The Spanish Armada or World War Three?

This entry is an edited repost of an article that was  published in September 2008

With the looming threat of war against Iran before the end of the year it seems particularly timely to consider the ill-fated Spanish Armada of the 16th century, at least the Watchtower Society’s perspective of it.

While recent developments may cause some of Jehovah’s Witnesses to imagine that the ferocious Russian bear may now be emerging from hibernation to renew its supposed role as the prophetic king of the north, the truth is that the Watchtower’s entire interpretation of Daniel, as well as their interpretations of interrelated prophecies in Revelation, are fatally flawed and provide Jehovah’s Witnesses with no reliable foundation for understanding where we stand in relation to the events foretold in prophecy and the unfolding of future events.

Take for example the Society’s interpretation of the seventh chapter of Daniel regarding the last-ascending little horn of the eleven-horned wild-beast that humiliates three kingdoms that existed prior to it. In that regard the Watchtower’s website currently features an Awake article written last year pertaining to the tragic misadventure of the Spanish Armada.

The article itself is succinct, informative and accurate. However, although the Awake does not delve into the prophetic significance of the event that the Society elsewhere attaches to the defeat of Spain’s naval forces more than four centuries ago, the concluding paragraph alludes to such, saying: “Looking back, it is evident that what happened in the summer of 1588, when efforts at conquest by the Spanish Armada proved unsuccessful, is very significant. Nearly 200 years after the defeat of the Armada, Great Britain rose to world prominence and, in time, came to have a key position in fulfillment of Bible prophecy.”

To the unfamiliar it may seem that the article merely says that the tragedy that befell the Spanish Armada only paved the way for the ascension of the British Empire and that Bible prophecy was eventually fulfilled when Britain became the dominate power in the 19th century. While that appears to be what the article is saying, that is not what the Watchtower actually teaches. The Society officially teaches that the defeat of the Spanish Armada was one aspect of the fulfillment of the 7th chapter of Daniel regarding the three horns that are “plucked up.” Indeed, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been led to believe that the loss of a few dozen wooden ships with canvas sails was the fulfillment of a major prophecy connected to the coming of Christ.

In truth, it is not “evident” at all that the disaster that befell the Spanish Armada had anything whatsoever to do with the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. As the article correctly points out, it was not so much that the British navy defeated the Spanish Armada anyway. As fate would have it, many more men and ships were lost to the gales that frequently rage across the North Atlantic than were lost in actual battle. Call it divine providence if you will, but it was certainly not an overwhelming British victory. In fact, when informed of the disaster that befell his Armada, the king of Spain is reported to have bemoaned: “I sent the Armada against men, not God’s winds and waves.”

But more than that, though, there are several insurmountable difficulties with the Society’s interpretation.

Foremost, the prophecy specifically says that the eleventh horn comes up among the ten and causes three of the ten to be “plucked up” from before itself. Any reader who approaches this prophecy with his mind unfettered by the Watchtower’s interpretation ought to grasp the fact that the three uprooted horns are plucked up suddenly, decisively and simultaneously; not gradually, one at a time, over the course of more than two centuries.

Yet, according to the Watchtower the three horns represent Spain, France and the Netherlands, which all fought numerous battles and suffered naval defeats at the hands of the British navy over the span of more Admiral Lord Nelsonthan two-hundred years. Actual history belies the importance the Society attaches to the battle though, in that, the loss of the Spanish Armada was merely one naval battle and it in no way brought about the downfall of Spain itself. In fact, Spain lost another even more decisive naval engagement more than two centuries later, in 1805, when the British navy, under Admiral Lord Nelson, defeated an alliance of the French and Spanish at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Britain’s victory at Trafalgar did indeed establish the supremacy of British naval power for the remainder of the 19th century. But to emphasize the point being made here: It was more than two centuries after the defeat of the Spanish Armada before Great Britain became the dominate European power. And supposedly that is when the British Empire emerged as the “little horn.” But how reasonable is it that beast’s three horns were “plucked up” before ever the little horn emerged?

