A Book You Can Trust -Part 7- The Seventh World Power

 This is the final article in a series of seven in consecutive issues of Awake! that discuss the seven world powers of Bible history.  The objective is to show that the Bible is trustworthy and inspired of God and that its message is one of hope for an end to the suffering caused by man's cruel domination of his fellow man.

WE live in a very special momentous time- that of the appearance of the seventh world power of Bible history. Moreover, this power is the only mentioned in the Bible's historical record. Concerning the seven powers, or "kings," the Bible foretold: "There are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet arrived, but when he does arrive he must remain a short while." -REVELATION 17:10.

 A little over 1,900 years ago, when those words were written, five of the seven "kings," or political empires, 'had fallen.' They were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.  The expression "one is" referred to Rome. But Rome would not last forever.  There would be one more empire, but the prophecy stated: "[It] has not yet arrived." True to Bible prophecy, the seventh 'king' did arrive on the world scene! What did this empire prove to be? Will it exercise its dominion indefinitely?  If not, how will it exit the world stage? The Bible leaves us in no doubt.

Reliable Prophecy

The seventh power began to take shape when England rose out of obscurity in the northwestern corner of the Roman Empire.  By the 1760's, this island nation had become the mighty British Empire. Britain continued to grow in wealth and power, and in he 19th century, it was the richest and most powerful nation on earth. "The British Empire," states one reference work, "was the largest the world had ever seen." It included 372 million inhabitants and extended over 11 million square mile [ 28 million sq km]."

Next time: A Book You Can Trust-Part 7-The Seventh World Power -A Noteworthy Alliance

From the jw.org publications