Euro Coin – Woman Riding Beast
The end of human civilization and the dawn of God’s Kingdom.
Events are fast shaping into the prophecy that God revealed to Daniel. Some people do not take prophecies seriously. They see it as having no relevance to their lives. But the fact that God had Daniel and John [and other prophets] to record prophecies in whole books for posterity shows that prophecies are important to God and must be important to us too. John exhorts us:
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Peter also wrote:
2 Pet 1:19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
The “last days”
Daniel and Revelation – and most bible prophecies point to the “latter days” or “last days”. People, however, have grown tired of the “last days” prophecies. They are not even sure what “last days” mean. Did not the “last days” begin as early as the time of the apostles? Is Christ still coming? Are these prophecies still for the future? How can we know?
Daniel’s basic prophetic theme: Four Kingdoms
Daniel’s prophecy, revolve around the basic theme of the “
four kingdoms” as discussed in Daniel 2 and Daniel 7. These are four human kingdoms that each will come at the heels of the one preceding it, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon up until the time that Christ returns to establish God’s kingdom on earth – which is well within our sight. It is important that we get the basics right because it would serve as the framework in which to correctly understand the details given in Daniel chapters 8, 9 and 11 as well as those in Revelation 13, 17and 18.
While there are numerous human kingdoms and empires that have arisen and fallen throughout history, Daniel clearly focuses on four specific kingdoms leading to the time when Christ returns to set up God’s kingdom. By not paying attention to Daniel’s explanation, some writers and commentators come up with all sorts of interpretations. Some say the “beast” refers to the
United States. Some think it is a coming
Muslim caliphate. Some even imagine it to be “
Zionist”
Israel.
Daniel’s end-time prophecy can be summarized as follows:
- Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar’s image [Four Kingdoms]
- Daniel 7 The Four Great Beast [Four Kingdoms]
- Daniel 8 Details for Medo-Persian Empire
- Daniel 9 Seventy weeks prophecy
- Daniel 11 Details for Greco-Macedonia and Roman empires
- Daniel 12 General end time prophecy
This article will focus on
Nebuchadnezzar’s image [chapter 2] and the
four great beasts [chapter 7] – and we’ll examine how it relates to the imaginary beast of Revelation 13 and 17.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream – the Image
Babylon conquered the nation Judah and took captive the Jewish King
Jehoiakim and some young men of the royal family and noble families, together with a select group of young, good-looking and talented Jews, which included
Daniel and friends
Hananiah,
Mishael, and
Azariah.
“While you were watching, a
stone was cut out, but not by humans. It struck the statue’s iron-and-clay feet and smashed them. …”
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that so troubled him, he could not sleep. He called for magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to show and explain his dreams, which he actually forgot. When no one can show him his dream, the king ordered that all the wise men of Babylon, including Daniel and friends be cut to pieces [Daniel 2:12-13]. But Daniel asked for time to know the dream [verse 16], which was granted to him. He then conferred with his friends. Together they petitioned God to reveal the dream [verses 17-18]. So in a night vision, God revealed the king’s dream to Daniel, and Daniel promptly thanked God and praised and worshipped Him [verses 19-23]. Daniel was then brought to the king’s palace to explain what God revealed to him in vision.
For the sake of article brevity and readability, I omit most quotations of lengthy passages. So I suggest that you refer to the Bible as I run through or cite pertinent verses.
Dan 2:27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days.
So Daniel made it clear that his explanation comes from God and that through the dream God is showing Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the “latter days”. The dream, as described in Daniel 2:31-35, is simply about a huge, terrifying image or statue of a man. Different parts of the statue are made of different metals, namely:
- head made of gold,
- breast and arms, made of silver
- belly and thighs, made of brass, and
- legs made of iron and feet made of a mixture of iron and clay
Interpretation of the Dream
Now, the interpretation of the dream, as revealed to Daniel, is straightforward:
Dan 2:37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
Daniel positively identifies the head of the symbolic image to be Nebuchadnezzar, which should give us the proper
reference point to understand the rest of the prophecy. Daniel also explained in verses 39-40 that other kingdoms will arise after Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. Each kingdom is to succeed the previous one. So we just need to trace actual history from the time of Nebuchadnezzar and onwards.
