June 21: IN THE INTERVAL (part 3)
At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with many chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. Daniel 11:40
Because North America had been a safe haven (see Revelation 12:16) for Protestants fleeing from persecution in Europe, modern historians have often called it “Protestant America.” After the Vatican’s political identity was reinstated in 1929, the United States did not send an ambassador to the Vatican, for the sense of protest against the abuses of the Catholic church was still keenly felt. It was not until 1984 that the Vatican was formally recognized as a sovereign country by the United States. A mere 31 years later, in 2015 Pope Francis was invited to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress—the first such event in history. The next day, he also addressed the UN General Assembly in New York. Decades earlier, such an event would have been unheard of.
The last clause of our opening verse, and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through, is highly significant. The original Hebrew for overwhelm literally means washing over. It implies the possibility of sweeping destruction, as in a flood (see Revelation 12:15). Many countries, including the USA, are systematically placing Catholics in government leadership positions. This policy has met with enormous worldwide success due to the pope’s appeal to a special wing of the Roman Catholic church called the “Society of Jesus” or Jesuits. Their strategy includes special terminology, such as the preferred term Holy Father when speaking of the pope, and the term Your Holiness when addressing him directly. The time during communism’s fall (1989-1991) was often referred to in the media as Days of the Whirlwind. Although two men secretly planned the dismantling of communism, to the world it seemed to come out of nowhere, like a whirlwind. The orchestrated events were accompanied by nomenclature that made them seem like a divine plan in the eyes of the onlooking world. The whirlwind is still whirling; more and more of the world [is wondering] after the beast (Revelation 13:3). All of these things and more are foreseen by the Savior, hence His message of preparation prior to His return.
Our great God desires for us to understand that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled, so that we can be confirmed and established on His sure word of prophecy (2 Peter 1:19)—having faith and confidence in that word. Yes, there are human systems in place that are potentially dangerous in the spiritual sense. But no human institution overrides the sovereignty of God. By knowing that they exist, we can choose not to be a part of any system of training or thought that places itself above God’s divine counsel. His arm of salvation reaches into every nook and cranny of the world (see Isaiah 52:10).
When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19b