To this point we have seen that the end of the world, according to Daniel chapter 2, could not have happened during the empires of the Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, the Greeks, or even during the Roman Empire. It was clear, however, that during the time of the fragmented empire that was once Rome, the kingdom of God would be established. We have been in that era for approximately 1500 years.
In Daniel chapter 7 we gained further information of this last empire. It would tread down the whole earth and break it into pieces. Ten notable kings would emerge from this empire, and that after those ten, another king would become prominent. This king (or kingdom) would subdue three kings.
The period of European colonialism (or imperialism) is behind us now. The kingdoms of the shattered Roman Empire (known as the Holy Roman Empire) have already trodden over the whole earth. They have already broken it into pieces (colonies, then liberated into the nations of today). That period is over, having lasted from approximately 1500-1900.
We are well into the days of the shattered fourth world empire. We are beyond the days of the breaking up of the earth by the fourth beast of Daniel 7. Regarding the church, we have entered the days of the last church listed in Revelation: the lukewarm church. The days of the Philadelphia church, marked by widespread missionary activity and evangelism, sound Bible teaching, leaving names such as John and Charles Wesley, George Whitfield, Andrew Murray, William Carey, Adoniram Judson, George Mueller, Mary Slessor, Charles Finney, D. L. Moody, Billy Sunday, Donald Grey Barnhouse, G. Campbell Morgan and the like are now slipping away. The last of them, D. James Kennedy, Jerry Falwell, J. Vernon McGee, Oliver Green, Adrian Rogers are gone now, with others on their way out: Billy Graham, James Dobson.
Today's church is marked by liberalism: with gay clergy and women pastors. The Bible is no longer the final authority, but how one decides to interpret its words. Church members live in fornication outside of wedlock. Laodicea is the order of the day. Lukewarm is a very apt description for many leaders in our churches today. Jesus is at the door.
But before the end, there are several items of interest that have yet to be fulfilled. The restoration of Israel in 1948 set the stage for it. The restoration of Jerusalem to Israel in 1967 brought us closer to it. But today there is no Temple in Jerusalem. Look at 2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
IF the "falling away" is a reference to the apostasy of the church, then that is happening. People have fallen away from Christianity in our times in proportions greater than any other time in history.
But the "man of sin" has not yet been revealed. This fellow probably corresponds to the "little horn" of Daniel 7. He will oppose God, and exalt himself above God, or anything that is worshipped. That has not happened yet. But as certainly as everything we have covered so far has happened, if I were a betting man, I'd put my house on it. He's coming. The last thing it says here in 2nd Thessalonians 2:4 is that he will sit in the temple of God. There is no Temple in Jerusalem. Not yet.
More to come? We'll see.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The End of the World, Part 4
We left off at the prophecy of Jesus Christ concerning the Church at Thyatira, in Revelation chapter 2. Thyatira represents the Church in prophecy during her downward trend resulting from compromise with the world. Pagan holidays were converted and given Christian meaning. Easter (an English corruption of Astarte, or Ashtoreth, or Ishtar: a fertility godess) replaced Passover, bringing with it acceptance for fertility rites using eggs and bunnies (reproduction). Christmas was advanced from its celebration at the Feast of Tabernacles on September 25th three months ahead to December 25th, a compromise with the sun worshipers who moved their day of celebration from December 21st (the winter solstice).
This was Thyatira, the Jezebel church.
Rev 2:20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
Who was Jezebel? Literally, she was the wife of King Ahab back in the Old Testament. The following describes her influence on King Ahab:
1Ki 16:31 It wasn't enough that he committed the same sins as Jeroboam (Nebat's son). He [Ahab] also married Jezebel, daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Ahab then served and worshiped Baal.
1Ki 16:32 He built the temple of Baal in Samaria and set up an altar there.
1Ki 16:33 Ahab made poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah. He did more to make the LORD God of Israel furious than all the kings of Israel who came before him.
Upon marrying this woman, Ahab caused his nation to sin against God. The reference to Asherah is interesting when one takes into account the compromise that brought Easter [the day originally dedicated to Asherah] into the Church.
The compromise of Pergamum led to its logical conclusion here at Thyatira. But it had not worked itself to completion yet. Sardis was next.
Rev 3:1 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.
Rev 3:2 Be thou watchful, and stablish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine fulfilled before my God.
Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Rev 3:4 But thou hast a few names in Sardis which did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
The Church basically died. It had a name as if it lived, but was dead. Had you been there at the time, you might have seen the beautiful cathedrals that were built in the days of this prophecy. They still stand today as wonders of the world. But again, had you been there then, you would have witnessed the crusades. You would have seen heretics tortured, and burned alive. You would have seen heads on the ends of poles. You would have heard of the abuse of power by priests and popes. It may have had an appearance of grandeur, but death was everywhere.