What History Tells Us
Historians know the empires that succeeded the Babylonian empire:
Medo-Persian Empire,
Greco-Macedonian Empire and the
Roman Empire. These are empires that each subdued or overcame the one that preceded it. Babylon was conquered by Medo-Persia, which was then conquered by Greco-Macedonia, which was itself conquered by the Roman Empire. That makes more sense than looking at far away, unrelated empires such as that of China, India or other empires. It is obvious that the kingdoms and events covered by Daniel’s prophecy are those that directly affect God’s people Israel and Judah and Jerusalem. In summary, the four kingdoms are as follows:
- The Chaldean-Babylonian Empire (625 to 538 BC) 87 years
- The Medo-Persian Empire (538 to 330 BC) 208 years
- The Greco-Macedonian Empire (333 to 31 BC) 302 years
- The Roman Empire (Established 31 BC.)
You will notice the progression of metal quality: from the
precious gold to the
cheap iron and from the
soft gold to the
tough iron.
The Legs of Iron and Feet of Iron and Clay
Of the four empires, God revealed the most details about the
legs and feet – the Roman Empire. Daniel 2:40-43 describes it to be “strong as iron”. The legs are made of solid iron, which characterizes the solidness of the Roman Empire during its early reign. The legs clearly represent the two divisions of the old glorious Roman Empire – the
East, with capital at Constantinople and the
West, with capitals in Italy.
Now, let’s take a look at verse 44:
Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
This would be about the time Christ returns to set up God’s kingdom on earth – which gives us a clear time reference. The last vestige of the fourth kingdom – the Holy Roman Empire – which exists today as “
feet and toes” fit the description “partly strong, and partly broken”. It lacks cohesiveness and “shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay” [Daniel 2:42-43]. This is exactly what Europe is today.
Daniel’s Four Great Beasts
The “four great beasts” of Daniel 7 correspond to the four different parts of Nebuchadnezzar’s image. Daniel saw in vision, these four beasts emerging from the sea [verse 3]. Daniel describes the four beasts as follows:
The first was
like a lion, and had eagle’s wings, which were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it [verse 4]. This description fits that of King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon which swiftly conquered Judah and other nations. God “plucked” Nebuchadnezzar for being haughty, sinful, and unmerciful to the poor [Daniel 4:5-33]. Nebuchadnezzar became like an animal, literally living and eating grass like an ox [verse 33]. Nebuchadnezzar would eventually recognize his faults, repent and extol God.
The second was
like a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth: and was told, “Arise, devour much flesh”. This is an apt symbolism of Medo-Persia, which was like a huge bear with its enormous movements of troops, which characterized its military under
Cyrus and
Cambyses.
Xerxes a later Persian king himself utilized two and half million fighting men against Greece. Medo-Persia did not move like the swift Babylon, but it won battles by sheer weight of numbers. The three ribs are probably the three kingdoms it conquered:
Lydia [Turkey],
Babylon, and Egypt.
The third was
like a leopard, which had four wings of fowl on its back and had four heads; and dominion was given to it. This is clearly the Greco-Macedonian Empire under
Alexander the Great, who is considered as one of the greatest generals of all time. Alexander is noted for his brilliance as a tactician and troop leader and for the lightning-speed by which he could traverse great expanses of territory. It took him only three year to master a vast area of territory. At age 33, Alexander reportedly wept because he had no more worlds to conquer.
Now, before continuing, let’s understand what the four beasts represent. Daniel wrote:
Dan 7:16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
So these beasts represent kings that will arise out of the earth. Verse 23 also refers to the beast as kingdom. That makes king and kingdom interchangeable.
The Fourth Beast
As to the fourth beast, Daniel could not think of any animal to liken it to. He simply described it as
dreadful and
terrible, and
strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth and ten horns; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the rest with its feet. Of course, the Roman Empire had been probably the most dreaded and strongest of the empires. It had reduced all other kingdoms and empires to mere provinces.
