Unleashing the Beast

316 / U NLEASHING THE B EAST

picture? The outcome of World War II was similar to the end of World War I—the balance of power shifted. Nazi German was destroyed and the nation split into two portions. Japan no longer had an empire and was, in fact, an occupied nation. Great Britain, though victorious, now had to take back seat to her younger contemporary, the United States. The rise of America's power was offset by the rise of another deadly opponent, the Soviet Union. Once again we see that World War shakes the powers of the earth. I bring this out because if the war on terror does evolve into something more—World War III perhaps—and the patterns of history hold true, then the United States, currently the world's sole superpower, may devolve into a second tier nation, leaving a power vacuum across the world and setting the stage for the last end time prophecies to come to pass. Consider again Ezekiel 38 & 39, which describes the invasion of Israel by Gog of Magog. There is no mention of help coming from anywhere except from heaven. This certainly insinuates that when this happens, either the United States is unwilling or unable to come to Israel's aid. Clearly, something happens to change the status of America between now and then. And if this does happen, American Christians should not lose heart but know that the day of our redemption is ever closer (Luke 21:28). Most Americans think that in the continuing war on terror, we will ultimately prevail, even though we may incur casualties. But what if the war turns out to be more difficult than anyone has anticipated? The war on terror