Background For Understanding World Super Powers Or Kingdoms In The Book Of Daniel

Beasts in the Book of Daniel

I titled the previous post The Two Thousand Year/2nd Millennial Reign Of Christ’s Kingdom: Birth To 2014. As I studied the Kingdom of Christ, I revisited Daniel’s prophecy of Chapter 7 in which the Prophet saw that the Kingdom of the Lord would crush human kingdoms. We know already from the Archangel Gabriel’s explanation that the beasts represent four kings that were to arise from the earth. In other words, they were not yet in power at the time of the vision.

The timeline is important because Daniel had several visions:

A. DANIEL 7 – Prophet Daniel saw the four Kingdoms represented by the Lion, Bear, Leopard and a fourth and terrible beast.

the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon = 556 BC (Daniel 7: 1).
King Belshazzar succeeded King Nebuchadnezzar in 556 BC and was the last of the Babylonian Kings.
According to scripture, Darius the Mede conquered Belshazzar’s kingdom and began to rule over Babylon when he was sixty-two years (Daniel 5: 31).
God overthrew the Kingdom of Belshazzar because he was very irreverent and worshipped demons in a celebration in which he desecrated the utensils brought out of the Jewish Temple. These had been sanctified for the worship of God and not devils – Daniel 5.

B. DANIEL 8 – Prophet Daniel saw Kingdoms represented by a ram, he goat, four horns, then a king of dark countenance and fierce sentences.

Archangel Gabriel was present in this vision and give the interpretation to Prophet Daniel, which he said would be fulfilled “at the time of the end...” (Daniel 8: 17). This phrase is key to understanding of the biblical phrase “end times or last days” since it simply means in later days. We know this is so because the Kingdoms or era of the World Powers of the Medes, Persians, Greeks and Romans have been fulfilled in the earth.

Important points about the Daniel 8 prophecy:

The Prophet received the vision in the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar = 553 BC.
Prophet Daniel saw a vision of a terrible ram with two horns. One of these horns was higher than the other, with the higher emerging last. This ram conquered other beasts or nations.
In the vision, Archangel Gabriel told him that this was the kings of Media and Persia (Daniel 8: 7 & 20).
Daniel also saw a he goat come from the west. It was swift and had a notable horn between the eyes. This goat overpowered the ram with great fury – Daniel 8: 7.
Archangel Gabriel told Prophet Daniel that the rough goat represented the king of Grecia or Greece, with the great horn between his eyes referring to the Medes and Persians – Daniel 8: 21.
In other words, the Medes and Persians would not be entirely destroyed, but would wane in power.
However, the great horn or Super Power of the King of Greece/Greeks was broken at the height of his strength – Daniel 8: 8.
Archangel Gabriel told Prophet Daniel that the Super Power or great horn of the Greeks would be destroyed and would be replaced by four kingdoms that were not as powerful – Daniel 8: 22.
A little horn emerged at the latter time of the kingdom or rule of these four and became very great. It conquered nations of the south and east and also the pleasant land or Israel – Daniel 8: 9; 23
This kingdom would prosper by occultic practices – Daniel 8: 23 – 25.
Archangel Gabriel prophesied that this Kingdom would oppose Christ, but would be “broken without hand.” In other words, this kingdom would be destroyed by God (Daniel 8: 24).
This final kingdom in the vision represented the Romans which replaced the Greeks as a World Superpower. Indeed the Caesars decreed that they should be worshipped as God and furiously persecuted the saints for refusing to comply.

MEANING OF HORN (S) IN SCRIPTURE

Qeren (H7161) is used for horn in scripture. However, in the context of Daniel’s vision, horn would refer to great strength, military power and might. A conglomoration of nations is represented by more than one horn on the head of the beast, with the head being the more powerful. For example, the British Commonwealth:

… his horns ^H7161 are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth… – Deuteronomy 33: 17.

My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn ^H7161 is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation – 1 Samuel 2: 1.

The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn ^H7161 of his anointed – 1 Samuel 2: 10.

And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns ^H7161 of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them – 1 Kings 22: 11.

And he came to the ram that had two horns, ^H7161 which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power – Daniel 8: 6.

And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: ^H7161 and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand – Daniel 8: 7.

And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns ^H7161 which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem – