In this daily Bible reading Daniel has a vision of four beasts coming out of the sea. The beasts represented four kingdoms that would rule the Earth. The first beast represented Babylon. The second represented the Persian Empire. The third was the Greek empire. The fourth was the Roman empire.
The Bible says that the Roman Empire, which ended around 600 A.D., will return in the end times. It will consist of 10 nations which will unify under a single leader. I believe the European Community will become the new Roman empire. It will be led by a person the Bible calls “the beast” or the Antichrist.
Currently, the EU consists of over 30 nations. However, I believe it will be pared down to the 10 economically strongest nations.
The Bible says “the beast” will oppress true Christian believers and kill many until Jesus returns to the Earth. The Bible also says that “the beast” will occupy Jerusalem and desecrate the newly created Temple.
Jesus will destroy “the beast” or Antichrist when He returns. True believers will be joined to Jesus in establishing a new kingdom characterized by goodness and righteousness.