Lesson Eight
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A Study Of The Prophetic Symbols Of Daniel

Lesson Eight- Daniel Chapter Two – Part Three – The Revised Roman Empire

Updated: October 30, 2007 08:35:27 AM

 

Daniel 2:41-45 - And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. [42] And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. [43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. [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. [45] Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. 

 

All the kingdoms we have discussed to this point as seen by Daniel in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream are kingdoms already past. The one that is central to this lesson is a 10-kingdom empire known as the Revised Roman Empire that is yet future and soon to rise on the scene prophetically. The Revised Roman Empire will be the springboard from which the Antichrist will come to power in the last days making a 7-year covenant of death with Israel. The book of Daniel as we have already seen provides a remarkable overview of t empires that would dominate the world scene and persecute Israel before Christ's second coming. Daniel also gives us insight to two other world empires to come that will dominate the world scene and Israel AFTER the rapture of the Church and prior to the Lord's physical SECOND COMING.

 

The Image Interpreted

 

To summarize what we have seen to this point. We know the great image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of 5 different materials represents 5 great world empires:  Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and Revised Rome made up of 10 kingdoms in the last days (Daniel 2:44-45; Daniel 7:23-24; Rev. 17:12-17).

 

Daniel 2:44-45  - 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. [45] Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

 

Daniel 7:23-24

Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. [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.

 

Rev. 17:12-17

And the ten horns, which thou sawest, are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. [14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. [15] And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. [16] And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. [17] For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

 

The Head Of Gold

 

The head of gold portion of the great image represents the first of 5 kingdoms in the vision—Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar's own kingdom (Daniel 2:37-38; Jeremiah 15:4; Jeremiah 24:9; Jeremiah 25:1-12; Jeremiah 29:18). The 5 kingdoms succeeded each other as the time came for them to fulfill God's plan in punishing Israel.  They all existed before they were used to punish Israel in the times of the Gentiles, and each in turn, after fulfilling her mission with Israel, was absorbed in the succeeding kingdom. Babylon conquered Israel in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar, about 606 B.C., and continued in power for 70 years (Daniel 9:2; Jeremiah 25).

 

Nebuchadnezzar reigned 43 years and was succeeded by Evil-Merodach (2 Kings 25:27; Jeremiah 52:31), and Nabonidus and Belshazzar who reigned jointly until Babylon was overthrown (Daniel 5).  This empire oppressed Israel for 60 years, 606 B.C. to 546 B.C. (Jeremiah 25) The first mention of Babylon in Scripture is found in Genesis 11:1-8, where people in rebellion against God built a tower, or ziggurat, which had the significance of reaching up into the heavens in rebellion against the true God. Scriptures are silent on the history of Babylon except for the reference to a "beautiful robe from Babylonia," which was part of the plunder of Achan as recorded in Joshua 7:20-21. It was not until Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel mentioned Babylon in their Prophecies and the Babylonian captivity took place that Babylon became a prominent subject of biblical revelation. Between Genesis 11 and the time of the captivities, however, secular history provides considerable details concerning the progress of this civilization. From 2360 to 2180 B.C. the empire of Sargon reached from Persia all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. Abraham was born in what is known as the Neo-Sumerian period (2070-1960 B.C.). Following this, the land was overrun by the Elamites and the Amorites until 1830 when Babylon began once again to assert power. This period, known as the Old Babylonian period included the reign of Hammurabi. Though we do not know too much about the personal life of Hammurabi, his famous code was discovered, which gave significant insight into the civilization of his day. The code was found on an eight-foot-high stele of black diorite deed in 1901-1902 at Susa. It contained 282 paragraphs dealing with criminal law and did much to reveal the times in which Hammurabi lived. It also revealed an advanced Akkadian language which by the time was well organized. We will deal with Babylon in greater detail in a separate study. There are numerous prophecies of Babylon in scripture that give us insight to coming events in the end times that give clue that catastrophic events are coming to the region some call the "cradle of civilization."

 

The Breast and Arms of Silver (Daniel 2:32,35,39)

 

This part of the image symbolizes the Mede-Persian kingdom which succeeded Babylon at the end of the 70 years' captivity of the Jews It was the second kingdom of the dream to oppress Israel in the times of the Gentiles (Daniel 2:39; Daniel 5:1-31; Daniel 8:20; Daniel 9:1; Daniel 10:1; Daniel 11:1-3; 2 Chron. 36:22; Ezra 1:1-3).  The two arms symbolize the two nations making the dual kingdom, the Medes and the Persians.  This kingdom was inferior to the Babylonian Empire as silver is to gold.  It was not inferior in power (for it overthrew Babylon), but in form of government, wealth, luxury, and glory (Isaiah 13:19).  In Babylon the king was the absolute power (Daniel 5:19), but in Medo-Persia law was superior to the king who could not alter a law even for the best good of his subjects (Daniel 6:1,14).  Similarly, in the third and fourth kingdoms, the forms of government were inferior as well as their wealth and glory.  Babylon took Israel captive (Jeremiah 25) and Mede-Persia liberated them (Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1-5; Ezra 1:1-4; Ezra 6:1-14). 

 

The history of the Medes and the Persians form an important background for the history of Israel during the period of Assyrian and Babylonian power. Their empires eventually stretched to the south of the Caspian Sea and somewhat to the east of Babylonia and included an area of about 250 miles west and east and 600 miles north and south. Their rise to power was hindered by the dominance of Assyria. They are mentioned in the inscriptions describing the reign of Shalmaneser III who was one of the kings of Assyria. (859-824 B.C.) As Assyria began to decline in the seventh century, the Medes and the Persians increased in strength. They moved into a place of power when the Medes captured Asshur, the capital city of Assyria in 610 B.C. Two years later, in 612 B.C., with the help of the Chaldeans, they captured and destroyed NINEVEH, the major city of the Assyrian Empire.

