Who Is Israel?

Who Are The People Of God?

Introduction

By the time Hebrews reaches its sustained discussion of the Melchizedek Order, the reader is expected to grasp a single unifying reality: the High Priesthood, the Order itself, and the New Covenant exist for one defined purpose: Israel. Hebrews 8 states this explicitly. The “sum of the matter” is not abstract theology but function: a living High Priest, presiding in the true tabernacle, mediating a better covenant, established upon better promises. Those promises are not free-floating. Scripture identifies their recipient. They are made with Israel.

This is precisely where mainstream Christianity has lost coherence. The Melchizedek Order appears pointless if the New Covenant is assumed to be detached from Israel, or if “Israel” is treated as a vague spiritual metaphor with no continuity, history, or future. Once Israel is redefined away, the Order loses its reason for existence. A priesthood without a people, a covenant without a nation, and promises without an identifiable heir inevitably collapse into abstraction. Hebrews does not permit this.

The biblical narrative is relentlessly consistent: covenants are made with identifiable parties; priesthoods exist to serve those covenants; and God does not revoke national promises because of human failure. The New Covenant is not a replacement of Israel but its resolution. The Melchizedek Order is not an ornament of Christian theology but the administrative structure through which that covenant will be enacted. To separate these subjects is to break the internal logic of Scripture.

Therefore, before Hebrews proceeds further, the question must be faced directly and without evasion: Who is Israel? Until this is answered biblically, rather than traditionally or sentimentally, the reader cannot understand why the Melchizedek Order matters, why the New Covenant has not yet fully come into force, or why the promises of God remain unfinished business. Israel is not a side issue. It is the central thread, ‘the sum’, that holds the entire biblical account together.

1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man… 6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.  Heb 8:1

Replacement Theology: Is Israel the Church?

The current conversations about Israel are, at best, unclear. Virtually all commentators today immediately reference the Jews, living in modern geographic Israel in the Middle East. When it comes to biblical prophecy, the situation gets more confusing since theologians, for the most part, come up with a theory that suggests when Israel is mentioned in the New Testament, it actually refers to the Church. This kind of switch involves a process called replacement theology. Here is an explanation from common sources:

“Replacement theology, or supersessionism, is the Christian doctrine that the Christian Church has superseded the Jewish people as God’s chosen people, with the New Covenant through Jesus Christ replacing the Old Covenant with Israel. This view suggests that after the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah, the promises and blessings intended for Israel were transferred to the Church, making the Church the ‘New Israel.'”

Let us examine “the Christian doctrine” more closely. The first requirement would be that it is a biblical doctrine. Whenever a doctrine is established in the Bible, there are numerous passages, even whole chapters dedicated to the subject. Regarding this particular topic, the future of Israel is one of the most discussed subjects in the Bible. How many times is it discussed? Once again, here is an answer from common sources:

“The term ‘Israel’ appears over 2,000 times in the Bible, and while a specific count for prophecies is unavailable, the word is frequently used in prophetic books of the Old Testament to refer to God’s chosen people and the land He promised them. Therefore, ‘Israel’ is mentioned thousands of times within biblical prophecies.”

Any changes regarding Israel, any change whatsoever, would be explained from top to bottom, inside out and back to front. The Apostles would have written entire chapters explaining the details. There would be no room left for guesswork. Yet all that anyone can come up with is “this view suggests the promises and blessings intended for Israel were transferred to the Church, making the Church the ‘New Israel.'”

As we have discussed, the history of the Christian church over centuries includes war, bloodshed, burning at the stake, and widespread moral failure. The “suggested” concept rests on the New Covenant being an existing framework that houses the church. Has the church exemplified this Covenant? Has it fostered global peace, prosperity, and a universal relationship with God, where everyone knows Him from the least to the greatest, and all have His spirit? To say so is an insult to intelligence. There is no New Covenant present; therefore, there is no foundation for the claim that Israel has been transferred to the church.

Only one key verse is used in the whole Bible to “suggest” a switch from Israel to the church.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. Gal 6:16

A careful study of Galatians shows that each chapter emphasizes the importance of setting a good example. Once this is pointed out, the context becomes very clear. The chapter 6 reference then becomes: “As many as set these good examples, they are acting as the Israel of God.” The Church at that time, therefore, is not Israel but is setting the example that Israel should have. Note: this is referring to the particular Church of the day Paul is associated with. Later, the church that emerged on the world scene would become something entirely different.

