We are at the end of the Church Age and can see into the Tribulation. It is so close. Seven church periods are finishing, four horses are on the run (apostasy, communism, capitalism, Islam) and five trumpets have sounded (World War I & II, Cold War, Iraq War I & II). After the Rapture and Covenant, the next big event is the 6th trumpet known as World War III which runs through Shanghai.

Prophecy follows a simple mathematical equation: A + B = C. A is America, C is Christ and B is end time events of the Tribulation that describe the fall of all nations so Jesus Christ reigns. The United States is leader of the black horse of trade; the powerful engine that builds the global economy but the eagle is missing (Daniel 7:4, Revelation 13:1-2). The Bible describes America's rise and fall. Given possible nations, who knocks us down and who takes our place as superpower? Like dominoes, line up events and nations in the proper order and see God's plan for His world. See Daniel's Dream.

The sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice ... saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. The four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, day, month, and year to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred million (Revelation 9:13-14, 15-16).

The United States is the only superpower. China, European Union, Islam, Russia and the world want to replace us. The 6th trumpet is a war that describes a 200 million army that kills a third of humanity (~2.7 billion people). Three powers can assemble such a large army. India, the black horse, has ~1.4 billion people but is not aggressive. Islam, the green horse, has ~2 billion people, is aggressive but divided. Russia and radical Islam (Iran, Libya, Turkey) fight Israel in World War IV (Ezekiel 38-39). Red China with ~1.4 billion people has the army, aggression and plan to become superpower and rule the world. World War III is the 6th trumpet, as China fights the United States.

With each passing week, World War III between America and China is coming sooner than we think.
----Stephen Moore, Economist, Washington Examiner, October 12, 2021

China is a developing superpower. It is second in population, member of the United Nations Security Council, G-20 leading economic countries, BRIC emerging economies and the nuclear club. Their economy is second to the United States. Financial success results in a better standard of living for some citizens but not greater personal liberty.

China has a problem with population. From 1979-2015, they implemented a one-child policy. Now the workforce is ageing and the senior population which is less productive is growing. However, China has inflated population numbers for years. COVID is an elderly disease. They started the coronavirus pandemic, influenced the World Health Organization while covering up the disease. Deaths reported were drastically undercounted but urn sales were up.

Those who long for peace, must prepare for war. And that's exactly what we're doing. We are preparing for war, in order to deter war - to achieve peace through strength. The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent. We hope not, but it certainly could be. Beyond our borders and beyond our neighborhood, we are reorienting toward deterring aggression by Communist China.
----US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, May 31, 2025

A growing Chinese economy uses predatory lending to invest in debtor nations while improving missiles, satellites and cyber warfare. They focus on artificial intellegence, computer chips, 5G telecommunications, electric vehicles, aerospace and biotech. China's Belt and Road Initiative builds roads, rails and sea ports in 70 countries with Chinese labor. The "string of pearls" controls choke points of Panama and Suez canals with ports along Africa to South East Asia. This is a direct threat to India and United States. The military builds islands in the South China Sea. With an expanding economy, they are more dependent on foreign oil. Chinese citizens can only invest in real estate but the CCP built new cities that are ghost towns and crashed the housing market.

China never lets a good crisis go to waste. They devalue the yuan to manipulate their currency, impose tariffs and dishonest trade practices, increase exports to America but limits imports to China. Greedy corporations search for new markets and cheap labor but China takes their technology and censors negative media. Huawei telecom and Tik Toc were banned in the US because of national security issues. China steals trade secrets, intellectual property, while hacking governments and corporations. Closing the US border of illegal aliens also stops terrorists, spies, illegal drugs and human trafficking. China is a much bigger threat to the United States than Russia or Islamic terrorism.

While the United States military shows weakness, China fights to control the world. There is no scenario that Red China steps aside so the Euro globalists take over. Except for the collapse of the Roman Empire, war always precedes a change of superpower. The trade war of Southeast Asia grows into a hot war between the red horse of China and the black horse of the United States, India and Far East. Revelation 9 describes the end of the Church Age and the first war of the Tribulation.