 

As spelled out in detail in lesson 7, Cyrus II defeated and conquered the Babylonians in 549 B.C. as recorded in Daniel 5. As the Medo-Persian empire grew in strength, they conquered Babylonia except for the city of Babylon, which fell in 539 B.C. Mede-Persia continued its dominance of the Middle East until Alexander the Great who founded the old Grecian Empire, 334 B.C.

 

The Belly and the Thighs of Brass (Daniel 2:32,35,39)

 

This part of the great image symbolized the third or Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great which also dominated Israel in the times of the Gentiles (Daniel 2:39; Daniel 8:20-21; Daniel 11:1-34).  This third empire became the greatest in territory of the first three kingdoms.  Alexander started from Greece and Macedon and conquered all the territories of the other two kingdoms and even part of India.  The Grecian Empire began to decay with the death of Alexander.  His vast territory was divided into four parts, as we shall see when we study Daniel 8.

 

Alexander began a campaign to conquer Western Asia around 336 B.C. The Persians fell to his power in 331 B.C. The prophecies of Scripture relating this are so accurate that liberal scholars who deny the possibility of prophecy have adopted the theory of Porphyry, an atheist of the third century A.D., that Daniel was a forgery and fraud. These liberal cabbage for brains actually do Daniel a favor by confirming his prophecies to be right on target. There was no possibility of Daniel's guessing that two hundred years after his approximate death the Grecian Empire would become great.

 

It is interesting to not that there is little about the Grecian Empire actually recorded in the Bible because it existed in the period between Malachi and Matthew, after the Old Testament had already been written. By the time of Christ, however, the Roman Empire had already succeeded the Grecian Empire, and thus no need for additional prophecy. This does not mean the Grecian Empire was not and is not important in Bible prophecy. If anything it is probably the most prototypical Empire that will mirror the coming kingdom of Antichrist of all that Daniel saw in his visions and symbols.

 

The modern word "Greece," or "Grecia" does not appear in the original Hebrew Bible. Instead the word "yawan" (English, "Javan) is mentioned in Genesis 10:2 and the name is assigned to one of the sons of Japheth who was a grandson of Noah. Though the Bible does not say it outright, it is commonly believed that Javan was the father of the Greek race and that his descendants not only occupied Greece but also the islands to related to it. Accordingly, in Scripture his name in the Old Testament is translated "Grecian."

 

Isaiah 66:19
And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

Ezekiel 27:13
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.

Ezekiel 27:19
Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were in thy market.

Daniel 8:21
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

Daniel 10:20
Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.

Daniel 11:2
And now will I show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.

Joel 3:6
The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

Zech. 9:13
When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.
 

Though mentioned in Isaiah 66:19 who lived a hundred years before Daniel, no specific prophecies are related to the empire of Greece UNTIL Nebuchadnezzar's image. Daniel interpreted the lower part of the body made of BRASS and the UPPER part of the legs as "another kingdom" that would succeed the first two kingdoms. In the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's images, scant attention was given to the place of Greece.

 

A detailed study of Alexander brings into view a portrait of just how swiftly a mortal man can conquer the world with the aid of demonic powers. Originally possessing only a small part of Europe known as Macedonia, Alexander was intent upon erasing whatever memory there was of the Persian King Xerxes' attempted conquest of Greece a century earlier. Though Xerxes had failed, at that time it did not result in the expansion of Greece. Alexander began by conquering Troy in ASIA MINOR. He then attacked the Persian army at Grancicus and succeeded in annihilating it at Issus. Further opposition to Alexander in Persia was useless, and most of these cities were conquered without a fight. Only Tyre and Gaza (MODERN DAY ISRAEL AREA) required an extensive siege. The conquest of Tyre involved building a causeway from the mainland to the island. The city of Tyre itself was razed, and its ruins were used to build the causeway, a fulfillment of prophecy from Ezekiel:

 

Ezekiel 26:3-5
Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up. [4] And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. [5] It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.
 

Though conquered originally by Nebuchadnezzar, Tyre's final destruction was by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. Tyre never recovered from this war, although a new city was in place in the time of Christ. Alexander then proceeded south toe Egypt and was able to conquer the whole nation without a serious fight. In the process he established ALEXANDRIA, which became one of the largest cities of Egypt and held a significant place in Egypt's future. Coming from Egypt, Alexander engaged in a battle at ISSUS, and again won a decisive victory. With this behind him, his armies proceeded east to INDIA. When they arrived they were weary and refused to go on, and it seemed best to return. While in Babylon in 323 B.C., during a great feast in celebration of his victory, Alexander passed away, a victim of overeating, drunkenness, and malaria. Some historians say he had contracted syphilis from numerous homosexual relations. Daniel would use the term "cut off" in describing the Kingdom of Greece in his visions which is exactly what happened to Alexander.

 

Daniel 7:6
After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

Daniel 10:19-20
And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. [20] Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
 

This writer believes the principality in Daniel 10:20 was the reason in the spirit realm behind Alexander's great conquests. Most prophecy teachers agree with that assessment. The prophetic nature of Alexander's conquests is that his kingdom of GRECIA will be revised during the latter half of the Tribulation. John called it the "EIGHTH" kingdom and will be the Kingdom of the Beast. The question is really more about how much of that eighth kingdom will be Islamic and what portion will be more Hellenized or "Grecian" in nature. I feel it will be a bit of both. Regardless this eighth kingdom will be set up to declare war upon all Jews and Christians in the last days as the Antichrist wages one final holocaust against God's chosen people. Zechariah saw this:

 

Zech. 9:13
When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.
 

