Coincidence or Evidence of Endtime Prophesy?

Take a look at this building. It looks somewhat strange and perhaps unfinished, but it doesn't look sinister, does it?

It's the Strasbourg Building in Strasbourg, France, where the European Parliament meets regularly. This is one of three headquarter sites of the European Union.

Its architects would have you believe that the unfinished-looking structure denotes the "unfinished nature of Europe." But if you look carefully at the picture below, you may begin to draw a conclusion that the architects modeled the building after Bruegel's painting of the Tower of Babel.

TOWER OF BABEL HISTORY
The biblical story of Babylon (Genesis 11), set in the post-Noahic world, was the first systematic, coordinated rebellion against God, led by Nimrod, who founded Babel. And, as such, it becomes the first "worldly, secular government" in recorded history.

Nimrod attempted to lead people away from the true God by teaching an erroneous doctrine of fulfilment and destiny apart from God; in the same way that modern educators teach the theory of evolution in an attempt to explain created life without a Creator. (Some tactics by the enemy never change.)

Jewish Historian Josephus has written that the Mighty Nimrod "gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power."

With the flood still fresh in people's minds, Nimrod said he would be "revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers!" (Complete Works of Flavius Josephus).

Once the Lord saw their evil intent (as they all spoke one language), He caused the abrupt ceasing of construction by confusing their language. Ironically, in a parody on the pride of Babel, the name Babel (bab-ili) in Babylonian literature meant "the gate of God." But in Hebrew it sounds like the word for confusion -- and so it was, the Tower of Confusion.

NOW BACK TO THE MODERN TOWER

In the event that you haven't been convinced of the EU's model for the Tower of Babel, see this original poster for the European Union. It has since been removed from their advertising.

The comparison is distinct. The building has the same unfinished look to it. And the ad copy used here is a direct counterpoint to Babel -- Babel had one voice that was divided into many languages; Europe has many languages that wants to speak with one voice.

THE BEAST POWER

You ready for more? As we've seen from last time, the book of Daniel shows that the economic and military superpower that will appear in the last days will arise out of the ashes of the old Roman Empire. The book of Revelation depicts that same endtime power as a woman riding a beast (Rev 17:1-5).

On the woman's forehead, scripture says, "was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH," Rev 17:5 (KJV).

Is it just a coincidence that this statue is in front of the Winston Churchill building at the EU Complex in Strasbourg, France? While this is not really the same beast or woman as outlined in scripture, it is telling that such a structure would be there.

Daniel's Dream About Our Future

There's always been such confusion over where the coming endtime beast power will arise on the earth. The Book of Daniel, chapter two, gives the answer. It shows that King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream -- it was a prophetic dream detailing the world's gentile governments that would rule before the return of Christ.

This is how Daniel describes the dream to Nebuchaddnezzar: "You, O king, were watching as a great statue — one of impressive size and extraordinary brightness — was standing before you. Its appearance caused alarm. As for that statue, its head was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze. Its legs were of iron; its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay. You were watching as a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces. Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth."
(Dan 2:31-35 NET)

This prophetic dream dealt specifically with world governments, the last of which, symbolized as the "stone that was cut without hands" (Dan 2:45), represents the Kingdom of God coming upon the earth with the return of Jesus.

diagram from http://blackinkdesigns.com/

Due to the accuracy of the prophesy, biblical critics have attempted to date the book after the fact. However, Jesus calls Daniel a prophet (Matt 24:15). Let's take Jesus' words over this, rather than man's.

The book appears to have been written at the time of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews (during the first kingdom, Babylon) and into the beginning of the Persian Kingdom (Dan 1:1, Dan 10:1). And it foresaw the coming of three gentile empires: Persia, Greece and Rome (see Dan 8 & Dan 11).

Jesus came at the time of the Roman Empire, when Rome issued a decree to kill all newborns. Jerusalem was sacked by the Roman Empire in 70 AD. The Roman Empire (the legs of iron) would go through a series of revivals until the endtimes, signified by the toes (part of iron, part of clay).

Each metal symbolized a different empire. The fact that the toes are part iron and part clay symbolizes that the last empire would be a continuation of the Roman Empire (iron) coupled with another, weaker entity (clay, Dan 2:41).

Once this ten-toed (or ten nations) revival occurs, and subsequent prophecies are fulfilled, then Jesus returns. "In the days of those kings (represented by the toes) the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever."
(Dan 2:44 NET)

This is why we need to keep an eye on Europe for endtime prophesy.

Next time I write I want to show you some interesting parallels between endtime prophecies and the European Union.