Anyone familiar with the Bible would know that Israel was meant to be an example to the world. The main complaint God has with them is that they completely failed, and even more offensively, as representatives of God, they set the worst of examples. This serves as the background of Ezekiel 16 in explaining who the real “harlot” of the Bible is.

To understand the historical passage of Israel, we will start with the early promises of God.

The Early Promises

Genesis 48

16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name [Israel] be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. Gen 48:16

17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. 19And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.  Gen 48:17

genesis 49

1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

These verses state that “in the last days,” the far distant future, all twelve tribes would be represented as still existing right up to when Shiloh shall come. There is general agreement that this is referring to the Messiah, the return of Christ as the Messiah, still future.

Within the tribe of Joseph, there are two sons. One will be a great nation, the other will become multiple nations. Remember, the context is still in the last days when the Messiah comes. Within the Tribe of Judah, the throne will not depart, as we will see shortly.

And she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said unto her,Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. Gen 25:21

So far, we know that many nations will come from these tribes. Since the context has been established as “the last days,” it is reasonable to assume that most of them will be nations in the far future, in our time.

So far we can see God states there will be many separate nations that comprise Israel. This is an absolute fact if God means what He says. Israel as many nations exists today.

The Irrevocable Promise to David

The covenant with David

God swore an oath, an oath that cannot be broken, that the descendants of David would never lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, meaning that today, in this world, there is a nation that has a royal family with a king who is descended from King David. Notice that the following verses do not say he would be a king over Judah.

14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.  Jer 35:14

God added that this covenant was as unbreakable as the cycle of day and night. God laid a challenge: “If you can break the cycle of the day and the night, then I will break My covenant with David.” (Jeremiah 33:20)

“If you can stop the moon circling the earth, I will break My promise.”

20 Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; 21 Then may also my covenant be broken with Davidmy servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. 23 Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 24 Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them. 25 Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant,so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.  Jer 33:20

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips… His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.  Psalm 89:34

There are no conditions attached. Even if the descendants of David disobey God or abandon God entirely, the throne continues. God said that He would deal with the guilty party.

Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.  Psalm 89:33

If the Jews are the whole of Israel, then the word of God has failed, because the Jewish state has no throne of David. But the word of God cannot fail. The throne must exist elsewhere, among the nations descended from Israel.

Judah Is Not the House of David

In Zechariah, there is a verse that stumps the commentators. This passage is acknowledged by all to be the time that Christ returns to Jerusalem at the battle of Armageddon. At that time, all the nations of Israel were in captivity or absent from Jerusalem, which had been the headquarters of the Beast for several years.

There is a passage, repeated for emphasis, that states the captives of Israel will be returned to Jerusalem in such spectacular fashion that, compared to the first coming out of Egypt in the Old Testament, it will be spoken about and never be forgotten. More detail of the return of the Israelite captives will be given in the Revelation end-time section.

7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 8 But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.  Jer 23:7. 

The repeat section, word for word, is in Jeremiah 16:14. In the previous verse 13, it describes when they are taken into captivity.

20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.  Jer 23:20

The context is clearly in the end time. At that time:

The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.  Zechariah 12:7

Here, Judah and the House of David are treated as distinct. Judah, the Jewish nation, is not the throne-bearing nation of Israel. The throne of David is preserved in another line, another nation entirely. The meaning of the passage is that at the end time, Judah is a very small nation, the smallest of the nations of Israel. By comparison, the nation that “houses” the throne is a much larger nation. So that Judah is not looked down on as being relatively insignificant, it is given the privilege of being repatriated first.

Christ’s Forty-Day Boot Camp

After His resurrection, Christ spent forty days with His disciples in Galilee, an intensive teaching period. Luke records the subject of these lessons clearly:

To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.  Acts 1:3

So when the disciples asked in Acts 1:6, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” they were not confused. This was the natural conclusion of everything Christ had just taught them. They understood that the Kingdom of God meant the restoration of Israel under the New Covenant.

Christ did not rebuke them. He simply replied:

It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. Acts 1:7

That answer means one thing: the restoration is certain, but the timing belongs to God alone.

