The New Silk Road ∙

The New Silk Road ∙

Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River. Then, the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops. – Revelation 9:14-16

Revelation 16:12-16

 12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance.

 13 And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.

 14 They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.

 15 “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”

 16 And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.

The Chinese civilization is nearly 5000 years old, dating back to 4500 BC. “The Chinese have never been aggressive conquerors of other nations or people, but they have a history of being extremely aggressive in defense of their country and the imperial control of Chinese territory and peoples” (N. W. Hutchings). Any militancy has been limited to areas that are part of the hegemony of “Greater China.” 

Yet, the nations east of the Euphrates have awakened from a centuries-long slumber that began after the Mongol invasion of Europe in the 13th century. The vast land and population, exceeding 4 billion, will undoubtedly shape the world’s future trajectory.

Since the invasion of Europe by the Mongols in the 13th century, the great nations of Asia east of the Euphrates River have been slumbering for centuries. That began to change in the 20th century. The enormous landmass and immense population will impact the future development of the entire world.

In the 21st century, China has become a global economic superpower, investing heavily in military modernization. President Xi Jinping’s vision is to evolve the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into a top-tier, “world-class,” fully modernized military force by 2050.

Xi Jinping introduced the Belt Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, a colossal infrastructure and economic project extending from East Asia to Europe, set to be completed by 2049, marking the centenary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the world.

China, the formally sleeping giant, is awake. Where is this mammoth geopolitical and economic power headed, and what are its ambitions? It intends to create a Sinocentric international trade network to facilitate China’s more significant leadership role in global affairs commensurate with its rising power and status.

In biblical times, China was unknown to the Middle Eastern world. Just as the United States was not known either. As such, most prophecies concerning future events focused on Israel, the ancient Roman Empire, and nearby nations. However, the rise of China as a global superpower is undeniably reshaping the world’s geopolitical landscape.

REFLECT & PRAY

Revelation 22:20 Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

Father, thank You for being in control of history and planning it all out in advance. Your prophets and apostles have given us snippets of things to come. Encourage us to be focused and faithful no matter what.

INSIGHT

The Bible, particularly in Daniel, Ezekiel, Matthew, Luke, and Revelation, describes a future conflict in the Middle East, with Israel at its epicenter. This anticipated war involves forces from all directions – North, South, West, and East – in what is commonly referred to as the Battle of Armageddon.

Could it be that China is referenced as part of an oriental Confederacy or Asian power block known as the Kings of the East?

Revelation 16:12-16

 12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance.

 16 And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.

A road built ostensibly for trade and commerce can also serve as a conduit for military troops and armaments. What is the projected size of this envisioned armed force?

Revelation 9:14-16

 14 And the voice said to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River.”

 15 Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth.

 16 I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops.

Could any nation, or coalition of nations, muster an army of 200 million soldiers? In the first century AD, imagining an army so vast was unthinkable. Historians estimate that the global population was less than 200 million around 95 AD when John penned the Book of Revelation. In his 1906 commentary on the Apocalypse of St. John, H.B. Swete wrote, “These vast numbers forbid us to seek a literal fulfillment, and the description which follows supports this conclusion” (Swete).

If this is actually an army of 200 million, it would be the largest armed force ever known to man. 2000 years later, things have changed. In the 21st century, the current population of China is 7 times that number.

Astonishingly, Time Magazine published an article on May 21, 1965 (p. 35) that Red China announced it had a standing militia army of 200 million. Is that simply a coincidence? Or is it a wake-up call? Like the old Fox News slogan, we report, you decide, the choice is yours.

The 200 million troops in the vision are mounted on horses. But the “horses” are very strange in appearance.

Revelation 9:17 In my vision, I saw the horses and the riders sitting on them. The riders wore fiery red, dark blue, and yellow armor. The horses had heads like lions, and fire, smoke, and burning sulfur billowed from their mouths.

The Apostle John’s visions, as captured in the Book of Revelation, are filled with mysterious imagery and symbols. One such vision features horses, but their description suggests they were unlike any horses we know today. They were peculiar, extraordinary, and seemingly beyond our comprehension. We simply do not know.

This Reflection is somewhat different because it deals with the mysterious events not yet fully understood found in the visions of the book of Revelation.

Despite this, we can glean some salient insights from these prophecies. A massive army of 200 million soldiers is seen marching from the East towards the Euphrates River.

Angels and demonic spirits are at work in the events on Earth. The River Euphrates dried up so the army could pass over it on its way to Israel and the battle of Armageddon. During this long march, the Kings of the East will kill one-third of the world’s population.

These predicted events are beyond our understanding. Many of them are not only unfathomable but are seemingly impossible. But things that are impossible for people confined to the space-time continuum are possible with the Father, Who exists apart from time as we know it. He enters into space-time whenever He so desires and accomplishes the impossible. He is the Lord God, omnipotent (Revelation 19:6).