Adam Clarke noted that the Roman Empire is different from the previous empires “Not only in its republican form of government, but also in power and greatness, extent of dominion, and length of duration.”
The composite beast of Revelation 13
To get an idea of how Daniel’s prophecy relates to that of Revelation, let’s take another look at the four beasts of Daniel 7 and contrast it with the composite beast of Revelation 13. Here is what the apostle John saw in the vision that he recorded in Revelation13.
Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
This beast of Revelation 13 also emerged out of the sea. This beast had seven heads and ten horns. This beast looks like a leopard but has feet of a bear and mouth of a lion [Rev 13:2]. So this unusual beast, clearly takes on the characteristics of the four beasts of Daniel 7.
Compare that with Daniel 7. The fourth beast of Daniel 7 devoured or absorbed all the others before it, as vassal state or province of the Roman Empire. It took in the royal splendor characteristic of ancient Babylon, thus having the
head of the lion. It had all the massive numerical power of the Persian Empire army – the
legs of bear. It was the greatest war-making machine the world had ever seen, and possessed the swiftness, the cunning, the cruelty of Alexander’s army, the
leopard.
Seven heads and ten horns
The lion, the bear and the fourth beast of Daniel 7 each had a head. The leopard had four heads. That makes
seven heads in all. The fourth beast had 10 horns. Each of the four beasts emerged out of the sea. These are the same seven heads and ten horns in the one beast of Revelation 13.
Now, what are the “ten horns”?
Dan 7:24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
A horn represents a king. So we have three synonymous terms here:
king, kingdom and
horn. These three terms are interchangeable as far as prophetic symbolism is concerned.
Roman Empire is said to have officially ended in 476 A.D. [the Western division] when it was defeated by the
Vandals. But just as the
Western Roman Empire was on its death throes,
Emperor Justinian ascended the throne in AD 554 in the
Eastern Roman Empire. Called “Justinian Imperial Restoration”, this is a virtual revival and re-establishment of the Roman Empire. Justinian would try to unite east and west but would fail. This would be followed by
five more revivals, namely:
Frankish, Carolingian Empire –
Charlemagne was crowned emperor on Christmas A.D. 800 by
Pope Leo III.
German –
Otto the Great was crowned A.D. 962 by
Pope John XII in Rome.
Austria, Habsburg Dynasty –
Charles V was crowned in 1530 by
Pope Clement VII in Bologna
France –
Napoleon crowned himself Emperor Napoleon I on December 2, 1804 at Notre Dame de Paris
Garibaldi united ITALY around 1870 – 1945, which would culminate in the fascist rule of
Benito Mussolini and an attempt, with
Adolf Hitler, to dominate the West during
World War 2.
That makes
six revivals in all, which had taken place since the Roman Empire “died” in 476 A.D. Notice the active role played by the
Catholic Church leadership. The Church, in important ways, gives the Roman Empire the unique ability to revive.
Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
This is what is peculiar about Roman Empire. We know there was Roman Empire. But now it is not – meaning it is non-existent now. And
yet is, because the ideals of the Roman Empire live on in the heart and consciousness of many Europeans.
European Parliament building
Right now, we are in a kind of
intermission right before the next revival – the
seventh revival. Efforts to revive a European Union is too
obvious to be ignored and dismissed as mere fantasy. The seventh revival, however, would be short-lived as indicated by Revelation 17:12. It will be the final revival, before Christ’s return.
Christ Returns
But all these are mere prelude to the coming
historic establishment of God’s kingdom on earth – which is the main message of Daniel and Revelation. This is the message that Christ preached:
Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Christ proclaimed the same gospel message that He inspired His prophets and servants to record. We are supposed to preach to the world, this same message of His return to set up God’s kingdom.
Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
After the preaching has been accomplished, a three and a half years tribulation will ensue.
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Immediately after the tribulation, there will be terrifying sights and signs in heaven that announces the start of Christ’s coming and direct intervention in world affairs – to put a halt to man’s self-inflicted destruction. [Mat24;29f] – and to establish God’s kingdom.
In the next post, we will look more closely at the beast and woman described in Revelation 17 and 18.