Compare this with John's description in Revelation of the beast out of the abyss:

 

Rev. 17:10-11 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. [11] And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. [12] And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. [14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
 

This eighth kingdom, which is "of the seven," meaning the revised Grecian Empire will be part of the Revised ROMAN empire, will go "into perdition," a name used by Paul in describing the coming man of sin, known as the Antichrist.

 

The Legs of Iron (Daniel 2:33-35,40)

 

This part of the great image symbolizes the old Roman Empire that followed Greece in the domination of Israel.  It was the fourth kingdom of the dream to oppress Israel in the times of the Gentiles (Daniel 2:40; Daniel 7:23-24; Daniel 9:26; Luke 2:1; Luke 20:20-24; John 11:48; Matthew 24:1-2; Acts 16:21; Acts 22:25-29).  This kingdom was to be stronger than all the preceding kingdoms as iron is stronger than gold, silver, and brass.  Though called the fourth, this is not the last of the Gentile world kingdoms to persecute Israel in the times of the Gentiles.  There will yet be two kingdoms that will reign over Israel before the coming of Messiah who will deliver them and set up the kingdom of God in the earth forever. The two legs of iron represent the eastern and western divisions of the old Roman Empire.

 

The Feet and Toes of Iron and Clay (Daniel 2:33-35,44) - The REVISED ROMAN EMPIRE - THE SEVENTH KINGDOM

 

This part of the image represents the future revised Roman Empire, the fifth kingdom in the image to oppress Israel in the times of the Gentiles (Daniel 2:31-43; Daniel 7:23-25; Rev. 17:12-17).  This, the last part of the image, was to be destroyed by the stone from heaven.  Revised Rome was to be a divided kingdom, partly strong and partly weak, as symbolized by the two materials of the feet and toes.  The clay represents the rule by the masses and the iron the rule by kings.  These two forms of government will not mix even as iron and clay will not mix.  The final outcome will be that the iron will again become predominant.  Kings will again rule inside the Roman Empire territory.  The 10 kingdoms will be formed therein and be ruled by 10 kings (Daniel 2:44-45; Daniel 7:7-8,23-24).

 

These 10 kingdoms represented by the 10 toes will exist in the last days before the coming of Christ and will be destroyed at His coming (Rev. 17:8-17; Rev. 19:11-21).  10 kings will rule them during the first 3 1/2 years of the 70th week, then by the Antichrist the last 3 1/2 years (Daniel 2:44,45; Daniel 7:7-14; Daniel 7:17-25; Rev. 13:1-18; Rev. 17:8-17; 2 Thes. 2:1-12).  The 10 kingdoms will form what Bible students know as the Revised Roman Empire, dealt with in Daniel 7 and  Rev. 17:12-17.

 

As we continue to take a look at the coming kingdom of the beast, let’s review just a moment what we’ve discussed so far. Daniel and John were both visionaries who saw the future and were inspired by the Holy Ghost as they pierced the prophetic veil to reveal future events and world empires that would one day dominate the world and impact the nation of Israel.

Since the beginning, there have been six main empires that have persecuted Israel and are mentioned in scripture:

• Egypt – First
• Assyria – Second
• Babylon – Third
• Medo-Persia – Fourth
• Greece – Fifth
• Rome – Sixth
• Revised Rome – Seventh
• Kingdom of Beast (A Mixture of the Grecian, Assyrian and Babylonian) -Eighth

Both Daniel the prophet and John the apostle used descriptive language and characterized the kingdoms they saw as beasts that would arise “out of the sea.” It’s has always amazed this writer how that even though Daniel wrote his prophecies over 600 years before John, both men basically saw the same thing, just in a different manner.

Two visions of Daniel were seen in the reign of Belshazzar (Daniel 7 and Daniel 8) and two dreams were seen by Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2 and Daniel 4). The visions of chapters 7 and 8 were seen about three years before events of Daniel 6 (cp. Daniel 6:1 with Daniel 8:1).

Daniel 7:1-3
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. [2] Daniel spoke and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. [3] And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

In Daniel 7:2, 3 the prophet saw four great beasts rising out of the sea, the first, a ferocious lion. The lion was followed by a roving bear, which in turn was followed by a cunning leopard. The fourth beast was so different from the previous three that it is often called by prophecy teachers, a “non-descriptive beast,” that had seven heads and ten horns.

Daniel was told that these four great beasts were four kingdoms that would arise from the earth and persecute Israel and play a role in end time events that would lead to the physical Second Coming of Christ. Three of the beasts are past, one is yet future.

Daniel 7:17
These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

Daniel 7:23
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

History itself has interpreted the meaning of this passage. The lion was ancient Babylon (IRAQ). The bear represented the Medes and the Persians (IRAN) that overthrew the Babylonians in Babylon. After the Medes and Persians, the Grecians, represented by the third beast, under the leadership of Alexander the Great, swallowed up the previous empires and added other kingdoms and regions to its tally of nations.