Christian Nations: The Only Logical Identity

The controversy of God in prophecy is with nations guilty of spiritual adultery (Ezekiel 16, Revelation). That charge only makes sense if those nations are Christian in name. Pagan nations cannot be accused of betraying a covenant they never entered.

Therefore, the Israelite nations of prophecy must be the nations who carried the Bible, spread the gospel, and built their law and culture on Christ. They are the Christian nations of history, now faltering, now faithless, but still under covenant accountability.

Conclusion: A Fact, Not a Theory

The evidence is overwhelming:

Christianity rests on the Bible alone. Reject the Bible, and you reject Christianity.

Jacob’s blessing demanded that Israel become many nations in the “last days.”

The covenant of God with David guaranteed an enduring throne.

Judah and the House of David are distinct entities.

Christ Himself confirmed the restoration of the kingdom to Israel would take place.

The nations of Israel would be at the center of the Millennium and the New Covenant.

This is not speculation. This is not “one interpretation among many.” This is a biblical fact. Israel exists today as nations. They are Christian nations. And their very existence testifies to the faithfulness of the God who keeps His promises, regardless of human blindness.

Christianity Stands on One Book

Before anything else is said, this must be acknowledged: Christianity depends entirely on one book, the Bible.

Every doctrine, every teaching, every hope for salvation, and every claim of authority comes from this one source. Without the Bible, Christianity has no foundation. It is not one of many options. It is the sole source of our knowledge of the plan of God and the sole instruction manual for how man can approach Him.

The Bible itself testifies to this:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  2 Timothy 3:16

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  Matthew 4:4

If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.  Isaiah 8:20

This is not optional. If the Bible is set aside, or if its plain meaning is rejected, then the faith being practiced is no longer Christianity.

To not accept what the Bible states is to rebut Christianity itself.

It does not matter whether the group is Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox, or whether it calls itself liberal, evangelical, or charismatic. If the Bible is not believed and followed, then by its own definition, they are not Christians in a strict sense at all.

Christ Himself made the issue plain:

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?  Luke 6:46

If the words of Christ and His apostles are ignored, then the name “Christian” is empty. Christianity cannot be remade into whatever man desires. It stands or falls on obedience to the revealed Word of God.

This fact must be kept in mind when discussing the destiny of Israel. The only reason we even know that Israel would become many nations, or that the throne of David would endure, or that Christ would return to restore the kingdom, is because the Bible says so. If the Bible is true, then these things must be true. If they are not true, then the Bible is false, and Christianity collapses entirely. There is no middle ground.

Israel as Nations in the Last Days

When Jacob blessed his twelve sons before his death, his words were prophetic, reaching “to the last days” (Genesis 49:1).

Though not every son was promised nationhood, the sons of Joseph were given a clear and exceptional blessing. Jacob said of Ephraim and Manasseh, “let my name be named on them… and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth” (Genesis 48:16). He went further: “he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations” (Genesis 48:19).

That is not symbolic. It is literal. The line of Joseph was destined to produce multiple nations. To deny that is to deny the straightforward word of God.

Having established the biblical foundation, we now turn to prophetic interpretation to identify the pattern of how these promises have unfolded in history.

The Harlot Of Revelation 17-18 Defines The Christian Nations

I will tell you the mystery of the woman

9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.  Rev 17:9

Verse 9: The seven heads are seven mountains.

A mountain in the Bible often refers to a power structure, a kingdom. The context in this case is confirmed as a kingdom, explained in verse 12.

Verse 10: These are successive kingdoms, as shown by the context of the passage. Five of these kingdoms have already passed. The Greek word for “fallen” is associated with fallen kings and empires, meaning they are succeeded. The expression “one is” means that it is the current kingdom or dominant power.

We receive explicit confirmation of the timing being discussed: In verse 12, the ten kings have not yet taken their positions, meaning such a scenario has never occurred before in history. Most agree that the Beast power has not yet appeared; the final Beast of Revelation will not rise until the end time is already underway. The focus here is a brief, upcoming time period. Revelation has nothing to do with ancient Rome’s events. The timing validation also places “one is” immediately before the Beast and the ten kings’ short final reign and demise.

