Daniel's Endtime Kingdoms

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DANIEL’S FIVE ENDTIME KINGDOMS. Part I.
Power Blocks in a geographical world of Countries,
and Peoples in Modern times.

Looking at two visions reported by the prophet Daniel.
While this is an in depth study of the Scriptures,
we are actually considering some serious spiritual issues,
which we need to approach very prayerfully,
as they will effect many people in sad and difficult ways.

DIFFERENCES of INTERPRETATION, of TWO CHAPTERS IN DANIEL’S BOOK.
Just as almost every aspect of Eschatology has different interpretations and even strongly held views, the very reason that there are differing beliefs on these subjects seem to demand that we should still consider them. As we have said elsewhere, the fact that we are not given all the details we would like, perhaps means that we should be even more dependant on God’s “Spirit of Truth… He will guide you into all the Truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative but will say only what He hears. He will also announce to you the events of the future. He will glorify Me, because He will receive what is Mine and announce it to you.”

These are Jesus’ own words in John 16: 13 & 14, Father, Son and Holy Spirit agreeing!
[Thankyou Loving LORD, we humbly accept Your faithful promise.]
(This may not be through this article, though we trust it will give some guide-lines.)

COMPARING & SEPARATING THE TWO VISIONS,
OF DANIEL CHAPTERS 2 & 7.
[It is best that you read these two chapters first, as they are rather lengthy to retype here.] The well-known descriptions of the idolatrous kingdoms of chapter 2: 31 – 45. [Please read the whole of this chapter for yourself.]

These are the main features.
1. The head of Gold represented King Nebuchadnezzer and Babylonia, around 605 BC
2.The chest of Silver was for the Kingdom of the Medo-Persians 539 – 330 BC
3. The thighs of brass depicted Alexander’s kingdom of Greece –aprox. 330- 250 BC
4. The two legs of iron were a good picture of the Roman empire holding wide power over 3/4 of the previous Middle East kingdoms, from about 63B.C until the early part of the next millennium, 476 A.D. [See www.historyonthenet.com/rome ]
5. The Kingdom of the Rock, set up by the God of Heaven. We quote from 2: vs. 41.

“Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom. (42) As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle… so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. In the time of those kings, the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed nor will it be left to other people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end. This is the meaning of the vision of The Rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands – a Rock that broke the iron the bronze, the silver and the gold to pieces.”
We believe the first four, were all ‘ancient’, literal kingdoms, yet while the fifth One is real, it is like ‘the fifth column’ –in the Second World War, (‘under-ground’ - or almost invisible), in other words, very real, but largely unseen!

The ‘Beasts’ of Daniel chapter 7. [Again it is good to read the whole chapter.]
Note: “Daniel said; ‘In my vision at night, I looked and there before me were the four winds of Heaven, [from all ‘corners’ of the Earth], churning up the great sea, [of people]. Four great beasts, [monsters] each different from the others, came up out of the sea.” Vs.3.
They were not called ‘kingdoms’ and are more likely to be ‘Power Blocks’ of united countries or associated states.
These are just the basic descriptions –

1. “The first was like a LION, and it had the wings of an EAGLE.” Vs. 4.
2. “There before me was a second beast, which looked like a BEAR.” Vs. 5.
3. “… there before me was another, [third] beast – one that looked like a LEOPARD, .... and on it’s back it had four wings, like those of a bird… it had four heads.” Vs. 6.
4. “… there before me was a fourth beast … it was DIFFERENT from all the former beasts. Verse 7. We will be coming back to inquire about each of these later.
5. But note, the Fifth Kingdom also features in a special way in this vision, as the ‘Kingdom of the Saints’ which is very important for us to notice as we progress through this study. It is not numbered as the fifth, but clearly is separated out for very special mention, in verses 18 & 21-22, & 27 as the ‘Kingdom of the saints’!

The need for us to compare the two sets of descriptions.
It seems God never wastes words in the Bible. There are so many places where we would long to have just a few more words of explanation - (like what the risen Yeshua/ Jesus talked about to the travellers on the road to Emmaus! Luke 28:13 –32.)

So we would find it difficult to believe (as many people do), that these visions would be repeated in two places but mean the same thing. We doubt if the four kingdoms in the visions given to King Nebuchadnezzar, (of the Metal Statue) and interpreted by Daniel’s God, for him, in Daniel chapter 2, are the same as those (of the four ‘monsters’) described in chapter 7.

