KFLCC Kingdom Economics

C HAPTER 1

1 M ONEY AND THE R ISE AND F ALL OF E MPIRES

merica, by definition, was not created as an empire but as a republic. We are not ruled by a monarchy or an oligarchy, as empires have been throughout history; instead, we are a sovereign nation ruled by elected representatives who vote on public issues on our behalf. But for decades, America has been a nation of global influence and dominance—sometimes referred to as a superpower. So in that respect, we have some things in common with other nations throughout history that had the governing status and power of an empire. A Empires and superpowers rise through productivity and influence. But eventually they decline through unsustainable debts, war, and loss of respect among other nations. Having studied the major empires of Biblical prophecy for many years, I have identified four important patterns that merged in nations or regions of the world, and thus forged an empire on the anvil of history. For a nation or group of nations to emerge with the power of an empire, their small unit of tribes or individuals must unite with the intent of creating a nation or a power under one leader or form of government. As the nation or individuals continue to unify, they develop commerce, currency, and military. Throughout history, the first phase of their dominance was often through military conquest. The second element is the ability to control commerce in their region (or globally) through their own fiat currency and banking system. Empires throughout history had the power and influence to control the economy and commerce on a regional or even a global scale. Other nations looked to that empire as the strongest economic power in their hemisphere or the strongest

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