Matthew 22:34-46, Mark 12:28-44, Luke 10:25-28, Luke 20:41-47, Luke 21:1-4, Matthew 23:1-7

Summary: Jesus finished His final day of public ministry. He taught the crowds in the Temple, confronted difficult questions, and then left for good. The Temple and its religious system were corrupt, useless, and irredeemable and would be judged by God.

Mark 12:28-44 gives us details about the final day of Jesus’ public ministry and His departure from the Temple. He will go to the Mount of Olives and present to His astonished disciples the reality of what is to come in the future. It does not involve a new Israel free from Rome, nor the re-establishment of the Davidic throne, nor a life of ease for any who follow Him from now on. Jesus has borne the sorrow of rejection, misunderstanding, slander, and rank hatred from the very people He wanted to take under His care, as any loving parent would want to do for their children.

The religious leaders hated Him with demonic rage and contempt and would have had Him killed earlier except that only Rome could put anyone to death, and it had to be based on a trial with specific and proven charges. Jesus only had a handful of true followers by this time, and one of them would commit the crime of all history by betraying Him into the hand of His enemies for a reward amounting to a financial pittance. In this closure of public ministry, Jesus will encounter specific situations that confirm the deadness of Israel’s faith and the fulfillment of prophetic judgment.

First, Jesus encountered a Scribe whose questions and comments were the last gasp of righteous standards in an apostate system (12:28-34). The Scribe asked Jesus which of the commandments were most important? The Law of Moses included the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-22) and the Torah, the first five books of Moses that were the foundation of Jewish life and worship of God. There were 613 separate laws dealing with issues on cleanliness, health, hygiene, procedures for sacrifices, laws against deviant behaviors and idolatry, and the structure of the family. Which one was of the utmost importance?

I do not see this question as a way of cornering the Lord but one of clarification so as to honor Him. Jesus answered by quoting the Shema, commanding the Israelites to love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), and to also love your neighbor as you would yourself (Leviticus 19:18), telling the Scribe that the entirety of the Law was founded on these two commandments (Matthew 22:40). The Scribe agrees with Jesus’ answer and is told by the LORD that he was not far from the Kingdom of God. He was close to the gates of heaven, but aside from this, we do not read any further of what the Scribe did concerning his state before God in terms of repentance and seeking salvation.

Second, Jesus dealt with one final question over the issue of the Messiah (12:35-37; Psalm 110:1). Is He David’s Son or David’s LORD? Jesus goes to the Scriptures and asks how the LORD of David can be merely a physical son and heir.

David knew that he was to be the king whose bloodline would bring about the Promised Redeemer, but it went further than that for him. David knew that his descendant could not be a mere flawed person but had to originate from the hand of Almighty God, free from the limits of humanity and sin. David knew that his “son” was to be the eternal King of Kings and Sovereign LORD of All who would conquer the world and its evils and usher in righteousness forever. No mortal monarch could ever do that, even if he emulated the behavior of godliness and righteousness.

This mortal king would still be a sinner in need of a Redeemer, and that was the role which the prophet Isaiah saw when he wrote of the “Suffering Servant” and His mission (Isaiah 53:1-12). It would not be until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) that many Jews would have their spiritual eyes opened to see that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the Messianic Psalms (Psalm 2:110) and prophecy itself.

Third, Jesus gave His final rebuke to the Pharisees (12:38-40), who were devoted to ritual and religion but not to God in their lives, worship, and deeds. They were exposed by Jesus for their hypocrisy, petty grievances, attention to trivial matters, and undisguised resentment of Him for going against their traditions and procedures they saw as a devotion to God and His laws. None of them, save for Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, accepted Jesus as an equal and as the fulfillment of Scripture during His lifetime.

Many Pharisees did repent and believed on Him after the resurrection, but caused concerns over obedience to the laws of Moses along with faith in Christ. This led to the Jerusalem Council, where decisions were made that freed both Jewish believers and Gentiles from further restraints (Acts 15:1-29). Paul’s letter to the Galatians dealt with this issue as well. We are free from the bondage of the Law and traditions. We do not have to obey dietary laws, rituals, perform sacrifices, or undergo circumcision to be a child of God in Christ. It is faith in Christ alone that grants us grace, salvation, mercy, and forgiveness (Ephesians 2:8-9). People still don’t understand that today.