Yet there was a few names that stood out. John Huss was burned for preaching to his congregation in a language they could understand. He will walk in white. John Wycliffe was another. And God was working in the hearts of Luther and Zwingli. Other names include Michael Sattler, Conrad Grebel, Menno Simons and others who would ultimately break away from that which had died and return to the Word of God.
Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and none shall shut, and that shutteth, and none openeth:
Rev 3:8 I know thy works (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name.
Rev 3:9 Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them which say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Rev 3:10 Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 3:11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
Rev 3:12 He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name.
Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Here is a church with no condemnation. It is a persevering church, holding on to the word of God's patience. This church has a promise that it will be kept from the time of trial that will come upon the earth.
It could probably date roughly from the time of the First Great Awakening (1700's?) through the missionary movement of the 1800s and my estimation is that it is over, or very close to its end. Such names as D.L. Moody, John Wesley, Charles Finney, C.H. Spurgeon, George Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards, Billy Sunday are among those who represent the Philadelphian age of the Church. Recent names who have been part of it and will be kept from the time of trial include Jerry Falwell (recently deceased), Billy Graham (soon to pass), James Dobson (already had a stroke), J. Vernon McGee (radio gospel preacher, deceased), Oliver Green (radio gospel preacher, deceased).
The Philadelphian generation is about over. Those who were part of it, and are part of what is left will be kept from the time of trial yet to come.
But the last age of the Church has already begun. There is no promise of relief for those numbered in the modern liberal crowd: the church at Laodicea represents the last age of the Church.
Rev 3:14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Lukewarm is the order of the day. We call that "Politically Correctness" here in America. You can no longer call homosexuality an abomination. It might be considered a hate crime. Drunkenness is no longer a sin, it is a disease called alcoholism. And sex between a man and a woman is nobody's business except the two involved: even if it is the President of the United States. These days bad is good and good is bad. Moral relativity is the norm. And the Church is right in the middle of it all.
Gay ministers, women pastors, members living with mates outside of wedlock: yet they proclaim to know Jesus.
Jesus says He doesn't know what these people are. They are neither hot nor cold. And He spews them out of His mouth, and says there is going to be a trial by fire, and chastening is going to happen.
We are on the edge of the end of the world. We have reached the age of the Church where Christ is standing at the door.
Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
And people act just like the did when Noah entered the ark. And the flood came and took them all away.
More to come? We'll see.
This was Thyatira, the Jezebel church.
Rev 2:20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
Who was Jezebel? Literally, she was the wife of King Ahab back in the Old Testament. The following describes her influence on King Ahab:
1Ki 16:31 It wasn't enough that he committed the same sins as Jeroboam (Nebat's son). He [Ahab] also married Jezebel, daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Ahab then served and worshiped Baal.
1Ki 16:32 He built the temple of Baal in Samaria and set up an altar there.
1Ki 16:33 Ahab made poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah. He did more to make the LORD God of Israel furious than all the kings of Israel who came before him.
Upon marrying this woman, Ahab caused his nation to sin against God. The reference to Asherah is interesting when one takes into account the compromise that brought Easter [the day originally dedicated to Asherah] into the Church.
The compromise of Pergamum led to its logical conclusion here at Thyatira. But it had not worked itself to completion yet. Sardis was next.
Rev 3:1 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.
Rev 3:2 Be thou watchful, and stablish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine fulfilled before my God.
Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Rev 3:4 But thou hast a few names in Sardis which did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
The Church basically died. It had a name as if it lived, but was dead. Had you been there at the time, you might have seen the beautiful cathedrals that were built in the days of this prophecy. They still stand today as wonders of the world. But again, had you been there then, you would have witnessed the crusades. You would have seen heretics tortured, and burned alive. You would have seen heads on the ends of poles. You would have heard of the abuse of power by priests and popes. It may have had an appearance of grandeur, but death was everywhere.
Yet there was a few names that stood out. John Huss was burned for preaching to his congregation in a language they could understand. He will walk in white. John Wycliffe was another. And God was working in the hearts of Luther and Zwingli. Other names include Michael Sattler, Conrad Grebel, Menno Simons and others who would ultimately break away from that which had died and return to the Word of God.
Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and none shall shut, and that shutteth, and none openeth:
Rev 3:8 I know thy works (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name.
Rev 3:9 Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them which say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Rev 3:10 Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 3:11 I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
Rev 3:12 He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name.
Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Here is a church with no condemnation. It is a persevering church, holding on to the word of God's patience. This church has a promise that it will be kept from the time of trial that will come upon the earth.
It could probably date roughly from the time of the First Great Awakening (1700's?) through the missionary movement of the 1800s and my estimation is that it is over, or very close to its end. Such names as D.L. Moody, John Wesley, Charles Finney, C.H. Spurgeon, George Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards, Billy Sunday are among those who represent the Philadelphian age of the Church. Recent names who have been part of it and will be kept from the time of trial include Jerry Falwell (recently deceased), Billy Graham (soon to pass), James Dobson (already had a stroke), J. Vernon McGee (radio gospel preacher, deceased), Oliver Green (radio gospel preacher, deceased).