What is even more absurd is that the Society claims the little horn not only represents the British Empire but also symbolizes the Anglo-American kingdom. But the British-American alliance, sometimes called the ‘special relationship,’ did not even come into existence until during the Second World War -- almost four centuries after the Spanish “horn” was supposedly “plucked up” by the then non-existent little horn! Or are we to assume that the little horn has been growing and growing and growing for nearly half a millennia now?

It should be evident that the Watchtower’s interpretation of prophecy, while colorful and innovative, is wholly artificial. And worst of all, by assigning the fulfillment of such profound prophecies, which pertain ultimately to the political developments coinciding with the glorious coming of the kingdom of Christ, to comparatively inconsequential events of centuries past, the Watchtower has unwittingly degraded the All-Knowing Jehovah into a god who squanders his incomparable powers of foreknowledge with Nostradamic predictions of historical trivia.

ALL PROPHECY IS HARMONIOUS

The emergence of the little horn is a future event. It signifies the appearance of the last king, otherwise known as the 8th king, which occurs during a time of unprecedented global tumult. The little horn will be different from all the kingdoms that have come before it because the last kingdom will be a world government. The humiliation of three kingdoms is also a future event -- likely symbolizing the sudden downfall of the Anglo-American system, which presently dominates the world. (The exact details of the “three horns” remain to be seen.)

How does this relate to the prophecy of the king of the north and the king of the south? Both prophecies, as well as the 13th chapter of Revelation and the 8th chapter of Daniel as well, depict a singular political agency under Satan’s control that brings the mighty ones of this world to ruin; dominates all nations and speaks great and grandiose things against Jehovah himself.

To illustrate: The little horn is said to be given a mouth speaking “grandiose things”; whereas, the victorious king of the north is said to “speak marvelous things” against “the God of gods.” The beast of Revelation is said to be given “a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.” The significance of Revelation is that it reveals that the beast begins speaking great blasphemies after it recovers from a sword stroke. Evidently the plucking up of the three horns coincides with the death stroke upon the head of the beast.

It should be noted as well that the prophecy in the 8th chapter of Daniel foretells that a king fierce in countenance will “put on great airs” before Jehovah’s anointed prince and that he will throw truth to the earth and cause deception to succeed. Obviously all four prophecies depict the exact same development that will bring about the subjugation of all peoples and nations under a tyrannical world government, including God’s people. The last king will ultimately lead the nations into a world-ending confrontation with Jehovah’s then-ruling Christ.

Significantly, the 8th chapter of Daniel situates the emergence of the last king as taking place during the time of the end. Reasonably, that is also when the three horns are “plucked up” as well.

IN THE TIME OF THE END...A PUSHING

In harmony with that, the prophecy of the king of the north and south foretells a final decisive war will erupt at the beginning of “the time of the end,” commencing with a preliminary “pushing.” (Interestingly, the king of the north is destined to subjugate Egypt, Libya and the Ethiopians, which correlates with the three horns.)

Of course, the Watchtower teaches that “the time of the end” began in 1914. Supposedly the “pushing” between the two rival kings began then too and continued over the course of the 20th century. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been led to believe that the punitive measures of the Treaty of Versailles that were imposed upon the vanquished Germany, as well as the Cold War stand off between the West and the USSR, were the fulfillment of the prophecy. Presumably the collapse of the Soviet Union brought an end to the pushing match.

In reality, the sudden end of the giant Soviet bloc of nations signaled the beginning of London’s final push to establish a global empire after first destroying democracy and the nation-state system, once and for all. Since the end of the USSR Europe has been ensnared, not by the tentacles of dreaded communism, but in the sovereignty-relinquishing schemes known as Maastricht and now the Lisbon Treaty. 