The final observation Jesus made (12:41-44) was to watch a poor widow give her last coins to the upkeep of the Temple, then go home and probably die of starvation, neglect, or other tragic situation, all for the sake of religious fear that God would not honor her or allow her entry into the kingdom if she neglected to pay the Temple tax or do some other work. This story is often used as an illustration of giving and personal sacrifice for the work of God, but nothing could be further from the truth. This poor widow, and others who scrape by in this world, are prime targets for unscrupulous hustlers who use God as a way of lining their own pockets by feeding off the fears and desperation of people who want to get a better chance at life and prosperity.

There have been priests, popes, and preachers in name only who have used tactics and gimmicks over the centuries to dupe gullible souls into giving to “ministries” that promise untold blessings, personal wealth, health, and happiness in the name of Jesus. It has been used to do everything from rebuild Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome all the way to the use of “seed-faith gifts” to a notable personality on TV or in a “megachurch” (or what some folks refer to as “Six Flags over Jesus”). We see the work of these “anointed” skunks in suits and the bitter aftermath of shattered faith and the skepticism that has washed over not just our country but the world in these last days.

We are to give cheerfully and out of love for God, not out of fear of religious tyranny (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Jesus saw what had become of authentic faith and trust in the LORD by Judea. It had died a lonely, harsh death years before as the nation wrapped itself up in its own viewpoint of who the Messiah was and what He would do for the people in delivering them from the hands of Rome. Faith and belief had become empty, mindless rituals and repetitious motions that showed no devotion to God nor the need for personal repentance and forgiveness.

The Pharisees and Sadducees had made the worship of God into a horrid time of fear and trepidation for failure to observe traditions and self-imposed interpretations of rabbis who valued their own opinions over the standard of the Word of God. Judaism had turned into an apostate religion no better than the paganism of Rome and its forbearers such as Greece, Persia, and Babylon. The beauty of the Temple and its courtyards were empty and hollow representations of a faith that had died long ago yet had not been buried. It was still exposed, rotten, and putrid. The Lord then did a terrifying thing. He walked out of the apostate Temple for good, giving it over for judgment and destruction, not to be rebuilt to this day.

Jesus walks out of churches and gatherings today where He is not welcome, worshipped, or honored, leaving them to die and wither, useless and fit only for the fire or dung heap. Even after two thousand years, the world and those who call themselves believers and followers of Jesus still don’t get it. There is a day coming when He will say, “ENOUGH” to this world system, its evil and its games. Do not let Him say that to you on the Day of Judgment. Give your life to Him today and embrace Him as Lord and Savior. You have no guarantee of tomorrow (2 Corinthians 6:2).

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To this point in the series, we have tried to show the historical “geopolitical” timeline that the Bible lays out for the world in advance. Counting back to the date of Nebuchadnezzar’s first vision (603 BC), over 2,600 years of this prophecy has already played out on the face of the earth. According to the timeline laid out by John the Revelator (which goes even further back than the Babylonian Empire, to the time that Egypt ruled the world), we would deduce that more than three and a half millennia of prophesied history has passed.

As has been pointed out several times in this series, for the most part, the Bible chooses to only lay out the world’s geopolitical timeline as it relates to the Jews. After all, the Bible’s main objective is to bear witness to and outline God’s plan of salvation.

As such, the Bible shows 7 world kingdoms (hegemons) that consecutively contribute to global geopolitical history. These ruler nations are all shown in symbols and visions—mainly as beasts but also in other images—primarily in the books of Daniel and Revelation. Many of these rulers are also named. As far as chronology is concerned, only a short countdown is now left before the Tribulation period begins.

To be sure, there is much debate on the topics of the 7 heads, the 10 horns and 10 toes, and much more. Were we to address all of these issues in this series, we would require many times the space. We cannot cover all the debated views, but of course, stand ready to provide Biblical support for the views expressed here. It surely is a difficult subject that requires much humility … many well-regarded prophecy expositors having different opinions.

A key matter to settle at the outset, before we move on to focus on the topic of 10 kings and 10 toes, is this: Why do Daniel and John see a different number of world hegemons (aka also RKs or Ruler Kings)? Apostle John sees 7 heads (world rulers), whereas Daniel only mentions 5. Why the difference?

The answer is straightforward: John’s calling was to write “[…] what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later” (Revelation 1:19). In other words: past, present, and future. He looks backward, while Daniel does not.

