‘Day 296

“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.” Revelation 17:12-13. (NASB)

In the last two chapters we have encountered the kings of the east, the kings of the earth, the seven kings, and now ten kings! What is going on here? These ten kingdoms are end-time characters without a pedigree. They receive their dominion along with the beast in the last period of earth’s history. They exist in the time of the “eighth king” (Rev 17:11).

If the beast represents the combined political and economic powers of the world, the ten horns represent a significant subgroup of the world’s nations. Crucial to the final events is a worldwide unity of political and economic power. In order for that worldwide unity to happen, this powerful subgroup has to sign on. Only time will reveal the identity of these ten kings. Those who observe this prophecy with care will want to watch for a move toward world unity by a major sub-grouping of the world’s nations, possibly in the context of the United Nations or some similar organization.
If this action occurs in the reasonably near future, there are two major candidates for the role described in this passage; NATO and the G8 nations. NATO is a military alliance made up of the United States, Canada and 24 European countries (including Turkey, which is partly in Europe). In 1949 the treaty’s initial purpose was to provide a political and military counterbalance to Soviet power in Europe. With the collapse of Soviet communism, NATO has become the chief military and political power in the world. Worldwide union is inconceivable without its support.
NATO has grown in size as a result of the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The G8 nations, on the other hand, are more of an economic group than a political or military one. While NATO is the more powerful organization on paper, the G8 countries together can dominate NATO. Whatever the makeup of the ten kings, the giving of their authority to the beast results in war with the Lamb (Rev 17:14). The good news is that the end is not in doubt and the outcome is clear. The Lamb wins and the powers of the world lose.