Arc of CrisisBecause Russia is not under London’s influence to the extent of Europe and America, the imperial strategy is to encircle Russia by pushing Nato to Russia’s eastern borders and creating failed states and destabilization throughout vulnerable nations in South Asia -- creating what the Anglo-American chess-masters call the Arc of Crisis.

The driving force pushing the nations towards nuclear catastrophe is the ongoing collapse of the global financial system. The financial monarchs, whose money system is now in a terminal death spiral, are urgently committed to destroying the nation-state system, America and Russia in particular, in order to prevent them from acting against private financial interests, and to lock up control of the world’s vital natural resources and energy corridors, so as to remain on top of the heap in the aftermath of the post crash world.

Of course, no sane person would seek to provoke a nuclear war in order to avoid losing their grip on power; however, the unseen power that is shoving the nations closer and closer to the precipice are not human. The real oligarchs are maddened demons who are intent on taking the world hostage at the coming of Christ.

With C.T. Russell as editor the Watchtower foresaw in advance what eventually became known First World War, which, admittedly, they also imagined would lead directly into the war of Armageddon. And in the lead-up to WWII the Watchtower also braced Jehovah's Witnesses for the persecution and hard times that eventually came upon them. Ironically, now though, on the eve of the worst and must horrible war that will ever occur, Jehovah's Witnesses have no idea of what is about to happen. The Watchtower has taught them that it has already occurred. Irony of ironies: the present blindness is itself the fulfillment of prophecy. 

Comments

[Claude]

Mankind has always sought ways to improve his lot. He has done so through various political, religious and economic systems. All of these are flawed as man himself is flawed. Thus even our best effort falls short of perfection. It is only through the priestly office of Christ Jesus that mankind will be perfected and redeemed from our present dying condition. –John 14:6; Hebrews 7:1-28; Romans 5:12.

The plan of redemption has been in the works since the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:15) The time allotted for the perfecting of mankind is reserved for the seventh millennium. Needless to say, we are now fast approaching the long predicted great tribulation that will soon engulf our world through which survivors will be transitioned into Christ’s thousand-year reign. (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 20:4-6; 7:9, 14) Thus our redemption is directly related to the realization that the systems that mankind has put in place to direct our affairs must give way to Christ’s incoming kingdom, at which time humanity will be progressively healed and elevated to our original state, the perfection lost by Adam. --Genesis 1:31; Daniel 2:35.

To illustrate, recall that when Moses went up the mountain and delayed for forty days, the people took to building a golden calf, ascribing their crude image to the God that led them out of Egypt. But when Moses came down with the Ten Commandments, they found out to their displeasure that the true God is nothing like the false gods of Egypt. --Exodus 32:4.

In the time of the end [or the great tribulation], God will forcibly remove all of our idols before our overall rehabilitation commences, as demonstrated by the plagues brought upon Egypt and the defeat of all their false gods. For our time, the tribulation will be a vortex through which the separation of the sheep and the goats will be accomplished. --Matthew 24:21.

Right now as it is, just like Egypt and later the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai, mankind is inebriated with false worship, false gods and diverse forms of idolatry. (Revelation 17:2) Jesus knew that this would be true even of his field, saying that it has been over sown with weeds.

The question that thinking Jehovah’s Witnesses ought to ask is: “If Christ said that his field has been sown with weeds by an enemy, how could he have established a faithful and discreet slave class over all of his belongings nearly a hundred years ago when by all apparent indication the weeds have not yet been removed from his field by the angelic harvesters as brought forth in this kingdom illustration?

The fact of the matter is, just as the Devil has laid claim of the earth and mankind, he has infiltrated Christ’s congregation to the extent that idolatry has rooted itself in the house of God and the weeds and wheat are indistinguishable. Concerning this state of affair, Jesus said: “Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the harvest season I will tell the reapers, first collect the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them up, then go to gathering the wheat into my storehouse.” --Matthew 13:24-30.