The Book of Daniel only concerns itself with Daniel’s experiences and the things “future” and “to come” (each term occurring 3 times in the Book of Daniel) for the Jews.

These two different mandates explain why Apostle John reports seeing 7 heads (world-ruling, hegemonic rulers), and Daniel only mentions 5. Daniel writes between 605 to 534 BC, only looking forward; therefore, he would not have mentioned Egypt and Assyria (heads 1 and 2 as listed in John’s 7-head sequence). Apostle John wrote late in the first century AD.

Now we jump tracks and begin to investigate the prophecies concerning the 10 kings (10K).

Tracks to the Prophesied 10 Kings

What Does Canadian Pacific Railroad (or any standard railway, for that matter) have to do with the Roman Empire? It is a specific measure—4 feet and 8.5 inches. The reader will likely not immediately understand this connection.

Did you know that the distance between the rails of a standard railroad gauge track today is exactly 4 feet and 8.5 inches? Why such an odd measurement? To be sure, it is an important one. Back in ancient Roman times, chariots wheels were exactly 4 feet and 8.5 inches apart. Again, we ask, why such an odd width?

It has to do with the average measure of a horse’s rump. Two horse rumps could snugly fit between the wheels of a Roman chariot. This standard then came to be accepted with all horse-drawn carriages. Hence, when railways were introduced (some of which were no longer horse-drawn), the same wheel width was adopted. Why?

With most wheel ruts being made by standard-sized axle widths, using any other width between the wheels would have caused a very rough ride … potentially even breaking the wheels and axles. And so, we see that the transition to modern mechanized vehicles still retained an ancient influence from the Roman Empire.

As we have already outlined in this series, the signs and legacies of our ancient ancestors and previous ruler kingdoms (from Babylon to Rome) are still all around us. In this case, we show yet one more example evidencing that we today still live in the Roman Age. John the Revelator confirms this fact very clearly in Revelation 17. He identifies the 6th head on the beast as representing the Roman era: “They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come” (verse 10a).

And, as has been mentioned previously in this series, the period of the 6th head (the one that “is”) corresponds to the 4th beast shown to Daniel (Daniel 7). Crucially, it is out of this Roman root that the 10 kings (horns), and then, in turn, the beast, find their origin.

Here again, we see that there are actually 3 stages of Roman lineage in the last days: first the beasts (shown in Daniel 7 and Revelation 17), then the 10 horns (shown in both Daniel 7 and Revelation 12, 13, and 17). Following comes the 3rd Roman stage, this being shown as the “little horn” (Daniel 7), and to John as the beast which “[…] is an eighth king [who] belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction” (Revelation 17:11).

Admittedly, this is all very complicated. However, it all connects. And so, here we find ourselves … very late in the Roman lineage (the time of the 6th and 7th heads) and the Roman 10-king phase.

We, therefore, now return to the topic of the 10 kings.

Ten Kings and Ten Toes

As already introduced, our study of Bible prophecy takes us to podiatry (the study and treatment of feet). Why? Because 10 toes figure prominently in future geopolitical prophecy. Readers will recall that Nebuchadnezzar (the Babylonian king during the time of the prophet Daniel) had a vision of a statue that, among other features, had feet and toes made of a mixture of clay and iron (See Daniel 2:41).

As it turns out, Nebuchadnezzar’s vision proved to be an accurate prophecy of future world geopolitics—the timeline of which would extend right to the return of Jesus Christ and the Millennial reign. Of great significance is the fact that the 10 toes that Nebuchadnezzar saw on the image in the vision were related to the “10 horns” shown to John the Revelator (three times—Revelation 12, 13, 17). Daniel himself, in a later vision of the terrible beast mentioned in Daniel 7, saw these same 10 horns.

It must be noted that these 10 kings/toes are either shown or mentioned a total of 10 times in the Bible (these references mainly found only in the prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation). The future10 kings must therefore be an important prophecy, given that so much emphasis is placed on this topic in both Bible testaments.

Daniel also corroborates this view with respect to the 10 horns. He himself is shown the 10 horns several times in his visions. Again, it states: “The ten horns are ten kings” (Daniel 7:24a).

Apostle John is told that these 10 horns are 10 kings. Specifically, he writes: “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast” (Revelation 17:12). This is an important verse, the implications of which are sometimes overlooked. We will return to this verse to examine it further.