The Philadelphian generation is about over. Those who were part of it, and are part of what is left will be kept from the time of trial yet to come.
But the last age of the Church has already begun. There is no promise of relief for those numbered in the modern liberal crowd: the church at Laodicea represents the last age of the Church.
Rev 3:14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and that the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I reprove and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Lukewarm is the order of the day. We call that "Politically Correctness" here in America. You can no longer call homosexuality an abomination. It might be considered a hate crime. Drunkenness is no longer a sin, it is a disease called alcoholism. And sex between a man and a woman is nobody's business except the two involved: even if it is the President of the United States. These days bad is good and good is bad. Moral relativity is the norm. And the Church is right in the middle of it all.
Gay ministers, women pastors, members living with mates outside of wedlock: yet they proclaim to know Jesus.
Jesus says He doesn't know what these people are. They are neither hot nor cold. And He spews them out of His mouth, and says there is going to be a trial by fire, and chastening is going to happen.
We are on the edge of the end of the world. We have reached the age of the Church where Christ is standing at the door.
Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
And people act just like the did when Noah entered the ark. And the flood came and took them all away.
More to come? We'll see.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The End of the World, Part 3
From the previous articles, we have seen from the Bible that from the time of the Jewish exile, beginning at Babylon, there had to be four world empires before the coming of God's Kingdom to this earth. Babylon was first, followed by the Medes and Persians who shared their empire.
Then came Alexander the Great. In Daniel 8: the he-goat with Alexander represented by the single horn, followed by the division of his kingdom by his four generals: expressed by the four horns that came up after the first. Here is the text:
Dan 8:8 After this, the goat became even more powerful. But at the peak of his power, his mighty horn was broken, and four other mighty horns took its place--one pointing to the north and one to the east, one to the south and one to the west.
After these kingdoms the fourth comes into play: the Roman Empire. It was never replaced by a subsequent world kingdom. It crumbled into what are now known as the nations of Europe; yet still bound together by the Roman Catholic Church.
1492 began the days of European colonialism, or imperialism as some might put it. Since the days of the Romans, no other nation had ever done this. Certainly there were wars and conquerors, but no other nation colonized in the way of the Europeans, not since Rome. And Europe was still considered the Holy Roman Empire when it all began.
So the clock is running, and time is running out. According to Daniel 2, it is in these days of the feet and toes, the iron and clay, a partly divided and partly unified empire, that the Kingdom of God is to be established. We are here, folks.
While the fourth beast of Daniel 7 might be hard to understand, it is certainly evident that something about that symbolic animal has also been fulfilled:
Dan 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
The entire planet was explored, trampled, colonized, and divided. This is now history. It is behind us. What is next?
Dan 7:24 And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings.
If the ten kings represent leaders of the various European nations at the height of their prominence (such as Spain in the 1500s), then there is to follow another king. This leader will come to power at some point in time after the first ten have come and gone. This is a different beast than the one in Revelation 17. The horns and kings on Daniel's beast are chronologically different. The horns and kings of Revelation 17 are simultaneous, whereas Daniel states former and latter reigns in this regard.
The eleventh king has not emerged yet. At least not obviously, if he is now in power. He must subdue three kings (nations). But we are getting ahead here. Regarding where we stand in relation to the end, there are yet other indicators to consider.
In the prophecy known as Revelation, Jesus Christ foretold church history using seven local churches in Asia minor as representatives. His messages to these churches were real at the time He gave them, and they also apply to many local assemblies today as they have throughout history. But like so many other prophecies of God, they represented the Church as it would appear at various stages in the future. Hindsight is 20/20. We can now look back and marvel at the accuracy of God's Word in foretelling events as they would literally occur in their due season.
Rev 2:1 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks:
Rev 2:2 I know thy works, and thy toil and patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them which call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false;
Rev 2:3 and thou hast patience and didst bear for my name’s sake, and hast not grown weary.
Rev 2:4 But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.
Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.
Ephesus represents the Church in its earliest phase. Reference to false apostles is telling. That Paul wrote of false apostles in 2nd Corinthians is no coincidence. Nor is it coincidental that the early church had to discern many of the writings that attempted to pass for Scripture under the name of some apostle.
Again, leaving the first love: Galatians, Colossians, 2nd Corinthians, Peter, John and Jude, 2nd Thessalonians, and others warn of the false teachings that were already filtering into the churches.
The early attempts of a professional clerical class to dominate the Body of Christ were rejected (the Nicolaitans).