Are they the same? We believe they are not. When God repeats a message it is almost exactly the same, and leaves no doubts. (See Ezekiel chapter 3 and 33.)
Perhaps the only things these chapters, (2 & 7) have in common are that there were 4 kingdoms and four beasts, and Daniel wrote about them both. However, both assure us of the Victory of God’s Kingdom power, extent and indestructibility!
This is what really matters, don’t you think?
Praise the God of Heaven for His Kingdom, “Thy Kingdom come” we pray!
But the differences between chapters 2 and 7 are very significant.

SOME INTRODUCTORY PERSPECTIVES ON THE TWO VISIONS.
The circumstances are different. God allows no confusion or vagueness in His Word.
The dream in chapter 2 was given to the Gentile king, Nebuchadnezzar.

a. The four kingdoms of chapter 2, (the Statue) are clearly documented, and dated by reliable historians to have actually existed in the order given, and in decreasing states of wealth and means of influence, over the subsequent 800+ years.
None exist in a similar form now except for remnants of idolatry. [See later notes.]
b. Many people were involved in the awareness of the dream, and the interpretation! Vs.48; “The king… made [Daniel] ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.”

The vision in chapter 7 was given to Daniel alone and he told no one else of it. It affected him greatly, “I, Daniel was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale but I kept the matter to myself.” Vs 28. No wonder! As we consider later, they were very significant for God’s people, like us, and far-reaching in time!

The differences in chapter 7 are clearly seen when considered carefully. It seems a little insulting to Daniel’s God and presumptuous to assume they are the same as chapter 2. There must be a reason for two different ‘pictures’ in this inspired Word of God. There are real differences in details given, or omitted. [See point c, below.]

WHAT THE DIFFERENCES IN THE ACTUAL VISIONS ARE.
a. The lion with the eagle’s wings do not match Nebuchadnezzar's Neo-Babylon kingdom, which was not ‘divided’ but eclipsed by the Medo-Persian Empire with the silver chest and two arms.
b. No ancient kingdom had the emblem of a bear, or of a leopard as far as we can determine. Greece was depicted as a goat, and Medo-Persia as a ram, in chapter 8: 3 -8 and all the details given in those verses happened between 334 and 323 B.C. [See notes in the N.I.V. study Bible for chapter 8, please or other commentaries.]
c. Although Alexander the Great’s (Greek) kingdom was divided in 4 parts under 4 rulers, the picture of four heads and four wings would seem to have a very different significance. This is interesting when you go back and look at the dates of the 4 kingdoms of chapter 2, when there was several hundred years between ‘the brass” kingdom,’ of Greece and the next ‘iron’ kingdom of Rome. (323 – 63 BC)

As far as the Jews were concerned that period between the ‘brass’ and the ‘iron’ kingdoms was a time of very great trauma for the Jews. This was especially after the ‘kingdom’ was divided into 4 parts, (from 325 –164) and the 8^th ruler of the ‘Syrian’ section who emerged, was the infamous Antiochus IV ‘Epiphanies’ who tried so cruelly to wipe out ‘Judaism’ and replace it with corrupt ‘Hellenism’, from 168 –164. (Antiochus IV is usually seen as a ‘type’ or picture of the Endtime ‘Anti-christ’.)

You can compare the description in the next vision in chapter 8: 8 –26, -
a long description for a period of just 3 years, especially when compared with the other periods of many years under the rulers of the ‘statue’ kingdoms. (But those years were a very significant time, like other ‘3 years’ of testing as in the time of Elijah.)

This time under Antiochus IV was a time of great distress for the Jews, including the stripping all the gold from Jerusalem, very cruel persecution of faithful Jews, and the desecration of the sacred Temple in a vile way, that they remember well!
This led to the time of “the Maccabees” and the only time, for about 100 years that the Jews won some territorial freedom. The time of restoration has since been remembered in the “Feast of Hanukkah’, but life continued to be unsettled for Jews from then on. Indeed the time of Roman rule was also a very cruel and difficult time.

The fact that this last period of time (that we have described) was omitted in chapter 2 emphasises that Daniel 2 was about ‘world kingdoms’ (not Israel), from God’s perspective! God saw the future and even showed it to a wicked king.

When studied, the description and roles and historical facts about the legs of iron, (believed to be the Roman Empire) which spanned the time before and after the birth of the Church, does not really match the description of the ‘Fourth Beast’ of chapter 7. The weakness, pictured in the mixture of the iron and clay does not match either. We will see other important comparisons, as we study more. [How can 10 toes equate with 10 horns as in Daniel 7: 7? ‘Ten’ in Scripture, means ‘completeness’ or a period of a time of testing, which just may apply here but as separate periods of testing.]