But how can we know that the imagery of the 10 toes that Daniel saw points to the same 10 kings as found in Revelation 17? The simple answer is that they match on three significant counts. The 10 toes of Daniel are shown as being part of a divided “kingdom”; they are both of Roman lineage, and both lead to the same endpoint—that being the eternal kingdom.

We would like to amplify one of these alignments. The 10 toes are presented as somewhat of an oddity; a kingdom that is made of non-binding elements. How can this be a working model for world-spanning rule? The same oddity is presented in Revelation 17. There we find an exact counterpart of 10 kings (here shown as horns) situated on one head (this being the 7th head). Here again, we see the historical oddity of 10 kings/rulers being part of one greater kingdom (this represented as the 7th head on the beast ridden by the Harlot).

Again, undergirding our viewpoint is that all the chronology of the successive ruler kings and their identity (the 7 heads on the beast) matches up. The 10 toes and 10 horns are also shown to have correct and matching chronology. All of the timelines converge upon the same outcome—the return of Jesus and the setting up of the eternal kingdom.

It is very likely, in this writer’s view, that the appearance of these 10 horn rulers is very near. They could be at the very doorstep.

But, how can that be? Just where might one find 10 kings in our day and age? This question merits two entire chapters in a current book project on this subject. It is a critically important question. May it suffice to say here that the word “king” in the Bible (whether Hebrew or Greek) always (with a handful of exceptions out of over 2800 references) refers to a male, in-the-flesh, sovereign leader. Nothing less, nothing more.

Where then do we find the “absolute” kings of yesteryear today? Answer: the concept of a sovereign leader has changed over the millennia. Transmogrifying this concept to our day, when the Bible uses the term “king,” this could just as well equate to a democratically elected president in our day … such as Joe Biden, President of the United States.

The key things to know about this 10-nation coalition are these: 1) they will emerge very quickly; 2) together, they will have world-spanning power; and 3) they will reign only for a short time. “They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast” (Revelation 17:13) that comes out of the Abyss (verse 8).

Also, it is important to note that this 10-nation coalition will come on the world scene BEFORE the Antichrist is identified. Their emergence will surely be of geopolitical significance. It is also possible that these events may be visible before the Rapture.

Points to Ponder

We can therefore know that the world is yet to experience some volatile geopolitical and economic power shifts. Many tremors likely lie ahead.

Daniel also makes this clear. “The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this [Roman] kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones […]” (Daniel 7:24). Here we see only “after” the 10 kings are on the scene that “another king”—the Antichrist—will arise. This must occur before the final endtime events described in the Bible can happen.

One reason why the time of the 10-king rule may be near, but not necessarily yet is that the formation of the 10 toes that fits the “endtime shoe” has not yet emerged … these namely symbolizing the 10 kings, as we have reviewed.

Their appearance may be very, very close … but this group does not yet exist. The 10-toed feet are not yet on the scene today. At the same time, it is very possible that some or all of the 10 nations may already exist today. Nevertheless, the glass slipper does not yet fit, as we will show in Part 6 of this series.

The great danger, however, to those who might smugly think that the end-time clock has yet a long time to run is that events do speed up greatly as the last days approach.

As the Bible indicates, the trap will shut suddenly once it is triggered (Luke 21:34). “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape!” (1 Thessalonians 5:3). The OT prophet Daniel also backs this up, saying: “The end will come like a flood” (Daniel 9:26a).

In the next issue, we will deal with the question of China. What role will this country have in the end times? Will China triumph over America? The Bible does indeed mention this nation.

Also, we will answer this question: What qualifications are required for a nation to be eligible to be a member of the 10-nation coalition?

We are moving closer to dealing with our final questions that relate to the United States. The 10-nation coalition—will America be a part of it or not? Has the Lord had His eye on America and given it favor?

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Wilfred J. Hahn is a global economist/strategist. Formerly a top-ranked global analyst, research director for a major Wall Street investment bank, and head of Canada’s largest global investment operation, his writings focus on the endtime roles of money, economics and globalization. He has been quoted around the world and his writings reproduced in numerous other publications and languages. His 2002 book The Endtime Money Snare: How to live free accurately anticipated and prepared its readers for the Global Financial Crisis. A following book, Global Financial Apocalypse Prophesied: Preserving true riches in an age of deception and trouble, looks further into the prophetic future.

Contact Wilfred at: staff@eternalvalue.com