It is official: the Philippines won the arbitration case versus China over the South China Sea. However, this does not change anything unless there will be a strong political will from the United Nations to enforce this decision. However, when you look at the UN today, it seems like to be a toothless tiger.

The tribunal that presided the case concluded that China violated the Philippine sovereign rights. It added that China does not have any historical rights to the disputed islands and maritime territory. The disputed territory is rich in natural gas and fishery resources. It is also a strategic location for military and economic purposes.

With all these in mind, the Chinese government blatantly REJECTED the ruling. Chinese President Xi Jinping said, “China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea will not be affected.”

Of course, before even the ruling was made over the territorial dispute, it is very obvious that China does not have any right for their so-called nine-dash line. Their claim directly goes against the UNCLOS, which sets a country’s maritime boundaries 22 kilometers from its coast.

A Brief look at China’s role in Bible prophecy

It is said that China is destined to be the next superpower of the world. It possesses 20 percent of the world’s population, and it is currently the second-biggest economy and the biggest standing army (estimated of about 2.5 million soldiers). China also holds the majority of the United States’ debt and in just one click of a button, China can economically cripple the US. It is also estimated that within 25 years, China will become the largest economy in the world. However, Bible prophecy tells us something else.

With this in mind, we want to know how the current bullying of China and its disrespectful attitude toward territorial sovereignty are now fulfilling Bible prophecy.

This is a very big topic, and I only intend to give you an overview. So for more details about this, let me share with you, Russia and China in Prophecy.

In Daniel 11, we read a prophecy about the “king of the north” a German-led European power, and the “king of the south,” a radical Islamic power, led probably by Iran. These two Kings will clash, and the king of the north will reign victorious. After winning the battle, “news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many” (verse 44).

So who will be the army from the east? Revelation 16:12 expounded this astonishing prophecy. Let’s read:

“Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.”

Reading some chapters earlier, “saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was TWO HUNDRED MILLION; I heard the number of them” (Revelation 9:14-16).

The king of the north will battle against the kings from the east. What is the most powerful economy and military in the east of Israel today? There is no other than CHINA. With the vast standing army of China, they will contribute much to form the 200 MILLION soldiers! They will be joined by other Asian countries such as India and other smaller nation to come up with this number.

Thankfully, Jesus Christ will return shortly after the war between the king of the north and the kings of the east.

Putting together current events to future events

Photo Credit: FreeWorldMaps

China will continue to flex its military muscle. The United States is too tired to enter another war, and it will surely think twice before it declares war against China.

It is true that the United States stand behind their claim that “an attack on its allies is also considered an attack against the United States.” However, will they come to the aid of the Philippines once China attacks? Time will tell, but the current situation shows they won’t. For now, we can see that we are living in a troublesome world.

The current President of the Philippines is still looking for diplomatic solutions. China seems to be happy with a win-win solution as it says in the news. If this is the case, Philippines might just settle with an economic agreement with China that they can share any revenue coming from the disputed islands. This may lead to a stronger relation between the two countries and other countries making a claim to the South China Sea. This might accelerate the alliance of Asian countries to form the 200-million army.

Again, it is still too early to conclude. However, one thing is for sure. China will not stop until it gets what it wants. As Bible prophecy tells us, they will continue to become a strong nation, both militarily and economically, to the point that they will have the ability to challenge the German-led king of the south.

What does this mean for you?

We are commanded to watch and pray. As Christians, we must take note of the world news and see how it is setting the stage for end-time prophecies. However, it must not stop there. We need to consider how prepared we are when Jesus returns here on earth.

This world is in chaos, and there is little that we can do about it. Bible prophecies tell us that things will get even worse until they become better and until Jesus will directly intervene.

We can’t change the world, but we can certainly change ourselves. Christians must lift up their heads because their redemption is near. Though we sigh and cry for all the evils in this world, we can still have the confidence that there will be a happy ending, and the Bible reveals that.

For this reason, let us do our best to spiritually prepare ourselves. Let us set our priorities straight and seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness. At the end of it all, this is the only thing that matters. We only have a short time, and we need to develop the sense of urgency and live a life pleasing to God.

Let us take heed to what Paul had said:

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is HIGH TIME TO AWAKE OUT OF SLEEP; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. BUT PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:11-14).