Over the years, Britain has experienced severe spiritual warfare. The intensity of this battle for Britain’s soul can best be seen in the lives of two men: Oliver Cromwell and John Dee. Cromwell was a committed Christian and a member of parliament of minor nobility who somewhat miraculously transformed into a military genius when the English Civil War broke out. He defeated the English monarchy, establishing that English kings couldn’t govern without Parliament’s consent. Before the United Kingdom even existed, he ruled it as a republic. Officially, he was the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. According to the BBC, his reign “was a remarkable period of religious freedom” and he even allowed the Jews to return to England hundreds of years after they were kicked out.
Unsurprisingly, the English monarchy hated this man. He had executed King Charles I and forced Charles II into exile. When Cromwell passed away, Charles II ordered his body to be hanged, drawn and quartered. Cromwell’s head was skewered on a pole outside the Palace of Westminster. His head remained there for years as a reminder to the English people: don’t mess with the monarchy. Of course, it was an empty threat because the monarchy couldn’t touch Cromwell while he was alive. Warts and all, a phrase he is credited with coining, he did what God wanted him to do. He preserved the God-given rights of the English people and protected the people of God. That’s why the enemy hated him so much.
On the other hand, John Dee greatly influenced the monarchy that fought so hard against Cromwell. Long before Cromwell burst on the scene, Dee was a magician, astrologer and a close advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. He was known as “the Queen’s conjuror.” He cast spells and was known for dabbling in the occult. Indeed, he frequently tried to communicate with angels. In other words, he was probably afflicted with demons and may have been demonically possessed later in life.
A few years ago, x-ray imaging of a painting of John Dee and Elizabeth I showed that originally Dee was surrounded by human skulls. They were later painted over. Speaking of paintings, a famous portrait of Elizabeth from that period also revealed a dark secret. A few years back, the faded paint of a bunch of roses in Elizabeth’s hands finally deteriorated to the point where one could see a coiled snake in her hand. That’s right, the original portrait had Elizabeth holding a coiled snake, not roses. That’s creepy.
Although Dee is often credited with coining the term “British Empire” and Cromwell expanded England’s overseas territories, they had competing visions for Britain and the world. At one time, Britain had the world’s greatest empire. While things have changed, the United Kingdom is still formidable. In fact, the UK owns a couple of substantial military bases in Cyprus. Well, Daniel 11:29-30 prophesies that “ships of Kittim” will prevent the Antichrist from invading Israel. Kittim’s descendants mainly settled in Cyprus, but they also settled throughout many countries along the Mediterranean Sea.*
So, ships from the west of Israel, with a strong Mediterranean presence, will stop the Antichrist from invading Israel. These ships will likely come from the ten-kingdom coalition out of the Roman Empire, led by Babylon the Great. Considering the UK’s presence in Cyprus, could these ships be referring to the Royal Navy? If so, that would make London Babylon the Great, the Antichrist’s main rival for global domination in the end times. Sadly, John Dee’s vision for Britain seems to have prevailed over Cromwell’s.
*Hodge, B. The Tower of Babel: The Cultural History of Our Ancestors (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2013), p. 169, 180.