But there is more. The Father intentionally had the writers of His Word include things that could not be understood when written. Only at the end of time would they be more thoroughly scrutinized, researched, and their mysteries revealed.

Daniel 12:4 Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will diligently peruse it, and knowledge will increase.

Could the prophesied Kings of The East be an Asian power bloc, an oriental confederacy on the rise in the 21st century? We simply cannot say with certainty.

However, it is fascinating to consider that a prophecy about end-time events, written 2000 years ago, seems to align with the geopolitical and economic shifts currently unfolding in the 21st century.

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© Dr. H 2024

Receiving God’s signals ∙∙

Receiving God’s signals ∙∙

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. – Isaiah 30:21

Isaiah 30:15-20

 15 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.

 18 So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.

 20 Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes.

Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown originated using NFL headsets in 1956. This innovation was brought about by John Campbell and George Sarles, who had created a small radio receiver that could be inserted into a quarterback’s helmet, allowing communication from the sideline.

Headsets were first tested in a preseason game against Detroit. However, a Lions coach noticed the transmitter and objected to the league. As a result, Commissioner Bert Bell banned the devices, a prohibition that lasted almost four decades. It wasn’t until 1994 that the NFL approved a radio communication system for the sidelines and the quarterback.

Today’s headsets are lightweight, comfortable, and durable. They allow coaches to communicate on the sidelines and relay play calls to the quarterback. One defensive player can receive communication from his coach. The sound comes from two round, orange speakers in the helmet, right behind the quarterback’s ears. Since 2014, they have been manufactured exclusively by Bose, using their noise-canceling technology.

Today, the NFL utilizes continual communication between the coach and the leaders of the offense and the defense on the field.

This constant interaction mirrors our spiritual communication with the Father. As children of the King, we have been given the privilege and ability to have and maintain continual communication as well. We speak to the Father through prayer and intercession. The Father answers us in myriad ways to show us how to execute His game plan (Hebrews 1:1). He speaks through the Scriptures. He communicates with us through people He places into our lives. Some children of the King have the incredible privilege of hearing His voice or seeing dreams and visions.

Why has the Father established two-way continual communication with us? Our father created two-way contact because He wanted to call the plays. He wants us to depend on Him for the most effective direction and carry out His game plan. In football, even highly trained, experienced, and skilled players listen to their coach and team leader. In the same way, we too, should heed the coaching and leadership of our heavenly Father.

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father is the best signal-caller there is. He has a terrific game plan conceived in eternity past. He has considered all contingencies for every situation. He always knows in advance what the opposition is planning to do.

Father You promised to guide me as I hear Your voice as I walk with You. Teach me to actively listen, trust, and follow You.

INSIGHT

Tragically, it seems almost inevitable that many children of the King stop listening, go their own way, and veer off course. Like sheep, we wander off and become disoriented. The result is collateral damage. Our ability to hear, see, and follow directions is diminished. It is as though we are wearing earplugs and very thick, dark sunglasses. We manage to switch channels and no longer hear His signal. Perhaps all we hear is silence or white noise. Or worse, we hear other voices. But the voices are not the Father speaking to us (1 John 4:1).

When we lose our connection, the Father continues to transmit. He is always there to provide direction and comfort. That’s just Who He is. We need only to tune back in.

2 Timothy 2:13 If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.

This is nothing less than pure grace. He promises to guide us when we ask Him.

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Isaiah 30:20-21

 20 The sovereign master will give you distress to eat and suffering to drink, but your Teacher will no longer be hidden; your eyes will see him.

 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

But it takes more than seeing and listening. It is incumbent upon every child of the King to really focus, hear, trust, and obey. Because of our fallen human nature, we experiment with things we think might work. But such efforts prove futile. Yet, we seem to drift further and further away. We are all too ready to place our trust in useless alternatives. It is almost as though we are too proud and self-affected to trust the Father.

Psalms 33:16-17

 16 The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.

 17 Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory – for all its strength, it cannot save you.

Yet, there are always the faithful few who strive to do the right thing no matter what. These children of the King choose to depend upon the Father alone. They seek to bask in the sunshine of His loyal love.

Psalms 33:18-22

 18 The LORD takes notice of his loyal followers, on those who hope in his steadfast love.

 19 He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.

 20 We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield.

 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

 22 Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.

The faithful children of the King wait in hope for deliverance from the Father as their faithful, dependable source of help.

A world of enormous joy and fulfillment opens up as they trust in Him. They desire and pray that His unfailing love will surround and embrace them.

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© Dr. H 2024

18 inches from heaven ∙

18 inches from heaven ∙

You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. – James 2:19

Matthew 7:21-23

 21 Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

 22 On judgment day, many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’

 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you.’

