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