Daniel is grieved over the fourth beast. “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.” Daniel 7:23.
Clearly this nation is Rome, for not only did pagan Rome take over Greece, but the prophecy accurately describes its nature. The world had never seen its equal.
Again, through war and invasion, Greece conquered Medo-Persia, this time under the command of Alexander the Great. Of this leader a leopard is most appropriate, for not only is the leopard one of the fastest animals on land, but the symbol includes four wings for extra speed. (The cheetah is the fastest, but of the same family)
Alexander the Great, had no parallel in ancient times for suddenness and rapidity. His military achievements are summarised by the historian.
Jeremiah said, “His (Babylon’s) horses are swifter than eagles.” Jeremiah 4:13.
Ezekiel, a contemporary of Jeremiah wrote a parable about a great eagle, then asked the question, “Say now to the rebellious house; Know ye not what these things mean?
Tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon, and hath taken of the king’s seed…” Ezekiel 17:12.13.
This obviously refers to the siege by Nebuchadnezzar in which the king and princes were taken captive.
Do You Want to Know the Future?
No.2.
Introduction
It is important to have read the first book because we will be speaking of information you have already studied, and every study builds on a previous one.
This time we will study Daniel 7. It has been divided in two because the prophecy is far more detailed.
The setting is still in Babylon, for Daniel has a vision during the first reign of Belshazzar. Many historians of the past do not mention Belshazzar, but today he is not questioned, due to archaeological findings. He was co-ruler with his father Nabonidus, but given the tile of king. (Joint rulership is not unusual, Nebuchadnezzar jointly ruled with his father Nabopolassar) In 539 BC, Nabonidus was dwelling in Arabia, making Belshazzar responsible for the loss of the kingdom.
Babylon was a world power, and in those days the king went to battle with his army, or the prince, as co-ruler, went to battle, as was the case when Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem. While he was away, the king died, and Nebuchadnezzar sped across the desert to claim the throne.
The Bible says Daniel had “a dream and visions of his head upon his bed.” Daniel 7:1. This means it was not an ordinary nighttime dream, but a vision, in which the prophet may not have been asleep. In later chapters Daniel is awake and standing when he has other visions, although once the vision begins, he loses all his natural strength.
As soon as the vision is over, Daniel writes it down. We can be thankful for his diligence in copying out the visions. It was probably written on parchment as a scroll, but in the King James Bible is called a book. In a later chapter God says something important about Daniel’s book.
Before we go any further, there is something important you should know – the King James Version is the Bible to use for study. I know it is antiquated with thee-s and thou-s, but of all the Bibles available in English, it is the most accurate. (If you have another language Bible check to see if Matthew 18:11 and Acts 8:37 are in their proper place and without comment or italics. Many texts have been deleted, including these two from most new translations)
The King James Bible has a few minor mistakes, but it is far superior to the modern versions, including the New King James. This newer Bible is purported to simply have the English updated, but it is not so; there are deliberate changes.
This is an intriguing subject, and you may be surprised to know that there is a conspiracy to eradicate the King James Bible. The subject is too detailed to relate here, but as we progress, you will understand who is behind it and why.
Of course there are men and women who disagree, saying the newer versions use the most ancient and reliable manuscripts, but history reveals another story. Although the manuscripts are old, they are not the most reliable, and often contradict each other. Even more important, it is the source from which they come that makes them questionable.
The King James is actually a lower level of English than any modern version.
A teacher at a Christian primary school gave the pupils of Preparatory and Grades 1 and 2 a choice between using the New International Version or the King James Bible in class.
The children all chose the King James. Was it easier to understand? Or was it the melodious style that makes learning its verses easier? Whatever reason, the Authorised King James Bible is the most accurate English translation, and one of the best examples of classic English literature.
Other Bibles can be interesting for straight reading, but if you use the King James Bible for study, you will find a greater closeness to the original, both in Hebrew and Greek.
Almost a thousand years earlier, Moses had written of Israel’s destruction in these words. “The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far… as swift as the eagle flieth.” Deuteronomy 28:49. (This is a twofold prophecy; firstly referring to Babylon, and secondly to Rome. Both nations destroyed Jerusalem. Rome’s standard was a sun orb and a golden eagle)
Look now at the various points that identify Babylon as the lion with eagle’s wings.