However there can be no doubt that the ‘Fifth Kingdom’ – the Kingdom of Heaven was established during the time of the Roman Empire! In fact as a video narrated by Leonard Nemoy shows, it was the cataclysmic events surrounding the “Fall of Jerusalem” climaxing in the destruction of the Jewish Temple by the Roman Titus, that changed the character of Judaism in a big way. But it also caused the spread and growth of Christianity from that time. The outward form of Christianity degenerated, but the true Body of the Messiah or Christ, (to use the Greek form of His Yeshua/ Jesus’ title) has become great in it’s mainly invisible form all over the world ever since! Yeshua talked about the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ many times!

THE PURPOSES OF THE FIRST VISION OF THE STATUE in Daniel chapter 2.
The first vision/dream was given to Nebuchadnezzar.
To alert him to the fact that it was a great privilege to be a great king. “The God of Heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory, in your hands He has placed mankind…” (2:36) “God has made you a king…” Vs. 37.

To direct his attention to Daniel’s message; “there is a God in Heaven Who reveals mysteries.” (2: 28) It is important to read from there, and see that eventually the king ‘got the message’. “The king said to Daniel, ’Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a Revealer of mysteries…’ “ (2: 47!)

It also could have been to honour Daniel (and his three friends) for their very faithful stand for their God in an evil, foreign court. (See verses 48 & 49). “The king placed Daniel in a high position [and] at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators…” Perhaps this also enabled Daniel to be able to ‘stand in’ and hold the court and kingdom together while the amazing events recounted by Nebuchadnezzar himself, happened, (in the 37th verse of chapter 4!) You see, it seems the king soon forgot the message of God having given him the great kingdom, so God gave him the seven years when he was driven away to live with the animals! It seems amazing that he could be restored to his kingship, with no ‘take over coups’ in those seven years! Was it because of godly Daniel and His three ‘administrating’ friends? (2:49.)

To Glorify the God of Heaven and of Israel! Eastern religion was about ‘mysteries’. “There is a God in Heaven Who reveals mysteries,” (Vs. 28) the only One Who can!
And this in a land famed for its ‘magic’ and with hundreds of ‘Magicians’!

It was a very gracious act of the God of Israel to communicate with the very man who had taken God’s People from the Land of Israel into captivity! (Daniel 1: 1.)

It was God’s way of using faithful Daniel to declare God’s messages to a powerful, despotic king, who in turn relayed the story of his experiences to his entire kingdom! Since then, the message of it has been preserved for our encouragement in our Bibles for 2.500 years! God is the greatest ‘Communicator’.

It was also to re-assure the prayerful, concerned Daniel that his God had great Plans for His own People to be established finally in the greatest Kingdom of them all! Serving a cruel, wicked king faithfully, yet seeing the apparent prosperity of that evil kingdom must have tested Daniel’s faith in God’s promises in His Scriptures. No wonder Daniel read and thought a lot about Jeremiah’s writings!

It was an opportunity for Daniel and his three friends to prove again that God answers prayer. (2: 17 – 23.) Daniel became the great man of God he was through trials. We only have some of the details of the cruel jealousy and tests that Daniel faced, not only as a young captive, but later on yet through which he became the wise prophet of God and great intercessor that we respect. (See chapter 1, which included making the captives into eunuchs, which had serious implications for Jewish men. See Isaiah 56: 4 & 5.) But even as a much older man Daniel was subjected to ridicule and danger in the lion’s den. (Daniel chapter 6.) Daniel’s faith should be a great encouragement to us all but especially Believers in important secular work, or exiled to another country! God will honour you too!
WE CAN ONLY MARVEL AT THE WAYS OF SUCH A GREAT GOD OF ISRAEL!

THE PURPOSE AND MEANING OF DANIEL’S OWN VISION IN CHAPTER 7.

A. To prepare God’s End Time Saints, both Jews and Non-Jews.
God has always sent prophets to warn of times of trial ahead. A separate study of the Prophetic books would show that God explained through the whole of the Tanakh/O.T. that after a time of judgement in the Exile, He would one day send a glorious Messiah to bring in the reign of God on Earth.
Of course it was not all clearly seen and understood until the New Testament times.
But just as the glorious future for God’s people was envisaged, so also the just punishment of all evil and those who caused the world to suffer from evil powers would be described. These are the predominant themes of the ancient prophets of Israel. We need to think about them too. Only God could give such specific warnings.

B. To reassure God’s People of every age that God is Sovereign and does condemn evil.
Daniel had a Statesman’s clear awareness of the implications of the cruelty and domination of Evil world powers. Their huge and grotesque statues were everywhere, including the massive stone lion still in Iraq which represented the proud concepts of strength and ferocity and cunning they believed they had. We need to approach these facts very humbly, as we believe Daniel did – looking for the spiritual challenges to a consistent “faith that moves mountains” rather than just an academic understanding of the details.
God gives us enough information now to live and pray and work for Him, as we should.