The fourth empire in the successions was the Roman Empire. This was the empire that ruled in the time of Christ and the first century apostles. Thus the four major empires in Daniel’s ancient prophecy were:

1. The Babylonian Empire (Third)
2. The Medo-Persian Empire (Fourth)
3. The Grecian Empire (Fifth)
4. The Roman Empire (Sixth)

The Roman Empire will be revised in these last days, out of which will come two other kingdoms that will cover the earth prior to the Lord’s return. This writer believes the kingdom that both launches the rule of the beast and the beast kingdom itself will both have a definite Islamic flavor and color to it unlike the original Roman Empire which had more of a European one. Some common elements link these empires to history and to Bible prophecy:

• All four empires ruled the Mediterranean Sea area
• All four empires invaded and controlled Egypt
• All four empires were involved in persecuting Israel and the Jews
• All four empires were involved in dealing with Jerusalem and the Temple
• All four empires were Gentile empires with Gentile rulers
• Three of the four empires ruled from the area of Babylon. Alexander died drunk in Babylon before his kingdom divided.

Traditionally, the fourth empire represents the Roman Empire, yet, out of the same territory of the ancient Roman Empire will emerge a seventh kingdom of prophecy, including 10 horns that represent 10 kings ruling over 10 kingdoms. These 10 kings and kingdoms will form and unite at the time of the end before being swallowed up by the eighth kingdom of prophecy – the Kingdom of the Beast.

Daniel 7:7 - After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

Daniel 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.

The order and succession of these prophetic kingdoms were also revealed to the ancient king of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar. The king’s dream in Daniel chapter 2 showed the image of a man with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, thighs of brass and legs of iron. Daniel interpreted the dream, telling the king it was a picture of world empires from ancient Babylon until the time the Lord would come and set up His Own Kingdom and start what we know as the Millennium Reign of Christ.

Daniel 2:31-44 - Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. [32] This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, [33] His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. [34] Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. [35] Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. [36] This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. [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. [39] And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. [40] And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. [41] And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. [42] And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. [43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. [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.

History now interprets the order and progression and ruling order of those kingdoms:

• Babylon
• Medo-Persia
• Greece
• Rome

The legs of iron on the image (ROME) represented a split that would occur in the Roman kingdom at some point in the future of this dream. Historically this happened when the Roman Empire divided between the East and the West; with Rome, Italy, becoming the western leg and Constantinople, Turkey (Istanbul today), becoming the eastern leg.

According to the Book of Daniel, the legs of iron (the division of Rome) will eventually produce ten TOES – which are the same kings and kingdoms identified by both Daniel and John as the 10 horns in Daniel 7 and Revelation 17. This kingdom is yet future.

Daniel 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.

Rev. 17:12
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

Rev. 17:16
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

This has led a good majority of modern (and past) Bible prophecy teachers to assume that all of the coming drama in the end times will center itself in Europe. Many have concluded that the formation of the European Union is the continuation of the old Roman Empire, and that at some point the EU will have 10 strong nations and, from among those nations, the final world dictator would arise.

The problem with this theory is many felt that since the EU is a European entity, it was assumed the Antichrist will be elected the head of the EU. (That is exactly the trail of thought in the Left Behind series). Some had to change their teaching when the EU expanded its member nation from 10 to 15. Another and most vital often-overlooked point of this interpretation is that many of the nations that once formed the ancient Roman Empire are not pro-Western or even pro-Europe type nations, but now ISLAMIC!


• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Libya
• Morocco
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Northern Iraq
• Syria
• Turkey

Only Italy and Greece, predominantly Catholic and Greek Orthodox, are not on the Islamic list. For years theologians have placed way too much emphasis on the Western Europe and the EU and not enough on the real stage of all end time drama – the Middle East! It’s not that we seek the diminish Europe’s role in the end times. Europe will play a huge role in world events without a doubt. At the very least, portions of Europe will come under the complete domination of the rule of the Antichrist when he seizes total power during the mid-point of the Tribulation period.

However, most bible prophecy teaching of recent years has neglected the 1.2 billion Muslims that roam the earth right now driven by a religion named Islam that wants to rule the entire Mediterranean and extend the Islamic crescent not just over Europe, but beyond to the entire world!

The Muslims ultimate goal is not to just build mosques, but to eventually convert all people in countries where they overrun and take control of to the religion of Islam. When we examine past geographical regions of past prophetic empires and the region where the antichrist will rule, we see that Islam controls these nations, with the exception of Greece, Italy, and Israel. Again, don’t get this writer wrong; Europe will play a role in the end times probably being the launching pad for a great deal of the Antichrist’s initial activities at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. But Europe will not be the main stage of end time drama.

The prophet Daniel predicted that when the Antichrist comes to power, he will subdue three kings.

Daniel 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.

Early church fathers saw these three kingdoms as Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia:

In those times, then he shall arise and meet them. And when he has overmastered three horns out of the ten in array of war, and has rooted out, vis., Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia, and has got their spoil and trappings….he will begin to be lifted up in heart, to exalt himself against God as master of the whole world (Hippolytus, Treatise on Christ and Antichrist).

Daniel speaks of three nations the Antichrist will invade and control after he first comes to power.

Daniel 11:43
But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

Modern teachers emphasize those countries of the final 10 kings will comprise the European Union (EU) nations, but this cannot be totally accurate. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, five kings are from the Eastern branch (leg) and five from the Western branch (leg). Most of the current EU nations are Western powers; yet, Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia are not in the EU, but are listed as three of the 10 final kings of Biblical prophecy.

In the past, these three Islamic nations were pro-Western, and Ethiopia was a strong Christian nation. Presently, all three nations have a strong radical Islamic element that is attempting to turn their nation against Israel and the West. Ethiopia sits next door to Somalia where as of the date of this writing in the summer 2006 the government there has fallen to Islamic militants who promise to turn the nation 100% Muslim with threats to make it another Sudan if Christians don’t submit.

