fit to override His promise for special, individual reasons. Barring this, we can rely on God’s promise of long life in this flesh–and, more importantly, life everlasting in the Kingdom of God.”

Applying these examples to Exodus 34:24, some perhaps uncomfortable questions need to be asked:

Did the person who was robbed try to keep all of God’s commandments, or was he or she perhaps somewhat selective? Did God withhold His protection in a particular case, because physical possessions might have become too important in a person’s life? Without knowing the particular circumstances, we only speak in generalities without making any judgment call. But even though God promises us physical protection from robberies in a general way, we do read in Hebrews 10:32-34: “But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings… for you… joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven…”

Also, God’s physical promise of security and protection will most certainly become reality for all when the Kingdom of God rules on earth.

Violence and Protection

Not committing violence and trusting instead in God’s promise for our protection would be other related examples of godly promises. We state in our Q&A, “Do You Believe in and Teach Self-Defense?”:

“Do we believe in God and rely on Him for our protection, having the faith that it is GOD who is our protecting shield, or do we think that we must have additional security in the form of a handgun or some sort of firearm? Do we think that God is incapable of helping us in certain circumstances?… When man places his trust and confidence in God, God will protect man. Ultimately though, no matter the consequences, we must be living a life pleasing to God…

“We must always have the attitude that Daniel’s three friends had when they were asked to violate God’s laws by worshipping an idol, and in case of refusal, were threatened with being thrown into a fiery furnace… We read their answer in Daniel 3:17-18: ‘ … our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.’

“… we must always look at God’s overall Will for us and our great potential and destiny for our lives, as Christ expressed in Matthew 10:28-31: ‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground APART FROM YOUR FATHER’S WILL. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.’”

Again, applying these principles to Exodus 34:24, we might ask whether God allowed a robbery during the Feast to test us whether we would be willing to continue to obey Him, even in circumstances which, at least for a while, might be hard to comprehend (compare Romans 11:33; Job 5:9; Ecclesiastes 3:11; 8:17).

Looking again at God’s promise in Exodus 34:24, we should ask ourselves the following questions regarding the subject of a robbery during the Feast:

How righteous and subject to all of God’s commandments were we at the time of the robbery?

Did we do whatever we could do, from a physical standpoint, such as locking our home and preventing that everyone could see right away that no one was at home?

Did we pray to God for protection of our home before leaving and while at the Feast, and did we have the faith that God would hear us?

Did God allow that our home might be robbed during the Feast of Tabernacles in order to impress on us and all of God’s people the need to always look to Him for help, without taking it for granted? Sometimes, we may have to suffer so that others can learn from it.

Did God allow this incident to test our faith? Would our faith weaken? Would we lose confidence in God? Or would we react in the same way as Daniel’s three friends, declaring that they would continue to have faith in God and not begin to disobey Him, even if He decided not to save them from the fiery furnace? God had promised to Abraham that through his son Isaac, his offspring would be blessed, but then God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, which was a pagan practice and completely in violation of God’s Word. This was of course only a test, and God never intended that Abraham had to kill his own son, but Abraham did not know this, and what questions might have crossed his mind at the time? But he did not weaken in his faith, and he did not cease obeying God. And so, we must also continue believing God, even though we might not always understand as to why certain things happen.

In conclusion, God cannot lie. Whatever He promises, He will do. But a particular physical promise may not always be an unconditional promise, so that it can be overridden by extraordinary circumstances, for the spiritual best of the persons involved. As it is true for healing, tithing, physical blessing and protection, God’s particular promises are ALWAYS subject to God’s Will and His judgment as to what is best for us and others. We don’t always know why God might choose not to intervene in a particular circumstance.

This Q&A only gives some possibilities of explanation and understanding. What is important for us is to realize that we may not have all the answers as to why God allows certain things to happen, but we must never lose the conviction that God knows what He is doing (even though we sometimes may not fully understand), and that whatever He does is for our very best.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link