Rev 2:8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and lived again:
Rev 2:9 I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Rev 2:10 Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
The 2nd stage of Christ's prophecy: The church in persecution. For the first three centuries, Christians endured intense persecution in the Roman Empire. While some hav attributed the ten-day tribulation to ten particular Roman Emperors, those who came out of those days remember 10 waves of intensity.
Rev 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write; These things saith he that hath the sharp two–edged sword:
Rev 2:13 I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s throne is: and thou holdest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth.
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
Rev 2:15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner. Rev 2:16 Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.
Pergamum represents the Church at the beginning of her rise to prominence. These were the early days on the road to Roman Catholicism and Papal domination. Here began the compromises with pagan religions, the exaltation of saints and the beginnings of the professional clergy which ruled over the people (Nicolaitan: Nico: to conquer; laitan: the people = to conquer the people). The subjection of the masses, or laity under a priestly order began here.
Rev 2:18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass:
Rev 2:19 I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first.
Rev 2:20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
Rev 2:21 And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication.
Rev 2:22 Behold, I do cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works.
Rev 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.
Rev 2:24 But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, which know not the deep things of Satan, as they say; I cast upon you none other burden.
Rev 2:25 Howbeit that which ye have, hold fast till I come.
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations:
Rev 2:27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father:
Rev 2:28 and I will give him the morning star.
Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Further in the future from Christ's prophecy is the church as represented by the Thyatira congregation. Here we find that the church is still about doing the Lord's business. But we also see where the beginnings of compromise had led. Exaltation of saints had led into idolizing them. To this day saints are prayed to, when Scripture tells us that there is but one Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. The Pope was becoming God's repesentative on earth, the priests were exalted beyond their proper authority. Christians were even celebrating pagan holidays, as they renamed them to accomidate their lusts.
All of this is now hind-sight. Clearly we can look back and see the overall trend as we study church history. The likeness cannot be denied. It can be downplayed, and has been, but it cannot be denied.
More to come.
Then came Alexander the Great. In Daniel 8: the he-goat with Alexander represented by the single horn, followed by the division of his kingdom by his four generals: expressed by the four horns that came up after the first. Here is the text:
Dan 8:8 After this, the goat became even more powerful. But at the peak of his power, his mighty horn was broken, and four other mighty horns took its place--one pointing to the north and one to the east, one to the south and one to the west.
After these kingdoms the fourth comes into play: the Roman Empire. It was never replaced by a subsequent world kingdom. It crumbled into what are now known as the nations of Europe; yet still bound together by the Roman Catholic Church.
1492 began the days of European colonialism, or imperialism as some might put it. Since the days of the Romans, no other nation had ever done this. Certainly there were wars and conquerors, but no other nation colonized in the way of the Europeans, not since Rome. And Europe was still considered the Holy Roman Empire when it all began.
So the clock is running, and time is running out. According to Daniel 2, it is in these days of the feet and toes, the iron and clay, a partly divided and partly unified empire, that the Kingdom of God is to be established. We are here, folks.
While the fourth beast of Daniel 7 might be hard to understand, it is certainly evident that something about that symbolic animal has also been fulfilled:
Dan 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
The entire planet was explored, trampled, colonized, and divided. This is now history. It is behind us. What is next?
Dan 7:24 And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings.
If the ten kings represent leaders of the various European nations at the height of their prominence (such as Spain in the 1500s), then there is to follow another king. This leader will come to power at some point in time after the first ten have come and gone. This is a different beast than the one in Revelation 17. The horns and kings on Daniel's beast are chronologically different. The horns and kings of Revelation 17 are simultaneous, whereas Daniel states former and latter reigns in this regard.
The eleventh king has not emerged yet. At least not obviously, if he is now in power. He must subdue three kings (nations). But we are getting ahead here. Regarding where we stand in relation to the end, there are yet other indicators to consider.
In the prophecy known as Revelation, Jesus Christ foretold church history using seven local churches in Asia minor as representatives. His messages to these churches were real at the time He gave them, and they also apply to many local assemblies today as they have throughout history. But like so many other prophecies of God, they represented the Church as it would appear at various stages in the future. Hindsight is 20/20. We can now look back and marvel at the accuracy of God's Word in foretelling events as they would literally occur in their due season.
Rev 2:1 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks:
Rev 2:2 I know thy works, and thy toil and patience, and that thou canst not bear evil men, and didst try them which call themselves apostles, and they are not, and didst find them false;
Rev 2:3 and thou hast patience and didst bear for my name’s sake, and hast not grown weary.
Rev 2:4 But I have this against thee, that thou didst leave thy first love.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.
Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.
Ephesus represents the Church in its earliest phase. Reference to false apostles is telling. That Paul wrote of false apostles in 2nd Corinthians is no coincidence. Nor is it coincidental that the early church had to discern many of the writings that attempted to pass for Scripture under the name of some apostle.