Babylon had statues of lions throughout the kingdom. The entrance to the city had a colonnade of lions before its magnificent Ishtar Gate, a gate of blue tiles with carvings of animals in relief on the walls. (It has been rebuilt in the Berlin museum)
Babylon was the “glory of the kingdoms”, and a lion, as king of the beasts, is a fitting symbol.
Babylon conquered the nations with power and speed, symbolised by the eagle’s wings.
Again, a fitting symbol, as king of the birds.
Nebuchadnezzar, as its king, was humbled by God because of his pride, and the picture of a lion standing on its feet with a man’s heart is appropriate, rather than a man receiving a lion’s heart, as was described of King Richard of England (Daniel Chapter 3 and 4)
Jeremiah speaks of Babylon as a lion in the following verses.
“The lion (Babylon) is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way.” Jeremiah 4:7. If you read through the book of Jeremiah you will see that it is a warning to the Jewish nation that Babylon would be used of God to destroy Jerusalem.
“The king of Babylon… shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan.” Jeremiah 50:43.44.
“Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.” Jeremiah 50:17.
As we progress, you will see that the prophecy of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 parallel each other.
“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.” Daniel 7:5.
Let us see if the bear fits Medo-Persia. It certainly came up among the populated nations of the world.
“He was a master in the combination of various arms; he taught the world the advantages of campaigning in winter, the value of pressing pursuit to the utmost, and the principle of ‘march divided, fight united’… his speed of movement was most extraordinary.” The Cambridge Ancient History. Vol VI p425.6.
You will notice that the leopard had four HEADS. This is another code word. It is used many times, but not so clearly identified, except as you progress through the prophecies. Then you see that it represents kingdoms or division of kingdoms.
The Bible says the bear “raised itself up on one side”. This fits perfectly with Medo-Persia being a joint kingdom, of which the Persians were the dominant power. In its teeth are three ribs, symbolic of the three major nations it conquered, that is, Babylon, Lydia, Egypt.
This kingdom continued from the overthrow of Babylon to the battle of Arbela in 331BC, a period of 207 years.
“After this I beheld, and lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.” Daniel 7:6.
Daniel 7 - Part 1
After Alexander died, his twenty generals fought over the kingdom. The historian said, “By 301BC…. The division of the kingdom of Alexander into four parts was completed by his generals.” The Cambridge Ancient History. Vol VI p504.
The four divisions were: Cassander with Macedonia and Greece in the West; Lysimachus with Thrace and part of Asia to the north; Ptolemy with Egypt, Lydia, Arabia, Palestine and Coele-Syria in the south; and Seleucus with Syria and all the rest of Alexander’s domain to the east.
Please consider the fulfilment of this prophecy. Why didn’t Alexander leave the kingdom to his son? Daniel had no way of knowing that his sons were still infants, and hundreds of years would pass before Alexander was even born, let alone lead an army.
“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.” Daniel 7:7.
So Daniel sees four great nations rising amidst strife, invasion and divine judgment -- a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a great beast -- as you will see.
If you identify these animals from the world scene, you would make England the lion and Russia the bear, but this would not be correct. Daniel 2 must remain before us, with every successive prophecy built upon that foundation – four world kingdoms: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome; then division until the return of Christ.
We must ask the question -- Do these animals correspond with Daniel 2? Let us begin a comparison.
“The first beast was like a lion, and had eagles’ 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.” Daniel 7:4.
Another code word is given -- EAGLE WINGS. It represents swiftness of movement, extent of conquest or flight, as is shown in the following verses. (Wings alone also means the same)
But it was not only Caesar who was seen as a god and the highest religious leader, the Roman State represented to the Romans the highest idea of goodness, and for any man to assert that there was a higher goodness, was to make Rome itself subordinate. This would be a direct blow to the dignity of Rome, and subversive to the Roman State.
“Consequently, the Christians were not only called ‘atheists’ because they denied the gods, but... the crime of ‘high treason’, because they denied the right of the State to interfere with men’s relations to God….
This idea of the State, was not merely the State as a civil institution, but as a divine institution, and the highest conception of divinity itself. The genius of Rome was the supreme deity… consequently religion was inseparable from the State. All religious views were to be held subordinate to the State, and all religion was only the servant of the State.
The Roman State being the chief deity, the gods of Rome derived their dignity from the State rather than the State deriving any honor from them. And the genius of the Roman State being to the Roman mind the chief deity, as Rome had conquered all nations, it was demonstrated to the Roman mind that Rome was superior to all the gods that were known.” Ibid p141.