Nicolas Gentile, an Italian pastry chef, was totally enamored by J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Middle Earth. His fascination grew so much that he began to dress as a hobbit. But he was not satisfied just pretending to be a hobbit – he wanted to live like one.

Nicolas said, “Some time ago, I realized that books and films were no longer enough for me to satisfy my passion for the fantasy genre and, in particular, for the Lord of the Rings saga. I was still reading about the lives of other people. I decided that I wanted to live my hobbit life to the fullest.” In 2018, he bought a piece of land in the Italian countryside near Chieti in Abruzzo. He built his own Shire following the Hobbiton model from the Ring. Nicholas now lives in it as a hobbit with his wife and children. He aims to attract more like-minded folks and build a full-size hobbit village. He said, “I am living my dream.”

Indeed, it is a dream, no more than a fantasy. A Middle Earth Reenactment Society is dedicated to researching, sharing, and living the fantasy.

It’s not uncommon for people to blur the lines between reality and fantasy. Too often, our fantasy becomes our reality. In our socially connected world, it can be easy to confuse knowing about people with actually knowing them. Knowing about someone is not the same as knowing someone personally. Living out a dream is not the same as living in reality.

It is natural for people to have wishes and aspirations and try to live them out. Many people dream and hope to know the Father and be with Him for all eternity.

Nicholas Gentile built a modern-day knockoff of a hobbit Shire and then moved in. Could it be that many believers in God are doing something quite similar? Have they created a heaven of their own making and then made reservations to move in when they die?

Many think that being religious, attending religious services, reciting creeds and standardized prayers, performing good deeds, doing the right thing, or being part of a religious family indicates that they have a relationship with the Father. Many have grown complacent because they genuinely try to live good lives and have faith in God. Having faith in the existence of God is not enough. It is possible to learn songs of the faith and religious jargon, even memorize Bible verses, and still miss the mark. They know about the Father. But that is not the same as knowing the Father. The difference is eighteen inches. It is the difference between head knowledge and heartfelt faith and a vital personal relationship.

The book of James attempts to jar people from their complacency and false sense of security. James explained that a whole cadre of creatures have great faith in God and the Scriptures. They are not agnostics or atheists. They believe in the Father’s existence and recognize the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. But these creatures are demons.

James 2:19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.

The demons have intellectual faith. They could easily sign off on most Christian statements of faith. But they have no security and tremble in fear because they never placed personal saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They are servants of the dark side, not the Light of the World.

REFLECT & PRAY

The stakes are high. Do we truly know the Lord Jesus Christ or just know about Him? “The final test is not what we think of ourselves, or what others may think. The final test is: What will God say?” (Wiersbe).

Father thank You for sending Your Son the Lord Jesus Christ into the world. When we accept Him as our Savior and Lord, we enter into a personal relationship with You and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are indeed children of the King (Romans 8:16).

INSIGHT

We may go through our lives knowing the truth of the Scriptures. We may know about the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the centuries, many have attempted to serve faithfully, but a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ was totally lacking. Many admirable and wonderful things have been done in His name. But tragically, words and deeds do not make the cut.

Matthew 7:21-23

 21 Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you.’

The Lord Jesus Christ cautions seekers who aspire to be with Him in heaven forever. He is clear that it is not enough to know about Him or even serve Him. If not, what really matters? Does the Lord Jesus Christ know them?

How can people be sure that they know Him and He knows them?

Pretense and religious facade will not confuse the Father or the Son when the day of reckoning arrives. The Lord Jesus Christ set forth what is required. There is only one thing that must be done. To enter into a relationship with Him, we must exercise genuine, heartfelt faith that the Father sent Him into the world to save us from our sins. We personalize what we intellectually know to be true. Many have done this by praying and accepting him as their Savior and Lord.

John 6:27-29

 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

 28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

 29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

The people were confused. Why is this so? “The people picked up the word labor and misinterpreted it to mean they had to work for salvation. They completely missed the word give.”

“Steeped in legalistic religion, they thought they had to ‘do something’ to merit eternal life. Jesus made it clear that only one ‘work’ was necessary – to believe on the Savior. When a person believes on Christ, he is not performing a good work that earns him salvation. There is certainly no credit in believing, for it is what God does in response to our faith that is important (see Ephesians 2:8-10)” (Wiersbe).

What should we do? Where do we begin? We acknowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from our sin. Many people familiar with the Christian faith recognize this as the central teaching. But the Lord Jesus Christ points out that knowing and believing are not the same. The difference is eighteen inches. When we believe, we make it personal. It’s a simple matter to actualize our faith. We receive and accept Him as our Savior and Lord. The thoughts of our minds become the faith of our hearts.

John 1:12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

The demons know who the Lord Jesus Christ is. Although they believe, they are unwilling to accept Him. All they can do is tremble in terror (James 2:19).