We must realize that no matter how kind and friendly most Muslim people are, those who reject the real Christ will one day unite one day under this radical demon possessed leader called antichrist! The Beast system will seek to destroy ALL who disagree with their policies and will use weapons of mass destruction to bring nations to their knees who don’t submit.

Where America fits into this entire scenario God only knows. This writer has a few opinions we’ll share in future lessons in this study but neighbor it BEHOOVES us to pray for our nation right now as our military is neck deep in the region of the world where most of this end time drama we speak of will take place. John describes the same beast Daniel saw in his vision 600 years prior:

Rev. 13:1-2
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.

Both Daniel and John saw the beast “rising up out of the sea.”

Daniel 7:3
And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

Daniel called this sea the “Great Sea,” known today as the Mediterranean, the area of the ancient Roman Empire. Both Daniel and John indicate the beast had 10 horns. In Biblical prophecy, horns represent a king or a kingdom. The 10 horns are not the beast; they are part of the beast, just as the horns of a ram are not the ram, but part of the ram. Again, the beast is both a SPRIT and a man.

Both John and Daniel saw visions of the last days of events taking place in both the SPIRIT REALM and earthly realm. Events in the earthly realm are ALWAYS affected by that which takes place in the SPIRITUAL REALM. The Beast also represents a KINGDOM that will host the horns. In the New Covenant, John called the beast with the word “therion,” meaning “a wild beast.” The future beast of prophecy cannot be controlled and believe me friend, nations will not be able to tame it. This is without a doubt the description that fits Islamic terrorism of the 21rst Century and in the current war against terror the United States finds itself involved in at the present time.

Many Muslims of Arab descent trace their lineage back to Abraham through Ishmael, Abraham’s first son. Ishmael’s mother, Hagar, was Sarah’s Egyptian servant. (See Genesis 16:4-11). Abraham’s second son, Isaac, was the son God promised through Sarah, Abraham’s wife (Genesis 17:19-21). In fact, some Muslims believe that when Abraham offered Isaac before God, Ishmael was the chosen son. They believe the Jews and Christians changed the story and replaced Ishmael with Isaac as the son of promise.

By accepting this distortion, the Muslim world believes that the land of Israel actually belongs to them and not the Jews. The fact that many trace their genealogy back to Ishmael makes this point most interesting. We see from Scripture that God spoke to Hagar concerning the nature of Ishmael and his coming lineage would be the fountainhead of the modern Arab world today:

Genesis 16:11-12
And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. [12] And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

According to Genesis, Ishmael and his descendants would dwell among the Hebrew people and he would be a “wild man.” The same Hebrew word “wild” is used in the Old Covenant 10 times when referring to wild donkeys (Job 39:5), meaning “having a war-like nature.” Ishmael’s hand “being against every man,” indicates he would be a person who would fight and generate much contention and strife. Does that not speak of the modern Arab world today?

We’ve seen the nature of this “beast” already in many ways in action in Israel through the past 6 years of suicide bombings (2000-2006). In the Sudan, Islamic radicals have bathed that nation in the blood of hundreds of thousands of Christians who stood in opposition to the radical Islamic Sudanese government. In America, we experienced the wrath of the spirit of this Islamic beast on 9-11-2001 when Islamic terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing 3,000 innocent people. In other Islamic nations, Christian churches are burned to the ground, children are kidnapped and Christian women are taken as slaves by these religious fanatics.

The term “WILD” is without a doubt an accurate description of the beast. The term John used also denotes another element of the nature of this kingdom – “dangerous.” Notice, that is it not just the Antichrist who is “dangerous,” but the entire Beast Kingdom. This includes the 10 horns, or 10 kings, that are part of this fierce kingdom of darkness.

Rev. 17:12
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

Rev. 17:13
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

In Daniel 7:24, the Antichrist rises after the 10 kings come to power. In Revelation these 10 kings receive authority in one hour – after they give their kingdoms to the Antichrist. In Daniel, these 10 nations are formed FIRST when the Antichrist arises from among them and uproots three nations: Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia. Even though these 3 will be overthrown, it appears the kingdom will remain a 10-nation coalition under the total domination and control of the beast. The Antichrist allows these 10 kingdoms the benefit of not being overthrown by his armies, but allows them to rule alongside him in their goal of destroying Israel and killing every single and Christian they can find! This means more than likely Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya will remain as nations, but under total domination by the Antichrist.

When this occurs the world will see the TRUE NATURE OF ISLAM! They will see how deceived they were in thinking this “peaceful” religion could coexist beside Christianity. Our President whom we respect immensely has a similar false view of Islam. November 7, 2002 marked a dark day for America as our nation hosted it’s first ever “Ramadan” celebration in the White House; no other American president had done such since President Bush who said the following:

“Ramadan is a special time of prayer and fasting, contemplation of God’s greatness and service to those in need. According to Muslim teachings, this season commemorates the revelation of God’s word in the holy Koran to the prophet Muhammad. Today this word inspires faithful Muslims to lead lives of honesty and integrity and compassion. In hosting tonight’s affair, I send a message to all the nations represented by their ambassadors here tonight. America treasures your friendship. America honors your faith. We see in Islam a religion that traces its origins back to God’s call on Abraham (MR. PRESIDENT YOU ARE DEAD 100% WRONG – ISLAM TRACES ITS ORIGINS BACK TO THE ANCIENT HATRED BETWEEN ISAAC AND ISHMAEL). We share your belief in God’s justice and your insistence on man’s moral responsibility.”