Although Rome allowed the conquered nations to maintain the worship of their national gods, giving them a place in the pantheon, they must become servants of the State.
“A fundamental maxim of Roman legislation was: ‘No man shall have for himself particular gods of his own; no man shall worship by himself any new or foreign gods, unless they are recognised by the public laws.’ Cicero….
It is also evident that in such a system, there was no such thing as the rights of conscience; because as the State was supreme also in the realm of religion, all things religious were to be subordinated to the will of the State, which was but the will of the majority. And where the majority presumes to decide in matters of religion there is no such thing as rights of religion or conscience.” The Two Republics. A.T. Jones. p142-143.
It is interesting that when Jesus said to the Pharisees and Herodians, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s”, He was establishing a clear distinction between Caesar and God, and between religion and the State. (Matthew 22:21)
In this one statement, Christ “stripped Caesar – the State – of every attribute of divinity. And in doing this he declared the supremacy of the individual conscience; because it is left with the individual to decide what things they are which pertain to God…
Christianity did not dispute the right of the Roman State to be; it only denied the right of that State to be in the place of God…. the jurisdiction of the State is confined solely to man’s conduct toward man, and never can touch his relationship to God…” Ibid p144.148.
You might think this is a lot of history regarding the fourth beast, but our future studies will reveal the reason why it is included.
Certainly Daniel did not see the words of the historians, or the fulfilment of the prophecy itself, but he could see from the vision that the fourth beast was to be feared. He makes the following statement about his feelings. “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.” Daniel 7:15.
Although he has already received information about the fourth beast, he asks, “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; and of the ten horns that were in his head….” Daniel 7:19.20.
He then considers the HORNS. This is another code word, a symbol used many times in the prophecies. Its meaning is given in the same chapter. “The ten horns… are ten kings (as kingdoms) that shall arise.” Daniel 7:24.
Speaking of horns, the prophet Jeremiah said of Moab, an opposing nation to Israel, “The horn of Moab is cut off… Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the Lord.” Jeremiah 48:25.42.
Thus, the horn represents the kingdom, and from it we see that Rome would divide into kingdoms separate from each other.
Daniel 2 Daniel 7
Head -- gold Babylon Lion -- wings Babylon
Arms -- silver Medo-Persia Bear -- raised Medo-Persia
Belly -- brass Greece Leopard -- wings Greece
Legs – iron Rome Beast – iron teeth Rome
Feet – iron, clay Europe Ten horns Europe
This is an amazing line up of prophecy, given in approximately 600-550BC, and still being fulfilled today, some 2600 years later.
So far you have seen quotations of Moses, Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel, and they have all given prophecies that have been fulfilled. This is just the beginning. There is much more, and they become more detailed with every prophecy.
As I said in Book 1, the Bible is not an ordinary book. It is a spiritual book, one that offers eternal life. Jesus said to the Jewish Pharisees and Sadducees, “(Ye) Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they that testify of me.” John 5:39. (The implication of the verse includes the word ‘ye’, as Jesus is making a statement, however, He is also commending them to search the Scriptures more diligently)
The Jews knew the Bible showed the way to eternal life, but with all their study, they could not see the promised Messiah in its pages. So they crucified Him for claiming to be Yeshua ha Mashiach. (Was Yeshua - Jesus the Messiah? It makes a big difference)
Our next study in the series is a shocker, so be prepared.
It devoured as with iron teeth, and broke in pieces all that stood in its way. It ground the nations into dust beneath its brazen feet.
Edward Gibbon, the well-known historian, speaking of Rome as related to Daniel 2, said, “The arms of the Republic, sometimes vanquished in battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps to the Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, and the ocean; and the images of gold, or silver, or brass, that might serve to represent the nations and their kings, were successively broken by the iron monarchy of Rome.” The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Vol III, general observations following Ch. 38 p634. Other editions have different pagination, but can be found from the chapter.
“The Romans have surpassed (in power) all former rulers of whom we have any record.” The Geography of Strabo. Bk 17. Ch 8. p295.
“The Roman conquest… was not partial, nearly the whole inhabited world was reduced by them to obedience; and they left behind them an empire not to be paralleled in the past or rivaled in the future.” The Histories of Polybius. Translated E.S. Shuckburgh. Bk 1. p2.
There is no question the description of the fourth beast of Daniel 7 (as well as the iron legs of Daniel 2) give an apt picture of the Roman Empire.