Trumpet 6    World War III    200 Million Army    Revelation 9:14-16
Bowl 6           World War V     Kings of the East      Revelation 16:12

Taiwan was a part of China. From 1927 to 1949 excluding a truce during the Japanese invasion of World War II, the Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party fought a civil war. At the end of the war, the ROC retreated to Taiwan and the CCP ruled the mainland. Today, Taiwan produces sixty percent of computer chips and ninety percent of high-performance AI chips. President Xi Jinping is determined to reunify Taiwan under the rule of the CCP.

North Korea dictator, Kim Jong Un, is a close ally with China. During the Korean War, China entered the war helping North Korea and the war ceased as a draw. As a nuclear power, North Korea is a powerful pawn to use against the United States. China is assisted by wars in Ukraine and Israel that distract the United States and deplete missile stockpiles.

Iraq is along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The huge red dragon army crosses the Euphrates River. China is dependent on Russia and the Middle East for oil to keep their economy growing. Revelation says a 200 million army will cross the Euphrates River. The river flows from Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran into the Persian Gulf. To become superpower, China needs technology from Taiwan, oil from Iraq and superpower title from the United States. He who controls the oil, controls the world.

Three Gorges Dam first phase was opened in 2003 with total cost 31 billion dollars (54 billion). It is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world that produces ten times the electricity of Aswan, Egypt. After the prophecy of Aswan (Ezekiel 29:3, 10), the Yangtze River has a fatal flaw as the sleeping dragon awakens. The dam is vulnerable to earthquakes, typhoons, structural failure and war. When China attacks, Taiwan could breach the dam causing a 60-foot-high tsunami flooding the Yangtze valley including Wuhan (14 million) in 200 miles and China's largest city Shanghai (25 million) in 620 miles at the mouth of the Yangtze. Flooding east central China would target about 500 million people and fifty percent of China's economy.

Tribulation

Before going nuclear, there is a divine rescue. On the 1st of Tishri (Trumpets) in September or early October, Jesus Christ grabs His people. The context of the Rapture is the beginnings of the 6th trumpet. Like Noah and Lot, God rescues His people before judgment begins (Luke 17:26-27, 28-29).
        
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Two major events occur near the beginning of the Tribulation: China and the Covenant. See Countdown. World War III begins between the 9th of Av (Kadesh Barnea) and Tabernacles (July-October). The US and China blame each other for the disappearance of ~50 million citizens (Rapture). The Covenant causes and starts the Tribulation on the 10th of Tishri (Atonement) (Joel 3:2).

As war worsens, the battlefield expands from China to India and Iraq. The breastplate is fire, sapphire and sulfur (red, blue, yellow), the colors of China and North Korea. The heads of lions (turrets) and tails of serpents (guns) describe tanks (Revelation 9:17, 19). China marches to the Euphrates and controls oil in the Middle East causing the global economy to crash. War goes from tactical nuclear weapons to MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction). China, India and United States sustain the most casualties (~2.7 billion) and lose the war. Europe becomes superpower. The 6th trumpet ends 3½ years later in Nisan (April) (Revelation 11:14). The rest of humanity continues in their rebellion against God. The United Kingdom lion, Russian bear and German leopard give power to Antichrist (Revelation 13:2, 17:12-13).

And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk (Revelation 9:20).

We are the Bereans, Bible students and watchers. We sound the alarm and proclaim God's Word until He comes. Those awake, watching and expecting our Messiah will be the first to know (Luke 2:25, 36).

If the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand (Ezekiel 33:6).
 
References: 21st Century Revelation: World Wars, Iraq Wars & End Wars, Chapter 11: The Feast of Trumpets, Chapter 20: Players in the Game, Chapter 25: Iraq War III, Potential  Superpowers, Three Gorges Dam, Shanghai, China, South China Sea, Belt and Road Initiative, String of Pearls, Revelation Outline, Covenant, Tribulation, Revelation, 21st Century View, Daniel, America, Cities, Timeline of the Tribulation