Again, leaving the first love: Galatians, Colossians, 2nd Corinthians, Peter, John and Jude, 2nd Thessalonians, and others warn of the false teachings that were already filtering into the churches.
The early attempts of a professional clerical class to dominate the Body of Christ were rejected (the Nicolaitans).
Rev 2:8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and lived again:
Rev 2:9 I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Rev 2:10 Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
The 2nd stage of Christ's prophecy: The church in persecution. For the first three centuries, Christians endured intense persecution in the Roman Empire. While some hav attributed the ten-day tribulation to ten particular Roman Emperors, those who came out of those days remember 10 waves of intensity.
Rev 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write; These things saith he that hath the sharp two–edged sword:
Rev 2:13 I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s throne is: and thou holdest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth.
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.
Rev 2:15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner. Rev 2:16 Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.
Pergamum represents the Church at the beginning of her rise to prominence. These were the early days on the road to Roman Catholicism and Papal domination. Here began the compromises with pagan religions, the exaltation of saints and the beginnings of the professional clergy which ruled over the people (Nicolaitan: Nico: to conquer; laitan: the people = to conquer the people). The subjection of the masses, or laity under a priestly order began here.
Rev 2:18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass:
Rev 2:19 I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first.
Rev 2:20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
Rev 2:21 And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication.
Rev 2:22 Behold, I do cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works.
Rev 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.
Rev 2:24 But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, which know not the deep things of Satan, as they say; I cast upon you none other burden.
Rev 2:25 Howbeit that which ye have, hold fast till I come.
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations:
Rev 2:27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers; as I also have received of my Father:
Rev 2:28 and I will give him the morning star.
Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Further in the future from Christ's prophecy is the church as represented by the Thyatira congregation. Here we find that the church is still about doing the Lord's business. But we also see where the beginnings of compromise had led. Exaltation of saints had led into idolizing them. To this day saints are prayed to, when Scripture tells us that there is but one Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. The Pope was becoming God's repesentative on earth, the priests were exalted beyond their proper authority. Christians were even celebrating pagan holidays, as they renamed them to accomidate their lusts.
All of this is now hind-sight. Clearly we can look back and see the overall trend as we study church history. The likeness cannot be denied. It can be downplayed, and has been, but it cannot be denied.
More to come.
Monday, March 9, 2009
The End of the World: Part 2
From Daniel 2 we found that from the time that Israel was carried into Babylon to the time of God's Kingdom, or the end of this world as we know it, there would be four world empires.
Babylon was first: the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The second was the shared alliance of the Medes and Persians. The third was the Greek Empire. Each of these empires fell to the subsequent world power. The fourth and last was Rome. It was never overthrown and replaced by a subsequent empire. It fell apart, yet was held together loosely by the power of the Roman Catholic Church: the Holy Roman Empire.
According to Daniel 2, it is during the time of the shattered fourth world empire that God's kingdom would be established (see previous entry). We have been living in those days since the fall of Rome. So again: how close are we to the end?
Once again, Daniel has something to say about this. Daniel chapter 7:
Dan 7:1 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.
Dan 7:2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
Dan 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Dan 7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
Dan 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Dan 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.
Dan 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.
Dan 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
Dan 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
Dan 7:10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
Dan 7:11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
Dan 7:12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
Dan 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Dan 7:15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
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.
Dan 7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
Dan 7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
Dan 7:19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
Dan 7:20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
Dan 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
Dan 7:22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
Dan 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.
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.
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Dan 7:26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
Dan 7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Dan 7:28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
Again there are four kingdoms. There is no emphasis on what the first three represent. The first was revealed in Daniel chapter 2, where Babylon is specifically named as the head of gold on the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Chapter 8 reveals the next 2 as the Media/Persian Empire, which is followed by the Greek Empire.
So here in Chapter 7 the interpretation of the vision centers on the fourth beast. Chapter 2 tells us that in the days of the divided kingdom, God's kingdom would be established. Here in chapter 7 we get a closer look, and some more accurate indicators to look for that might aid our understanding on the subject.
Dan 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.
The fourth kingdom would be different from the other kingdoms. How was Rome different? One way is that it was never overtaken and replaced. How could Rome devour the whole earth? Remember the feet and toes prophecy of Daniel 2. The kingdom would be divided. It was the divided Roman empire that became the nations of Europe. When Columbus discovered America, it was the European nations that began colonizing the world. It was the fragmented Roman Empire that began colonizing the world. Read on.
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.
This is the interpretation of this previous verse:
Dan 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
So now we have 10 horns, symbolizing 10 kings (or possibly kingdoms): remember that Daniel is not necessarily speaking of human beings. These kings could be the spiritual rulers of the nations (Daniel 10).
10 kings/kingdoms. Simultaneously or at different times? We don't know. What could identify them so that we can understand who they are/were? An interesting study within this topic is on the European nations that were prominent in global colonization. There were approximately 10 that I counted: Spain, France, England, Portugal, the Dutch, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Denmark and Sweden. I am very cautious here. There are many manipulations of historic events made to fit into prophecy, and I put this forward as no more than a theory.
