to the sweeping away of the Soviet Union. They tell us that the Vatican, the papacy, is the main influence that swept away the Soviet Union, but the ally that was associated with the papacy in accomplishing this feat was none other than the United States. And the United States, the historians will tell us, the two things that they brought to this alliance that brought down the Soviet Union was economic and military strength. So the verse is very accurate to history, but it's also very accurate to prophetic truth, for in Revelation 13 verse 11 and onward, where the characteristics of the United States in Bible prophecy are openly known by Adventists, this isn't new light, this is just old light that we understand well, the two characteristics of the United States at the end of time that allow it to force the whole world the worst beast of Catholicism are military and economic strength, because the United States is going to forbid those who do not have the mark of the beast to buy or sell economics, and it's going to put to death those that refuse the mark of the beast military strength. Both these characteristics are associated with the United States in Revelation 13, and they're identified here in verse 40 in bringing to light the alliance of verse 40 that brings down the Soviet Union. Now another point that should be made here, I believe, is that in verse 40, when this alliance takes place, this verse, by identifying this alliance, is a verse that changes many things that we understand as truth into present truth. In Bible prophecy, the United States has certain characteristics as far as being a power in Bible prophecy, and brothers and sisters, if you never think about the powers in Bible prophecy in those terms, you may not make the distinction that, from my point of view, should be made. Each of the powers of Bible prophecy, whether it's the papacy or the ten kings or the United States, and brothers and sisters, I use those three entities because those are the three entities that go to make up the three powers that lead the world to Armageddon in Revelation 16 that we call modern Babylon. Modern Babylon, the great city, a city in Bible prophecy being a kingdom. Modern Babylon is divided into three parts, those three parts being the beast, which Sister White tells us is Catholicism, the dragon, which Sister White tells us is spiritualism, but she also tells us that the dragon is represented by the kings, governors, and rulers, and therefore when you look at Revelation 17, you see that those two kings are the political aspect of the dragon power, and the false prophet.