In a recent issue we mentioned how easily the present rearmament program of the nations could bring forth the man of men's choice to weld together Western might and policy, and wage conquest in the name of peace. The world is looking for this man, a super man, but he may begin his career in a comparatively small way. He will come up as a "little horn" among ten horns, but soon will become master of them all.
In Dan. 7 where the course of Gentile supremacy is traced, in the vision of the four beasts, from the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, on through the ascendency of the Medes and Persians, then of the Grecians, to the Roman Empire of the past, we are conducted in thought to the future of that empire. There will be ten sovereign rulers who will yield their power, willingly or unwillingly, to this "little horn" who comes up among them, and who will be acclaimed a ruler in his own right. This little horn will soon dominate the whole strange beast, and in Revelation he himself is sometimes called the beast.
There is an added touch in Dan. 7 which is not found elsewhere: when this little horn acquires the mastery he will pluck up three of the first horns by the roots. From this it seems evident that all is not going to be smooth sailing for this man whose look is "more stout than his fellows." Three of the ten Western European nations who become a part of this alliance will resist "the beast," and he will use the power which shall be at his command to pluck them up by the roots. He will deal roughly with these recalcitrant powers, and subdue them. This fact is mentioned three times in that chapter—verses 8, 20, and 24.
The feet of the image in Dan. 2 bring before us the same time and the same empire, there described as ten toes. The material which is used to depict the future state of the Roman Empire is "iron and clay." Now it is evident that iron and clay do not mix to make a strong substance, and the mixture is in contrast with the past state of the empire which is pictured as "iron" which "breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things." There will be inherent weaknesses in this future Western European confederacy. There will be in it the iron; yes, the iron will of the man who at first seizes the power and subdues three of the ten rulers when they fail to cooperate with him, but there will be a definite lack of cohesion. So when we see the infant organization of Western European nations today we discern the lack of complete agreement, and even some things working at cross purposes. But the man who is coming will exert the strength of the iron, and forcibly forge the various dissident groups into a single pattern, although there will probably remain a certain internal lack of cohesion.
These weaknesses mentioned in Dan. 2 and 7 do not contradict what is said in Rev. 13 about all the world following the beast with wonder or amazement, because there it describes the condition during the last three and one half years, or the time when the confederacy will receive direct Satanic aid. The devil will have been cast to the earth and will use his great power to support this monstrous beast; at that time people will say, "Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" (or, it). v. 4. And it is said in Rev. 17:17, "God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." This probably takes place just at the end of the first three and one half years, for it is given in connection with the destruction of the apostate religious system known as "Babylon the Great." Its destruction will signal the great change in character of the empire, for even the mere profession of Christianity will be ruthlessly eliminated. And the Jewish feasts which bring the God of heaven to mind will be stopped, and Satan will actively support the wicked deification and worship of man, and receive worship himself—"and they worshipped the dragon" (Rev. 13:4). Then shall be what is, strictly speaking, the "great tribulation," and the "time of Jacob's trouble" ( Jer. 30:7). It would be impossible for us to visualize the terrors and awfulness of those days.
The Lord said to His own in foretelling of them, "If those days had not been cut short, no flesh had been saved; but on account of the elect those days shall be cut short." Matt. 24:22; N. Trans. When we consider how long God dealt with the world before Christ came, and then has allowed it to go on after rejecting Him for almost 2000 years, we can well understand that when He has confined those terrible days of judgment to three and one half years He has cut that period very short. And He has done it for the sake of His elect whom He will have on earth at that time; He will have elect Jews, and some of the Gentiles who will believe the "gospel of the kingdom" which the Jewish messengers will preach, saying, The king is coming (Matt. 24:14; 25:34-40). The elect of that day will not include those who have heard and rejected the "gospel of the grace of God" for they will be given over to believe a lie according to 2 Thess. 2:11, 12.
Thus we see that while the world is anxiously awaiting a man who can bring order out of chaos, when he comes he will be an arbitrary dictator, eventually backed by Satan, and will be a scourge in the end. Such is the way of a man of men's choice.
When Israel wanted a king, they wanted a leader so they would be like the nations. They did not seek God's mind; nay, rather, they refused it when known. They got a man who was head and shoulders above the rest, a man that men could look up to—he was their man. But even in their case God warned them that they would smart under his yoke, and they did. Later God gave them David, a man after His own heart, not a man after man's heart, for his own father did not consider him suitable when Samuel went to select a king from among his sons. David had his failures, but, he always turned to God even in them, and he was but a feeble type of the Lord Jesus who is truly the Man after God's heart. He, like David, has been rejected, but God's decree has gone forth, and that blessed One shall yet reign and put down all His enemies. When the enemies are all put down, He will then reign in the Solomon character when there shall be "neither adversary nor evil occurrent" (1 Kings 5:4), but in an infinitely greater and better way than those who were but types of Him.
The second psalm, which gives God's decree that His beloved Son shall reign, closes with an exhortation to rulers: "Be wise now therefore, 0 ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him." vv. 10-12. How good it would have been for this world had this admonition been followed. Eventually every knee must bow before Him, and confess Him Lord in the day of judgment; but how happy is the portion of those who have bowed the knee to Him now in the day of His grace, and by faith call Him Lord.
"Father, Thy holy name we bless,
Gracious and just Thy wise decree,
That every tongue shall soon confess
Jesus the Lord of all to be!
But oh! Thy grace has taught us now
Before that Lord the knee to bow."