The overall timing and context of Revelation was established in the first verse of Revelation.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John…for the time is at hand.  Revelation 1:1

Overall, it is an end-time book. It is composed by Christ, meaning He sees and understands exactly what will happen in the future. It is written exclusively to His servants, the very servants we have been discussing, “those that serve the living God.”

The account relates to a period just before the end time, a necessary step for His servants to grasp the overall events they will be involved in. Lastly, in verse 3, it states that “the time is at hand,” indicating that the entire structure of Revelation is revealed to us just before the end time begins. As with Daniel, full understanding awaits when the appropriate time becomes relevant.

From this line of reasoning, we can pinpoint a place in time. The seventh Beast power, not often mentioned as such since most commonly people only talk about THE Beast power as if there were only one, the end-time one. Clearly, there has been a succession of them. The last one, which everyone mentions, has not surfaced yet. We are not there yet. The Beast power before the last one is “the one that is.” This is our time lock for the context overall. Everything is relevant to what came before and what will come after the sixth Beast.

How do we define what the beast powers are? The main clue is the Beast and the harlot ride together. The woman sits on the Beast.

The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.  Revelation 17:9

If we identify the woman, we will be halfway there.

One Harlot In The Bible

There is only one harlot of consequence in the Bible. Ezekiel 16 depicts how the once-beautiful young lady, cared for by God, has become increasingly coarse and repugnant. To use the very descriptive language of God, she opens her legs to anyone who passes by.

14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD. 15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was. Ezek 16:14

25 Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.  Ezek 16:25

This woman is the House of Israel and the House of Judah, Samaria and Jerusalem. The description goes further in Ezekiel 23 where the two sisters are named as Aholah and Aholibah, named as Samaria, the ten Northern Tribes of Israel, and Jerusalem representing Judah.

In short, the harlot of Revelation 17 is Israel, the only harlot nation of the Bible that God is involved with.

Note that in Ezekiel 16 there are references to this harlot distinctly set in the end time.

59 For thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.  Ezekiel 16:59

Israel will be in captivity during the end time.

60 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. 61 Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.  Ezekiel 16:60-61

However, you will survive, as I am faithful in My promises of a New Covenant with you. The Everlasting Covenant can only be the New Covenant when Christ returns.

62 And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: 63 That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD. Ezek 16:59

Part of the New Covenant is that “everyone from the least to the greatest” will know the Lord. And: never again will they repeat their old ways.

33 Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.  Ezek 23:33

These verses bring the story full circle. Israel was a nation nurtured by God. It rebelled by turning its back on God. It will pay the price during the end times, but at the return of Christ, there will be a spectacular gathering of all the captives, and they will be brought back to “the promised land.” At that moment, the New Covenant will be inaugurated.

Some detail of the captives being returned is given in Isaiah 66.

For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. 19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. 20 And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.  Isa 66:18

The nations that are holding the captives will be forced to provide the transport to return them to Jerusalem. It will not be via “horses, chariots and litters,” appropriate expressions at the time it was written.

We can safely assume it is the Two Witnesses that are responsible. Getting the captives back to Jerusalem and surrounding area is probably their last act and they will no doubt use their full power to achieve the result.

As mentioned in two places, in Jeremiah 16 and 23, what will be a spectacular event will be remembered forever.

The Great Whore

Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.  Rev 17:1

The phrase “many waters” is generally understood in biblical prophecy to represent many peoples and nations. The woman who rides the Beast has influenced and held sway over numerous nations throughout history.

The great statue of Daniel 4 provides a broad outline of history. The Roman Empire extends all the way to the ten toes, representing the ten kings of the end-time Beast power. All that remains is to identify the European dynasties that lead up to the end, to determine the “five that have fallen.”

To get a clearer picture of what we are looking at, ask what the patterns are. The end-time Beast is in effect an empire. It rules over the Woman who is (a) European, (b) of Christian heritage. All the “empires” or dynasties will be the same.

We are going to assume that we are approaching the end time. Several factors show that we are right there. The description of world circumstances at the fall of Babylon in Revelation 18 shows a world we are very familiar with.

International trade is what we understand it to be. Marriage is still a normal custom. “Come out of her, My people” lets us know Christianity is still present. The world has not sunk under the waves of global warming. The world has not run out of food to feed the masses. Artificial intelligence has not changed the world to a mass working force of robots. Money is still what it used to be. Everything is much as it is today. Yet we know that massive changes are due to come, but they have not happened, are not visible, when Christ says, “for the time is at hand.”

