Some will remember the boast, “The sun never sets on the British Empire.” It was true for a considerable period of time. Between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, the British Empire was the most expansive in history, basically touching, in terms of modern time calculation, all time zones with its overseas possessions and trading posts. Thus, the sun was just arising on one part of the empire while it was in process of setting on another.

Even the Roman Empire, which many of us who study Bible prophecy believe is referenced in the book of Daniel and other scriptural places, came nowhere near matching the British Empire in scope and influence. Some Bible prophecy scholars and students believe that Britain and its influence is, in fact, mentioned in prophecy yet future, although obliquely. These references, it is conjectured, are found in Daniel:

“Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.” (Daniel 7:2-4)

The lion in this prophecy might be Britain, those prophecy watchers believe.Certainly, England has been symbolized by the lion in legend, lore, and in the annals of war.

Another place in Scripture that many–including me–believe Britain is likely mentioned is in Ezekiel’s prophecy about the Gog-Magog attack on Israel:

“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Ezekiel 38:13)

Here, those who hold that Britain is referenced believe the term “merchants of Tarsish, with all the young lions thereof” is significant proof of their position. The area of Tarshish (“land of tin”) is thought to be where the isle of today’s England sat in ancient days. They believe “the young lions” of this Scripture likely refers to the United States and other of Great Britain’s offspring.

Upon hearing the news pundits going a bit gaga over an approaching birth of a royal British baby some years ago, my thoughts ran with cogitations of contrast to another news item in headlines at that time. All of the talking heads had been conflabbing about the upcoming birth of the baby who would become fourth in line to succeed the present queen, I believe. There seemed some confusion among the pundits about exactly what number in line the child would vbe.

I googled ABCnews.com to find out just who were the royal parents and other details. No problem: The first link said: “Royal baby due date has world on pins and needles.”

The headline was far elevated above the other matter–the matter starkly in contrast:

“Gay marriage is set to become law after clearing the House of Lords. “The Queen is expected to be asked to give her approval to the Bill–one of the most radical pieces of social legislation of her reign–by the end of this week.

“It opens the way for the first legally recognized same-sex weddings to take place in England and Wales by next summer and brings the centuries-old understanding of marriage as being solely between a man and a woman to an end. “Peers gave their assent to the third reading of the Government’s same-sex marriage bill without a formal vote after a short debate in the Lords, also backing plans for a review of pension arrangements for gay couples… “Baroness Stowell, the Government spokesman who steered the bill through the Lords, told a chamber packed with peers wearing pink carnations, that it was an “historic” achievement.” (John Bingham, Telegraph)

My first thought was to whisper to myself the–I guess mean-spirited–statement, “Well, there will be no royal babies produced from those unions.”

On second and third thoughts, however, with all of the gene-splicing and other corrupting of genetics being carried on today, who knows?

The Creator–who is the Lord Jesus Christ–laid down the rule and provided the physiological means to produce offspring. One man and one woman, in marriage, for life. The sun has definitely set on that law, so far as the humanist God-rejecters are concerned.

It is appropriate to consider, in thinking on the upper house of Parliament’s decision, that the sun set long ago on the British Empire. It is in process of setting on the greatest of all empires in history to date–the American empire of influence. America is following directly in the footsteps of Mother England, it is apparent. The final throes of decline and fall of world empires are easily determined by study of the greatest of them.

Greece, Rome, Britain–each saw a marked influence of homosexuality as their demise approached.

Enough said.

The words of the Lord Jesus apply to empires as well as to individuals, and none of Christ’s words are more apropos in regard to all of the above than the following:

“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7: 26-27)