C. Prophecy fulfilled, vindicates the greatness and integrity of our Majestic God.
No other person or so-called ‘god’ ever has, or ever will accurately foretell the future, let alone cause it to happen. [If there is a reader who is not sure whether the Bible is true, could we encourage you to look at it this way? Most special, perhaps are the 33 specific events in the Life and Death and resurrection of Yeshua/ Jesus/ Messiah which all happened exactly as described hundreds of years before!]
As we contemplate the meanings of the Monsters in Daniel’s awful dream we need to take them as clear messages to us to pray about, and prepare other people as God helps us. God did not need to write them for Himself. He wrote them for us, today!

D. We cannot stop these events and prophetic scenarios from happening.
Whether we understand or believe the ‘pictures’ of Daniel 7 are for these End Times, is not of great importance. We can still live lives of humble trust and obedience. But as a nurse, I know that for many people who have to face serious medical or surgical treatments, it has been proved that when a person has some idea of the possible course of events towards their treatments, they are then much better able to come through it well.

We believe that God is going to test the faith of End Time Believers very seriously.
Daniel sees that too, especially regarding the Fourth Beast and its ‘little horn’. Verse 21 says,“as I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them –until… “ We do not believe he will defeat all of them, but the pressures will be very, very great. Our preparation in holy determination to stand true to our Lord and Saviour now, is important. [This is the burden of this web-site.]

PRESENTING A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION OF WHAT THE 10 TOES OF THE STATUE, (REPRESENTED IN DANIEL CHAPTER 2: 33 – 35), MIGHT MEAN.

“Its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a Rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the stature on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The WIND swept them away without leaving a trace. But the Rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole Earth.” We cannot insult your intelligence by emphasising the key words, except by underlining them, as we have. It does seem to us that there was a finality about the kingdoms of the great statue. So we can at least ask, what did the 10 toes represent? We can refer you to the historical situation of the Roman Empire, from 63 BC that you can read about in various places, such as the History web-site: www.historyonthenet.com/Rome.

For some 70 years before A.D 1 and then following there was great unrest among the Jews of Israel, which kept erupting in rebellious forays until a General called Vespasian saw this as a stamping ground towards becoming Caesar. (Rome, already corrupt, had 20 of its 23 emperors murdered in the fight to be ‘Caesar’.) Ironically it was also the time that a rebel Jewish leader, Josephus, when cornered, changed his ‘line’ and pretended to prophecy that Vespasian would become a future Roman Emperor! Josephus then became a Roman citizen and later wrote the respected history of the time.

The fact is, that the general decline of the once disciplined Empire, was used by God for the establishment of His Kingdom! In times of distress people look to find real answers which they did in large numbers as the good Roman roads helped to spread the news of the Gospel, yet the cost of becoming a Believer in Yeshua/ Jesus Messiah also nourished the fast growing Kingdom. Persecution of believers was real. The truth that, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the [true] Church” was never more true than at that time! The persecution of the Believers and the final destruction of the Temple by Vespian’s son, Titus, forced both Judaism and Christianity into a new era, not limited to one place! So the combination of factors, especially the strength of the new Believers in Yeshua both Jews and Gentiles, spelt the crushing demise of the Roman Empire, whose territory reached across 10 large areas, (10 ‘toes’?) of most of the then known world.

These can be seen on a map at www.1way2god.net/im_re_800.gif - or in maps in some Bibles.
They are: Hispainia, Gaul, (including part of Britain), Italia, Illyricum, Macedonia, Phrygia/Galatia, Mesopotamia, Syria (which included ‘Palestinia’), Capadocia and Carthage (Nth Africa).

Of course these geographical areas continued on, but not under the Roman Empire

We simply offer these as an alternative to the later descriptions we give of the 10 world power bocks (‘horns’), that will be part of the “Fourth Beast” of Daniel 7.

In closing this Part I study, we remind ourselves that God’s Word is meant to
challenge us to a more total devotion to God,
and comfort us in every circumstance.
This is far more important than a ‘correct interpretation’ of the prophecies.
This is the main reason for writing these studies –
even though they offer a different understanding from
many other Bible Teachers. God’s Kingdom WILL prevail!

Because we have a great concern for many faithful Believers
to remain true to their Saviour and God, even under bitter
persecution, we offer these studies.
“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith [in Him] on the Earth?”
Our prayer is, that He will, through readers like you!

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