Once we are certain the woman represents a series of nations that God has been dealing with, we can join all the dots.

An eighth Beast is mentioned. This one is “of all seven,” meaning that he is behind all seven or in the mix. This is Satan, the instigator of all the problems of Israel. Revelation 12 makes that point. As it says, the eighth Beast of Satan will go “into perdition,” led away “chained” for a thousand years.

The Five That Are Fallen

The history of these dynasties begins at the time Europe became nominally Christian after Constantine set the wheels in motion. Constantine legalized Christianity and established it as the state religion of the Roman Empire, but his motives were political, not spiritual. He locked the Church leaders of the time together at the Council of Nicaea and would not let them go until they had worked out a joint declaration. It was pure politics by all involved. In the process, everyone was kept happy by syncretizing many different popular facets of beliefs of the time. Easter, Christmas, Sunday worship, and much more were introduced. These had nothing to do with the Bible or the word of God. What Constantine established was for his own political ends.

The pattern we are looking for is clear: European nations, Christian heritage, world-dominating power. The details that follow are a guideline, essentially correct as recounted by historians.

Merovingians

Clovis (466-511) started the Franks, which succeeded the Roman Empire. Clovis I was a king of the Franks who ruled from 481 to 511. He established a powerful kingdom that was a major successor to the Roman Empire. He is considered the first French King and is famous for his military conquests and for being the first Catholic king in history.

Carolingians

Charlemagne became the first Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD when Pope Leo III crowned him on Christmas Day in Rome. He was already King of the Franks and had united much of Western and Central Europe through military campaigns. His coronation is considered the founding moment of the Holy Roman Empire.

Born in 742, Charlemagne was the son of Pepin the Short, who deposed the last Merovingian monarch and established the Carolingian line.

Note: The early Spanish kingdoms of the Marca Hispanica (Spanish March), including Catalonia, Barcelona, and early Aragon, were established by Charlemagne around 795 as buffer zones and were, for a time, integral provinces of the Carolingian Empire, governed by Frankish-appointed counts. Over time, these counts became autonomous, leading to the rise of independent Spanish kingdoms.

Capetians

King Louis XIV of France (1643-1715). Europe’s strongest power at the time.

Habsburgs

The House of Habsburg, also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for ruling vast realms throughout Europe during the Middle Ages and early modern period, including the Holy Roman Empire and Spain.

British Empire

At its height in the 19th and early 20th centuries, it became the largest empire in history and, for a century, was the foremost global power. By 1913, the British Empire held sway over 23 percent of the world population at the time, and by 1920, it covered 24 percent of the total land area of Earth.

The One That Is

USA (European Ancestry)

The British colonized the eastern coast of what is now the United States, establishing the Thirteen Colonies that became the foundation of the USA. Other European powers included the Spanish in the south and west, and the French in the north, though British influence became dominant in the areas that formed the original United States.

The Spanish-American War (1898) victory established the United States as a credible player in international affairs and reshaped its global ambitions. When the United States entered World War I, its military and economic strength proved decisive for the Allied victory. Victory in World War II was a transformative moment that cemented its status as the new global superpower.

America is the current world superpower, “the one that is,” and will remain so until the time is ripe for the transfer to the next Beast power, the seventh and final one.

This identification of “the one that is” as the United States is critical. It provides an exact time lock. We are living in the period immediately before the final Beast takes power for the last seven years. When the dominance of the USA fails, a vacuum will be created. Russia and Central Europe will unite, becoming the new world-dominating power. The only other power in play will be China. The end time will see the battle between these two.

The pattern fits: European heritage, Christian accountability, world-dominating powers in succession. Other empires in history (Mongols, Ottomans) were not Christian and therefore not under covenant accountability to God. God, and the Bible, are concerned only with the people He has given help and advice to, but who have firmly rejected it. Therefore, they are accountable.

The fundamental storyline of Revelation 12 is this: Israel, the woman, has never been able to shake Satan off her back until the Saints overcome Satan by persuading Israel (Europe, the Jews, and other Christian nations) not to follow the Beast and take his mark. This is the next great “Garden of Eden” moment: what will you do? Without the end-time work of the Saints, the people will not have the means to choose correctly.