But it is interesting that of the three dominant world powers of the colonial period, Spain, France and England (three horns?) one nation emerged: the United States (little horn?). Just an idea.
At any rate, the days of global colonization by the fragmented Roman empire are behind us. We are living in the days of the whole world (planet) having been trampled under the feet of this fourth beast.
Dan 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.
more to come
Babylon was first: the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The second was the shared alliance of the Medes and Persians. The third was the Greek Empire. Each of these empires fell to the subsequent world power. The fourth and last was Rome. It was never overthrown and replaced by a subsequent empire. It fell apart, yet was held together loosely by the power of the Roman Catholic Church: the Holy Roman Empire.
According to Daniel 2, it is during the time of the shattered fourth world empire that God's kingdom would be established (see previous entry). We have been living in those days since the fall of Rome. So again: how close are we to the end?
Once again, Daniel has something to say about this. Daniel chapter 7:
Dan 7:1 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.
Dan 7:2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
Dan 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
Dan 7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
Dan 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
Dan 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.
Dan 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.
Dan 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
Dan 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
Dan 7:10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
Dan 7:11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
Dan 7:12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
Dan 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Dan 7:15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
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.
Dan 7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
Dan 7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
Dan 7:19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
Dan 7:20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
Dan 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
Dan 7:22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
Dan 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.
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.
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Dan 7:26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
Dan 7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Dan 7:28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
Again there are four kingdoms. There is no emphasis on what the first three represent. The first was revealed in Daniel chapter 2, where Babylon is specifically named as the head of gold on the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Chapter 8 reveals the next 2 as the Media/Persian Empire, which is followed by the Greek Empire.
So here in Chapter 7 the interpretation of the vision centers on the fourth beast. Chapter 2 tells us that in the days of the divided kingdom, God's kingdom would be established. Here in chapter 7 we get a closer look, and some more accurate indicators to look for that might aid our understanding on the subject.
Dan 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.
The fourth kingdom would be different from the other kingdoms. How was Rome different? One way is that it was never overtaken and replaced. How could Rome devour the whole earth? Remember the feet and toes prophecy of Daniel 2. The kingdom would be divided. It was the divided Roman empire that became the nations of Europe. When Columbus discovered America, it was the European nations that began colonizing the world. It was the fragmented Roman Empire that began colonizing the world. Read on.
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.
This is the interpretation of this previous verse:
Dan 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
So now we have 10 horns, symbolizing 10 kings (or possibly kingdoms): remember that Daniel is not necessarily speaking of human beings. These kings could be the spiritual rulers of the nations (Daniel 10).
10 kings/kingdoms. Simultaneously or at different times? We don't know. What could identify them so that we can understand who they are/were? An interesting study within this topic is on the European nations that were prominent in global colonization. There were approximately 10 that I counted: Spain, France, England, Portugal, the Dutch, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Denmark and Sweden. I am very cautious here. There are many manipulations of historic events made to fit into prophecy, and I put this forward as no more than a theory.
But it is interesting that of the three dominant world powers of the colonial period, Spain, France and England (three horns?) one nation emerged: the United States (little horn?). Just an idea.
At any rate, the days of global colonization by the fragmented Roman empire are behind us. We are living in the days of the whole world (planet) having been trampled under the feet of this fourth beast.
Dan 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.
more to come
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The End of the World
Topics on the end of the world are always popular. Down through the ages people have discussed the end of the world. Different religions, both ancient and modern have something to say about the end of the world.
Of course, this is the Bible Text blogspot, and as such we are biased. We will not be looking at the Upanishads or the Bhagavad Gita. The ancient Mayans, popular as their prophecies are of late, will be utterly ignored. We do not need them here. The Holy Bible, the Word of God which glorifies the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is God's ONLY provision for access into HIS kingdom, is all that we need. In the Bible, we can know exactly where we are in the greater scheme of God's plan for this earth. And while we may not at THIS time know precisely when the end will be, we can certainly know that it is close.
There are those who continually harp that we cannot know the time of His coming and the end of this age. They will normally quote some distorted form of the following passage:
Act 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
In the proper context, the disciples asked Jesus about the restoration of Israel. We have 2000 years of history to account for the answer Jesus gave them. It was not for them to know the times or the seasons, because they would not be alive then. Theirs was to begin a discipleship program for God's kingdom. Remember what Jesus told them in Matthew:
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
They were to make disciples in all nations. These disciples were to be baptized and taught the things that Jesus commanded (as in Matthew 5-7). Today we have the teachings and commandments of Christ in the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We also have His teachings passed to us through His apostles and brethren in the rest of the writings of the New Testament.