“In later times, the Romans, thirsting after a universal monarchy, in a great measure obtained their ends by the force of their arms, but their clemency (mildness or mercy) toward such as they had conquered, added much to the increase and enlargement of their conquests…
And therefore, upon the account of this extraordinary clemency, kings, cities, and countries, generally sheltered themselves under the protection of the Romans. But when they were lords almost of the whole world, then they strengthened and confirmed themselves in their dominions; by severity, and razing of towns and cities to strike a terror into their enemies.” Diodorus. Fragments Collected by Constantine. 7th Eastern Emperor. Bk 26. Ch 83. Vol II p12.13.
In 63 BC, “the people decided to make Caesar the head of religion by electing him to the office of Pontifex Maximus, which became vacant just at the time. This was the greatest honor that could come to a Roman citizen. The office was for life, and until now had always been held by the aristocracy….” Ibid p44.
This was the office of the highest priest or pontifex in ancient Rome. It was usually given to a man of older years. It was the responsibility of the pontifex to choose the flamines or priests of the cult; and to choose the vestal virgins, the priestesses of the god Vesta, who made a thirty-year commitment to serve in the temple. (The term Pontifex Maximus is thought to mean Great Pathfinder or Great Bridgebuilder)
Julius Caesar was declared by the Senate to be a god, and that “his image carved in ivory should be borne in processions among the images of the gods, and be kept laid up in the capitol and be laid over against the place of Jupiter; that his name should be engraved on a tablet as the restorer of the capital; and finally that a bronze statue of him standing on a globe should be set up with the inscription, ‘Caesar, the Demi-god’….” The Two Republics p64.
They also declared his birthday a holiday forever, changing the name of the seventh month to Julius. (He is still remembered in the month of July. We will discuss the change of the calendar in a future study, as it relates to end time events)
In the Winter of 46-45 BC Caesar was compelled to go to Spain to reduce the last remains of the senatorial forces. This was accomplished… As soon as the news of his victory reached Rome, the Senate, which sincerely hoped he would be killed, began once more to pour forth its fulsome flattery. It voted a national thanksgiving to continue fifty days, decreed him another triumph, conferred upon him the power to extend the bounds of the city and erected another statue of him with the inscription, ‘To The Invincible Deity’.” Ibid p63.64. (On March 15, 44BC, they murdered him)
Daniel receives a vision
DANIEL Chapter 7 (Part 1)
Let us go straight to the subject of the vision.
Daniel sees a very windy ocean. But more than that, God shows him “the four winds of heaven” as they “strove upon the great sea”. Daniel 7:2.
Obviously Daniel is shown the winds coming from four directions, and in a very turbulent manner, they are churning up the sea.
The code words are FOUR WINDS and the GREAT SEA.
Now, it is important to realise that these are only code words when they refer to Bible prophecy. If a prophet describes a beach scene on a windy day, the words mean exactly what they say. They do not represent a code.
But for prophecy, the Lord uses the terms four winds, destroying winds, a great whirlwind to represent strife, trouble, unrest, invasion, divine judgment.
The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the destruction of Elam in the following words, “Upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds… I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life; and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger saith the Lord; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them.” Jeremiah 49:36.37.
In these passages, the four winds are used as an illustration of the coming invasion, strife and divine judgment against the enemies of God’s people.
The next example relates to the nation that destroyed Babylon, sometimes spoken of in its joint capacity as Medo-Persia, and at other times referring to just one of the powers. Here is just a portion of the long section. “I will raise up against Babylon… a destroying wind… Make bright the arrows, gather the shields: the Lord hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes; for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it…” Jeremiah 51:1.11.
In Daniel 11, it says that the “king of the north shall come against him (king of the south) like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships.” Daniel 11:40.
The next symbol is the great sea or the waters. Again the Bible speaks of seas and bodies of water as code words. “The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Revelation 17:15.
Isaiah speaks of the same symbol, combining both the wind and water in the verses, “Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters… God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.” Isaiah 17:12.13.
Therefore, according to the Biblical interpretation of wind and water in Bible prophecy, Daniel’s vision is set amidst war, strife and divine judgment of the nations.
Daniel next sees animals coming out of the water, “four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.” Daniel 7:3.
We now have another symbol or code word – GREAT BEASTS. We do not need to search very far to find the meaning of this code, for it is in the same chapter.
“These great beasts, which are four, are four kings (as kingdoms), which shall arise out of the earth.” Daniel 7:17. (The bracketed words are based on the prophecies themselves)