The great danger is that the relatively recent (in the last 150 years) rise of the "Roman" paradigm for the Antichrist Kingdom effaces centuries of prior tradition that understood his kingdom to be centered in the same geographic region as the ancient foes of Israel: Babylon, Assyria, Persia.
This shift in thought substantively endangers Western Christians, because the tendency has become that people are so tightly bound to their Romanized ideas of how apocalyptic events will shake out that, if/when those events happen differently, they could easily fall into deception as to the forces behind them; being lovers of their own views more that lovers of Truth.
Never forget that a primary operating principle of God had been to offend the mind so as to reveal the heart. Jesus did it to the Pharisees continually, and to very great effect. This continues to be a method of His work among men.
I do not assert a certainty as to when/how/where apocalyptic events will transpire, but I urgently implore that all who seek to study these things do so ONLY in the context of these crucial elements:
— abject humility before God — continual prayer
— intentional fasting
— an unflinching love of Truth (cf. II Thess. 2:10)
The hours IS late, and the matter IS important; it is insufficient that it be relegated to a few 'prophecy nuts' sequestered in some church anteroom every other Thursday night.
Understand that, if St. Paul thought eschatology critical enough to teach the whole of it during his brief stint at Thessaloniki, then it is central enough that every Christian had better take it seriously as a front-burner topic of study and discussion.
You said — “Better look to the East, my FRiends. The Kingdom of The Beast is rising.”
Walid Shoebat has been teaching on just such a thing. It sounds like he’s got some good teaching, although it differs from some things in other Evangelicals teachings on Prophecy.
There is a series of teachings from Walid, at a Prophecy Conference on YouTube. I would have to find it... to see if I can list one link here...
Okay, found it...
It’s a whole series of YouTube items. You’ll have to use the related items to follow it through.
The first one is — http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=U-zX9d1Yt3g&feature=channel_page
This is A1 of 7, then comes B1 of 7, and then C1 of 8. So, all totaled, there are 22 sections...
Walid Shoebat has a book that outlines all these details, too.
Good points, imho.
"Understand that, if St. Paul thought eschatology critical enough..."
He wasn't the only one...
"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" (2nd Peter 1:19)
Jhn 13:19 "Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am [he]."
Jhn 6:29 "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
1st John 3:23 "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment"
1st John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
God help us all.