No, it was not for them at that point in time to know the times or the seasons. But some things were revealed to them later, which would be written for our benefit to whom the very end of these last days has fallen.
So for us, and those who are soon to join us, Jesus has these words:
Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
According to these words, Jesus knew that someone would see all the things that He mentioned pertaining to the end of the age.
So while the disciples in the 1st chapter of Acts were not going to see the things pertaining to the end, Scripture acknowledges that there will be those at some point in time who WILL see them, and they are told that when they see certain things come to pass that the end is near, even at the doors.
So let's take a look at Scripture: The Holy Bible. We begin with the prophet Daniel.
Dan 2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
Dan 2:2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
Dan 2:3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
Dan 2:4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
Dan 2:5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
Dan 2:6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
Dan 2:7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.
Dan 2:8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
Dan 2:9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
Dan 2:10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
Dan 2:11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
Dan 2:12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
Dan 2:13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
Dan 2:14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
Dan 2:15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
Dan 2:16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
Dan 2:17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
Dan 2:18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Dan 2:19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
Dan 2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
Dan 2:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
Dan 2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
Dan 2:23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
Dan 2:24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
Dan 2:25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
Dan 2:26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
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;
Dan 2:28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
Dan 2:29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
Dan 2:30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
Dan 2:31 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.
Dan 2:32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
Dan 2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Dan 2:34 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.
Dan 2:35 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.
Dan 2:36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
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.
Dan 2:38 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.
Dan 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
Dan 2:40 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.
Dan 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.
Dan 2:42 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.
Dan 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.
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.
Dan 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.
Dan 2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
Dan 2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
Dan 2:48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
Dan 2:49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
This 2nd chapter of Daniel is astonishing. Here we have the account of the king of Babylon, who was about to massacre all the psychics and astrologers of his time in a fit of rage because they could not tell him what he had dreamt. God used the opportunity to glorify Himself through Daniel and told the king not only his dream, but what it meant.
What is important to us is what the dream meant, so we will dwell on that part of the passage:
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.
Dan 2:38 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.
No problem with the interpretation here. Babylon is the first kingdom. It has come and gone, overtaken by the Medes and Persians.
Dan 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
A quick reference to two kingdoms: The Medes and Persians overtook Babylon. Combined, they are the inferior kingdom after Babylon. Alexander the Great conquered the Persians. The Greek empire is the kingdom of brass. But for further Scriptural support, there is another text of Daniel verifying that the Medes and the Persians would be followed by the Greeks. Daniel chapter 8 has the entire context but here a passage from that:
Dan 8:20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
Dan 8:21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Dan 8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
The Bible is specific here. Babylon is first (first empire of the Jewish exile), followed by the Medeo-Persian Empire, with the Greek Empire next in line.
Had you lived during those times, and knew what Daniel had written, you might have won some bets on wars had you been a gambling person.
So now we come to Rome, the empire that conquered all the others. Rome is the fourth kingdom.
Dan 2:40 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.
Dan 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.
Dan 2:42 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.
Interesting how the fourth kingdom was not subdued by a fifth kingdom, isn't it? That is because God is in control, and Daniel is a prophet of God. The fourth kingdom becomes divided (2:41). The Roman Empire was not overthrown by another world power. It crumbled. Although it was divided into separate kingdoms, they all had a unifying tie that still bound them together: like chunks of iron in a ball of clay: the Catholic Church. Thus for a thousand years the empire still stood, while yet divided, under the name of Holy Roman Empire.
Dan 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.
It would be interesting to know who the "they" refers to in this passage. Whoever "they" are, "they" are not men. "They" shall mingle "themselves" with the seed of men. Maybe it is the idealisms, or philosophies of the times. Or spirits.
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.
Dan 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.
How long have we been living in the days of the fragmented Roman Empire? We have been a long time in the days of these kings, and Scripture tells us that it is in these days that God shall set up His Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.
It is coming. It is coming soon.
All who lived from Daniel's time to the time of Jesus at His first advent could never say that the end would happen during their days. Four world empires: Babylon, the Medes and Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans had to come and go first. The Roman empire during the time of Christ was still solid. The end could not yet take place.
But now we are living in the days of the "feet and toes." It is in these days, according to Daniel 2, that God will establish His kingdom.
More to come.
Of course, this is the Bible Text blogspot, and as such we are biased. We will not be looking at the Upanishads or the Bhagavad Gita. The ancient Mayans, popular as their prophecies are of late, will be utterly ignored. We do not need them here. The Holy Bible, the Word of God which glorifies the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is God's ONLY provision for access into HIS kingdom, is all that we need. In the Bible, we can know exactly where we are in the greater scheme of God's plan for this earth. And while we may not at THIS time know precisely when the end will be, we can certainly know that it is close.