On December 5th, 2002 when Ramadan ended, President Bush re-stated the same sentiments in a separate speech:

“Islam traces its origins back to God’s call on Abraham. And Ramadan commemorates the revelation of God’s word in the Holy Koran to the prophet Mohammad – a word that is read and recited with special attention and reverence by Muslims during this season. The spirit behind this holiday is a reminder that Islam brings hope and comfort to more than a billion people worldwide. Islam affirms God’s justice and insists on man’s responsibility. This holiday is also an occasion to remember that Islam gave birth to a rich civilization of learning that has benefited mankind.”

As much as I respect President Bush, his view of Islam is at the very least naïve and in many ways extremely dangerous for us as a nation. Some may argue, “well that is just politics,” but that same spirit has seeped into the church seeking to unite all false religions under one umbrella. This is the spirit of antichrist that is paving the way for the rise of an Islamic “Saviour,” that will plunge the world into Great Tribulation as he first promises peace, then brings out the SWORD!

Dan 8:25- And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

The Seven Heads of the Beast

In Revelation, John further reveals this beast has SEVEN heads. The question is then, “Who are these heads and why are there seven?” These heads represent empires that have ruled since the beginning of Biblical history and have persecuted Israel and the Jews. We have already listed these but I’ll list them again to show you the correlation between this list and John’s vision of the seven heads on the beast:

1. The Egyptian Empire
2. The Assyrian Empire
3. The Babylonian Empire
4. The Media-Persian Empire
5. The Grecian Empire
6. The Roman Empire
7. The Revised Roman Empire

When John is describing this vision of the beast with seven heads, he informs the reader that the sixth head (kingdom) was in existence and ruling over the world in his day (ROME). John then explains that a seventh empire would form in the future and “continue for a short space.” This seventh empire again is the REVISED Roman Empire from where the Antichrist will first rise to power. We believe it is the EASTERN, or ISLAMIC based division from where he will come. The Revised Roman Empire is the seventh, but it is NOT the Kingdom of the beast! It is the springboard for the beast.

What was revealed to John but NOT to the Old Testament prophets was that out of the previous seven empires would arise an EIGHTH empire, the KINGDOM OF THE BEAST and thrust the world into its worst time of tribulation since it began. This period will last about 42 months of which Jesus stated that if it lasted even a few more days long – NO FLESH WOULD BE SAVED!

Rev. 17:7
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

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.

Rev. 17:11
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

The final beast from the sea will be empowered by the beast out of the bottomless pit, form an eighth and final empire, and go into perdition. Prophetically, the sixth empire of history was Rome. The seventh will be a continuation of Rome and is yet future (but not that far off from fulfillment), and will involve the EU and the United Nations. But this eighth and concluding empire we believe will be an ISLAMIC empire that will swallow up the territory where histories past empires have ruled.

This is why the BEAST is a COMBINATION of the LION (Babylon), the bear (Media-Persia), and a leopard (GREECE) as stated in Revelation 13:2. The kingdom of the Antichrist will have the strength of Babylon, the strict laws of the Persians, and the speed to rapidly swallow up opposing nations, as did the Grecians and Alexander the Great. No other movement embodies those qualities in this modern time as ISLAM!

The Demonic Prince Controlling Alexander the Great

Daniel 10:20
Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.

An interesting footnote to Alexander the Great that we will develop in a future lesson is the demonic prince that controlled Alexander during his conquests. In Daniel chapter 10, the angel Gabriel revealed to Daniel that a satanic prince, the Prince of Persia was hindering Gabriel from bringing Daniel the interpretation and answer to a 21-day period of deep supplication and prayer. Gabriel’s words “the Prince of Grecia cometh,” and indicated a prophetic picture of the coming change in kingdoms at a later date when the Grecians would conquer the Medes through Alexander the Great. It is also a prophetic picture of what will take place during the Tribulation! Alexander the Great was controlled by this same demonic power and assisted him in his tremendous conquests. I also believe it is quite possible if not probable that the same prince of Grecia is the same spirit being John saw in Revelation 17:8 that will control the Antichrist.

Perhaps both satanic spirits will be behind this coming man of sin. Whatever or whoever the satanic power is we know that Satan will invest his entire authority and kingdom into this mad man as the ultimate of God and the souls of men tries one final time to destroy Israel and wipe the name of God off of Planet Earth.

John said in Revelation 17 that the future beast kingdom “was,” that is, it WAS a kingdom that had previously existed; it “is not,” that is, it was NOT in existence in John’s day; and “it shall ascend,” meaning ARISE in the future. Is there an empire of Biblical history and prophecy that once existed but no longer existed in John’s day (95 A.D.), yet could come alive again in the future?

Of the six empires that ruled from Egypt to the time of Rome, only ONE is no longer in existence. Egypt is presently the country of Egypt. Greece is a modern nation today, carrying same ancient name. Syria is part of the ancient coalition known in as Assyria. The Persians are the native people living in Iran who still call themselves Persia (Iran was a name given by the British). Rome is currently the capital of Italy and influences much of Europe through the Roman Catholic Church. The Babylonian Empire was located in the region now known as IRAQ. This ancient empire is presently non-existent, but it is the region of the world where the future Antichrist will arise and rebuild the territory of Babylon.

