The arrival of the kings of the east?

by Michael G. Mickey

(12-14-05)

Revelation 16:12: And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

Bible prophecy tells us an army comprised of more than one nation from east of Israel is going to make its way toward the battle of Armageddon by crossing a dried-up Euphrates River late in the seven-year Tribulation Period to come. As such, the remaining content of this commentary should come as no big surprise to those of us who hold faith in a literal interpretation of the Word of God as a military alliance of eastern nations, as seen in Scripture above, is going to become a reality in the prophetic future.

Bearing the above in mind, a Washington Post article entitled 'Asian Leaders Agree to New 16-Nation Association' caught my attention and held it, especially when I read the subtitle describing why this group of nations is forming. It reads: "Group is Seen as Part of Region's Effort to Develop Stronger Voice in World Affairs".

In the body of the article, I found the following excerpt noteworthy (emphasis added mine):

Asian leaders agreed Wednesday to create a new, loosely united regional group, including India and Australia, to work on combating Asia's economic, security and political problems.

While there are many security issues that a group such as this could discuss in this age of terrorism, I can't help but wonder if those involved may feel a need exists to discuss security matters of a military nature in the process as well, particularly at this present moment when Iran's president is talking like a homicidal, delusional maniac as his terrorist-supporting nation scrambles wildly, trying to obtain a nuclear weapon before Israel or the West stops them.

Could the East's desire to "develop a stronger voice in world affairs" lay the groundwork for the prophesied kings of the east to form a military alliance to counter the perceived threat posed by radical Islamic terrorism and the powerful military resources of the West? I wouldn't be surprised. Not even a little.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.