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© Dr. H 2024

In the face of fear, do right ∙

In the face of fear, do right ∙

For such a time as this. – Esther 4:14

Esther 3:8-13

 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people, and they do not observe the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain.”

 9 “If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed.”

 13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children,

Esther 4:11-15

 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.”

 12 They related Esther’s words to Mordecai.

 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews.

 14 “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

“God is never bound by our faithlessness or cowardice. He desires to use us to bless His people, but if we fail to trust Him, He will use someone else. But He will always accomplish His will” (Stanley).

Throughout history, people overcame fear and rose to the occasion. They chose to risk their safety, their families, and their very lives to act on behalf of endangered, marked-for-death Jewish people. Unlike Queen Esther, these heroic people were not Jewish. Regardless of their ethnicity, they chose to protect and save the children of Israel who were threatened and imperiled. Consider Oskar Schindler (Schindler’s List), Corrie ten Boom, or the entire nation of Albania during World War II.

At Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Israel, there is a garden, The Righteous Among the Nations. His purpose is to remember and honor those men and women who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jewish people.

Esther had choices. She could’ve reasoned that she might escape the genocidal decree of King Ahasuerus to annihilate the Jewish people in Persia by simply hiding her Jewish ethnicity. Mordecai was quite clear that such a plan would not succeed.

Under the threat of death, with the outcome unknown, she chose to risk it all. Why? Because she realized that the Father had placed her in the palace as queen of Persia for such a time as this. The book of Esther is the only book in the Old Testament that does not have the word God in it. Yet the Father is present on every page. He is working behind the scenes invisibly without a spoken word to achieve His perfect plan. When a child of the King becomes convinced of this fact in their own mind, they realize that they are invincible until the will of the Father is accomplished in and through them.

Esther came to this realization. She is ready to die to save her people, the Jewish people. Her words echo down through the centuries to inspire every child of the King.

Esther 4:16 If I perish, I perish.

But there’s more. Once we are convinced of what is right for us to do, we are required to do it, or we willfully sin.

James 4:17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

REFLECT & PRAY

It is always right to do right. The Father places each child of the King in His kingdom at the appropriate time in history to accomplish His will through and in them on earth as it is in heaven. For some of us, that time is special and obvious. “For such a time as this.”

Father help me be sensitive to Your guidance to know when and how to act. Strengthen me to be “all in” no matter what.

INSIGHT

Fear is a normal human emotion. It often provides the adrenaline necessary to fight or take flight.

“When something threatens our lives, we naturally feel great fear. There is no sin in this. It’s how we respond to that fear – with a courageous trust in God or a spineless desire for self-preservation – that makes the difference” (Stanley).

What is fear? We all know what it is like to be afraid. Fear is emotional foreboding or dread of impending trouble or sorrow. Fear can result from real dangers or challenges. Fear can also be the result of imaginary dangers or challenges. This type of fear has no objective or logical basis. It is irrational. But it is real fear nonetheless to the one who experiences it.

Whether rational or irrational, fear can be exchanged with faith and confidence and the reverential fear of the Father, our awesome God.

Where did fear begin? The Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey the Father, they lost their innocence. As a consequence, sin was introduced into the human race. With sin came fear.

Genesis 3:7-10

 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees.

 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”

 10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

Fear often immobilizes people, particularly when unrighteousness bubbles up from within.

Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flees when there is no one pursuing, but the righteous is as confident as a lion.

All children of the King have an unsurpassed Redeemer Who has come into their lives to liberate them from fear. The Lord Jesus Christ breaks the grip of fear through His sinless life, redemptive death, and resurrection. He now sits in heavenly places at the Father’s right hand (Ephesians 1:20), making intercession for each child of the King (Hebrews 7:25).

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, because perfect love expels all fear. . .. the one who fears is not perfected in love.

The Lord Jesus Christ sets us free from fear. He purges each child of the King from a lifetime of fear. We have been liberated once and for all. By faith, we actualize our freedom from fear and newfound confidence.

Jesus Calling November 9

Sit quietly with Me, letting all your fears and worries bubble up to the surface of your consciousness. There, in the Light of My Presence, the bubbles pop and disappear. However, some fears surface over and over again, especially fear of the future. You tend to project yourself mentally into the next day, week, month, year, decade; and you visualize yourself coping badly in those times. What you are seeing is a false image, because it doesn’t include Me. Those gloomy times that you imagine will not come to pass since My Presence will be with you at all times.

When a future-oriented worry assails you, capture it and disarm it by suffusing the Light of My Presence into that mental image. Say to yourself, “Jesus will be with me then and there. With His help, I can cope!” Then, come home to the present moment, where you can enjoy Peace in My Presence.

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© Dr. H 2024