The demonic spirit of ancient Babylon will be unleashed in full during the time known as the Great Tribulation. Whether it’s the Prince of Persia, or the Prince of Grecia, there will be a demonic prince that “shall arise out of the abyss,” and control the Antichrist and empower Satan’s emissary for 42 months. According to Scripture, these strong wicked spirits have been restrained by God and will, in the future be unleashed upon Planet Earth.

When the beast from the pit is released the begins to control the “son of perdition,” (the Antichrist), the hot spot will be the territory of the ancient Babylonian and Assyrian Empires – which include the modern day nations of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon.

The End Times And 10-40 Window of Evangelism

Ancient Babylon is where Alexander the Great set up his command center. It is where died drunk at age 33. All of the world’s major religions were birthed in the area of what mission based ministries call the 10-40 Window. This window is an invisible belt that stretches from West Africa to East Asia, between 10 degrees and 40 degrees north of the equator. The very CENTER of the 10-40 Window is the area of Baghdad, Iraq, which is within 30 miles of the ruins of ancient Babylon. It is also where the United States of America is currently involved in as we fight for our national and political lives in our war against terror.

Many Biblical and historical events have occurred in the heart of this “window.” The famous Tower of Babel was built in this area, in the plains of Shinar (Gen. 11:2). It is the region where King Nebuchadnezzar, of Daniel’s writings, built Babylon and ruled the world. It is where the Medes and Persians conquered, and the kings of the Medes and Persians seized world power.

It is the very heart and soul of the Islamic religion and influence with Iran sitting to its east and Syria sitting to its west. It contains a THIRD of the world’s total land area, yet two thirds of the world’s population lives there. Some 99% of the world’s Muslim population lives there. It is also the seat of the harshest persecution against Christianity in the modern annals of history mankind has ever seen. From a spiritual perspective it has also been the greatest arena of spiritual warfare as it is controlled by the some of the strongest demon spirits and powers of darkness known to man. It is the cradle of ALL counterfeit religions that spread like a plague after the fall of the Tower of Babel. It is also where Daniel, as we noted earlier, encountered a dark prince, the prince of Persia, who, for three weeks, hindered the answers to the prophet’s prayer.

The nations in the 10/40 window – especially Iran and Iraq and Syria – are, without a doubt, the greatest spiritual strongholds on earth. Most of the opposition against Israel and the Jews has been unleashed from the Persians, the Iraqis and the Syrians. Much of the money used to finance global terrorism can be traced back to their Islamic leaders. It is clear that our mortal enemy the devil has this region of the world enslaved in the deepest deception known to man. But more important is the fact this same enemy is soon to work through a man known as the Antichrist, the beast, the son of perdition, the Assyrian, and inflict the greatest onslaught of terror against Israel, Christians and the world for that matter very soon.

Matthew 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.
 

 

The Stone That Smote the Image

 

This symbolizes the kingdom of heaven headed by the Lord Jesus Christ who will, at His second coming, destroy the kingdoms of this world (Daniel 2:34-35,44,45; Daniel 7:13-27; Matthew 24:29-31; Matthew 25:31-46; Zech. 14:1-21; 2 Thes. 1:7-11; 2 Thes. 2:4-8; Jude 1:14; Rev. 11:15; Rev. 19:11-20:7).  Christ Himself is called a "stone" (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:44; Ephes. 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:6-8).  The phrase "without hands" is an expression emphasizing the absence of all human instrumentality and the act of God alone (Daniel 2:45; Daniel 8:25; Job 34:20; Lament. 4:6).

 

It will be noted in the outline of the text that Babylon is called the third, Mede-Persia the fourth, Greece the fifth, Rome the sixth, and Revised Rome the seventh world empire.  This simply means that they are the third to the seventh of the eight world empires to oppress Israel in the times of the Gentiles.  Two empires oppressed Israel before Babylon—Egypt and Assyria, the first and the second.  The eighth will be the kingdom of Antichrist ( Rev. 17:9-11, notes).  These five kingdoms are the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth of the book of Daniel, but the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh of the book of Rev. 17:8-11. 

 

The Feet And Toes

 

Daniel 2:41  -And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

 

The feet and toes are to be the last form of the Roman Empire in the days of the second coming of the Messiah.  The feet represent the same as the two legs, the Eastern and Western divisions of the Roman Empire, the fourth kingdom of Daniel and the sixth kingdom of Rev. 17:9-11.

 

Rev. 17:9-11 - And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. [10] And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. [11] And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

 

   

The toes represent the final division of the Roman Empire into ten kingdoms, ruled by ten kings from ten separate capitals. 

 

The last form of this empire was to be "partly strong, and partly broken," that is, partly weak (Daniel 2:41- 42).  The weakness is symbolized by the clay that is easily broken, the strength by iron that breaks all other materials to pieces (Daniel 2:40).

 

The Miry Clay

 

The term “miry clay” comes from an Aramaic word, “mud,” which is the same as the Hebrew: (HSN-2916), mire (2 Samuel 22:43; Job 41:30; Psalm 69:14; Jeremiah 38:6; Micah 7:10; Zech. 9:3; Zech. 10:5). 

 

Mud, not being very strong, represents the forms of government by popular majority that are weak in many respects compared to the rule of absolute monarchy, as symbolized by iron (Rev. 2:27; Rev. 12:5; Rev. 19:15).  Aramaic, (HSN-4481), a portion; or some of them, indicating that some of the ten kingdoms would be strong as iron (the kings being absolute in power), while part of them would be weak (the kings being swayed by the popular will of their subjects).   This condition of strength and weakness will not last even as mud cannot mix with iron (Daniel 2:42-43).