There are those who continually harp that we cannot know the time of His coming and the end of this age. They will normally quote some distorted form of the following passage:
Act 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
In the proper context, the disciples asked Jesus about the restoration of Israel. We have 2000 years of history to account for the answer Jesus gave them. It was not for them to know the times or the seasons, because they would not be alive then. Theirs was to begin a discipleship program for God's kingdom. Remember what Jesus told them in Matthew:
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
They were to make disciples in all nations. These disciples were to be baptized and taught the things that Jesus commanded (as in Matthew 5-7). Today we have the teachings and commandments of Christ in the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We also have His teachings passed to us through His apostles and brethren in the rest of the writings of the New Testament.
No, it was not for them at that point in time to know the times or the seasons. But some things were revealed to them later, which would be written for our benefit to whom the very end of these last days has fallen.
So for us, and those who are soon to join us, Jesus has these words:
Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
According to these words, Jesus knew that someone would see all the things that He mentioned pertaining to the end of the age.
So while the disciples in the 1st chapter of Acts were not going to see the things pertaining to the end, Scripture acknowledges that there will be those at some point in time who WILL see them, and they are told that when they see certain things come to pass that the end is near, even at the doors.
So let's take a look at Scripture: The Holy Bible. We begin with the prophet Daniel.
Dan 2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
Dan 2:2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
Dan 2:3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
Dan 2:4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
Dan 2:5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
Dan 2:6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
Dan 2:7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.
Dan 2:8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
Dan 2:9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
Dan 2:10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
Dan 2:11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
Dan 2:12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
Dan 2:13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
Dan 2:14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
Dan 2:15 He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
Dan 2:16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
Dan 2:17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
Dan 2:18 That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Dan 2:19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
Dan 2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
Dan 2:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
Dan 2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
Dan 2:23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
Dan 2:24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
Dan 2:25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
Dan 2:26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
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;
Dan 2:28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
Dan 2:29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
Dan 2:30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
Dan 2:31 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.
Dan 2:32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
Dan 2:33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
Dan 2:34 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.
Dan 2:35 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.
Dan 2:36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
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.
Dan 2:38 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.
Dan 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
Dan 2:40 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.
Dan 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.
Dan 2:42 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.
Dan 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.
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.
Dan 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.
Dan 2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
Dan 2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
Dan 2:48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
Dan 2:49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
This 2nd chapter of Daniel is astonishing. Here we have the account of the king of Babylon, who was about to massacre all the psychics and astrologers of his time in a fit of rage because they could not tell him what he had dreamt. God used the opportunity to glorify Himself through Daniel and told the king not only his dream, but what it meant.
What is important to us is what the dream meant, so we will dwell on that part of the passage:
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.
Dan 2:38 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.
No problem with the interpretation here. Babylon is the first kingdom. It has come and gone, overtaken by the Medes and Persians.
Dan 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
A quick reference to two kingdoms: The Medes and Persians overtook Babylon. Combined, they are the inferior kingdom after Babylon. Alexander the Great conquered the Persians. The Greek empire is the kingdom of brass. But for further Scriptural support, there is another text of Daniel verifying that the Medes and the Persians would be followed by the Greeks. Daniel chapter 8 has the entire context but here a passage from that:
Dan 8:20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
Dan 8:21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Dan 8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
The Bible is specific here. Babylon is first (first empire of the Jewish exile), followed by the Medeo-Persian Empire, with the Greek Empire next in line.
Had you lived during those times, and knew what Daniel had written, you might have won some bets on wars had you been a gambling person.
So now we come to Rome, the empire that conquered all the others. Rome is the fourth kingdom.
Dan 2:40 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.
Dan 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.
Dan 2:42 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.
Interesting how the fourth kingdom was not subdued by a fifth kingdom, isn't it? That is because God is in control, and Daniel is a prophet of God. The fourth kingdom becomes divided (2:41). The Roman Empire was not overthrown by another world power. It crumbled. Although it was divided into separate kingdoms, they all had a unifying tie that still bound them together: like chunks of iron in a ball of clay: the Catholic Church. Thus for a thousand years the empire still stood, while yet divided, under the name of Holy Roman Empire.
Dan 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.
It would be interesting to know who the "they" refers to in this passage. Whoever "they" are, "they" are not men. "They" shall mingle "themselves" with the seed of men. Maybe it is the idealisms, or philosophies of the times. Or spirits.
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.
Dan 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.
How long have we been living in the days of the fragmented Roman Empire? We have been a long time in the days of these kings, and Scripture tells us that it is in these days that God shall set up His Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed.
It is coming. It is coming soon.
All who lived from Daniel's time to the time of Jesus at His first advent could never say that the end would happen during their days. Four world empires: Babylon, the Medes and Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans had to come and go first. The Roman empire during the time of Christ was still solid. The end could not yet take place.
But now we are living in the days of the "feet and toes." It is in these days, according to Daniel 2, that God will establish His kingdom.
More to come.
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