Shortly before the battle of Armageddon, at the sounding of the “seventh” or “last trumpet,” the first resurrection will commence. (1 Corinthians 15:52; Revelation 10:7) There is no evidence that the refining process of Christ’s congregation took place shortly after the First World War. Neither is there any proof that the first resurrection began at that time. This does not mean, however, that Christ has not been with his people guiding and instructing them through the promised holy spirit after his ascension to heaven. Even to this day, he is walking in the midst of the representative seven lampstands. --Revelation 1:9-20.

The seven trumpets are given to the seven angels shortly before the commencement of the great tribulation and they are sounded in chronological order. (Revelation 8:2-6) Therefore, the seventh angel did not blow his trumpet in 1914 as taught by the Watchtower. The reason being, there is no indication that the first six trumpets were sounded before that time. Thus, it is unreasonable to conclude that the seventh angel blew his trumpet at the time of the First World War while the previous trumpets were sounded afterwards through our conventions, publications and resolutions against Christendom during the Rutherford era as president of the Watchtower. –Revelation 10:7.

Our Watchtower organization ought to review its teachings on the seven trumpets and a host of other prophecies misapplied to the 20th century. Will it do that? Time will tell. Whether it does or not is no reason to abandon Christian meetings and activities as presently directed through the slave class. It is a fact that upon his future arrival, Jesus will find a discreet slave class, whom he will subsequently “appoint over all his belongings,” but first things first.

The judgment of “the house of God” and the nations will commence during the great tribulation. It is then that prophecies concerning the seven trumpets and the seven bowls of Revelation will have their fulfillment. Once Christ’s congregation is judged and refined, it is then that he gathers them “into his storehouse” in heavenly Jerusalem and appoints them “over all his belongings.”

There will be one such gathering, again at the sounding of the seventh and last trumpet. Thus, that is when the heavenly sanctuary or “constant feature” is “brought into its right condition,” signaling that the endtime remnant is gathered by the end of the concluding or endtime harvest. By then, the great crowd will have been assured protection and their entry into the millennium will have been secured. --Revelation 14:1-5; 7:9; Matthew 24:47; Daniel 8:11, 14; 11:31; 12:11; Matthew 13:30, 39.

Really then political, economic and religious wars and hypocrisy will continue as with all manner of ungodliness, until Christ directs his attention toward mankind at the commencement of the great tribulation judgment, starting first with his own house and then the nations. –1 Peter 4:17; Ezekiel 9:6; Revelation 16:10-14; Psalm 2.

To illustrate, “Babylon the great” as mentioned in Revelation is not just a religious entity. It has strong political and economic ties. So it is an amalgam of the political, economic and religious systems of earth, apart from true worship. “In her was found the blood of the prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (Revelation 18:24) At the present time, however, this entity is not clearly discernible, anymore than the weeds and wheat in Jesus’ kingdom illustration, but that will change during the great tribulation, as God will allow for its consolidation and empowerment for forty months.

Thus, in Revelation 13, John reports seeing a “wild beast” coming up out of the sea, having “ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads [are] blasphemous names.” Then he “saw another wild beast ascending out of the earth” with lamb-like features. This wild beast speaks as a dragon as it goes about creating an image of the seven-headed wild beast. Under pain of death all persons are put “under compulsion” to worship it.

To date, there is not evidence that the wild beast has solidified its powers or authority so as to “put under compulsion all persons.” Thus, Revelation 13, as with other visions given to John, describes endtime events that will transpire during the great tribulation. It will be a time of global distress.

The atrocities witnessed during the 20th century and more recent wars will pale into insignificance in the face of the overwhelming disaster coming upon the face of the earth. This is why Jesus said concerning the end of our presently unsustainable system of things: “for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.”

CG

[rogelio]

the prophecy specifically says that the eleventh horn comes up among the ten and causes three of the ten to be “plucked up” from before itself.pharmacy For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been led to believe that the punitive measures of the Treaty of Versailles that were imposed upon the vanquished Germany.