 

They Shall Mingle Themselves Together With The Seed Of Men

 

Daniel 2:43 - And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

 

The kings represented by the ten toes will seek to mingle themselves with the seed of men; that is, they will seek to be popular with their subjects and rule more or less by their wishes.  The result will be that the clay will be broken up, the iron becoming predominant.  Absolute monarchs will finally emerge from this mixture and they will be true kings in deed and not in word, having power to act as individuals.  They will give their power to the beast after three of them are defeated (Daniel 7:23-24; Rev. 17:12-17).

 

How the Antichrist defeats these three is unknown. We personally believe that when John saw a Red Horse following a White Horse, he was seeing the wars that will be launched by the Antichrist to eliminate these three kings. From that time on the world will be on a course of bloodshed unprecedented in the history of the world.

 

The Kings Set Up A Kingdom That Shall Not Be Left To Other People

 

Daniel 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.

 

In the days of the ten kings symbolized by the ten toes on the image (Daniel 2:41-45) and the ten horns on the beasts of Daniel 7:7-8,23-24; Rev. 13; Rev. 17:12-17, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom on earth that shall never be destroyed.  It will break in pieces and consume or take over all the ten kingdoms and shall stand forever (Daniel 2:44; Zech. 14; Rev. 19:11-21; Rev. 20:1-10). 

 

This proves that the ten kings are yet future and could not have been ten barbarous tribes that overran the old Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries after Christ as some pockets of church scholars teach. 

 

It will be noticed in the headings of the text in Daniel 2:41 and Daniel 2:44, one kingdom is the seventh and the kingdom of God is the ninth.  There is no eighth kingdom mentioned in Daniel 2, but there is in Daniel 7:23-24 and Rev. 17:9-11.  Daniel does not see a little toe coming out of the ten toes, plucking out three of the others by the roots; but in Daniel 7:7-8,19-24 there is a little horn coming out of the ten horns, and after them.  He gets power over them by conquering three of them and by the others of the ten kings then submitting to him without further war. 

 

This is the same as Rev. 17:9-17.  The ten kings give their power to the beast whose kingdom becomes the eighth kingdom.  The seventh kingdom is that of the ten kingdoms being independent as separate kingdoms; the eighth is made up of the same ten kingdoms, only they are no longer independent.  They continue under the beast for 42 months as subject kingdoms (Rev. 13:1-8; Rev. 17:9-17).

 

The Stone Was Cut Out Of The Mountain Without Hands

 

Daniel 2:45 - Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

 

The stone is a symbol of the kingdom of the God of heaven headed by Christ at His second coming (Daniel 7:9-14,18,27; Isaiah 9:6-7; Zech. 14; Luke 1:31-33; Rev. 11:15; Rev. 19:11-21; Rev. 20:1-10).

 

These are the events that shall come to pass from Nebuchadnezzar's day into eternity when the God of heaven reigns on earth (Daniel 2:38-45; Isaiah 66:22-24; 1 Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 21-22).

 

The Times of the Gentiles

 

By the times of the Gentiles we mean the administration of the Gentiles, as the rod of chastening upon Israel, to further God's purpose concerning them.  It began with Israel’s first oppression by the Gentiles in Egypt, and will continue with the history of Israel through this dispensation of Grace.  It will end at the return of the Messiah in glory when he will deliver Israel from the Gentiles and exalt them as the head of all nations in the Millennium and forever (Luke 21:24; Romans 11:25; Rev. 19:11-20:10).

 

The Door Of Mercy Open To Gentiles

 

This dispensation of the Gentiles is mentioned only in Luke 21:24 and referred to in Romans 11:25 as "the fullness of the Gentiles."  The term in Romans is often taken to mean that a time will come when God will no longer save Gentiles, but will give salvation only to the Jews.  Such a doctrine is not once mentioned in the Bible.  During the future tribulation both Jews and Gentiles can and will be saved (Acts 2:16-21; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:11-13; Rev. 7:9-17).

 

The term "the fullness of the Gentiles" could not mean that God will save some day cut off Gentiles from salvation and become a cruel tyrant, damning the souls of men in eternity regardless of what those men may desire to do about their own destiny. 

 

This term means the same as the times of the Gentiles and has nothing to do with the salvation of the Gentiles. It refers to political domination over the Jews by the Gentiles, off and on, from the Egyptian bondage to the second coming of Christ.

 

Regarding the whole length of the times of the Gentiles it has already been over 3,700 years and will continue until the second coming of Christ, who will deliver the Jews from the Gentiles under Antichrist and set up an earthly kingdom over them forever  (Zech. 14; Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 11:15; Rev. 19:11-21; Rev. 20:1-10; Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:13-14,18,27; Isaiah 9:6-7).

 

Revised Roman Empire, Not Revived;

According to the above Scriptures there will be ten kingdoms formed inside the old Roman Empire instead of one empire. Therefore, it is misleading to teach that the Roman Empire will be revived as one vast empire ruled by the Antichrist. We can call these ten kingdoms the Revised Roman Empire for it will be the present twenty-three states inside the Roman Empire territory brought down to ten kingdoms ruled by ten kings. Then and then only can the Antichrist come, as we shall see in the next point.

 

That these ten kingdoms are yet in the future is proved in Rev. 17:12-17. In this passage the ten kings fight against Christ at His second advent, so they must be latter day kings instead of ten barbarous tribes that overran the Roman Empire in the third, fourth, and fifth centuries, as some teach.

 

Rev. 17:12-17

    And the ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. [14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. [15] And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. [16] And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. [17] For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.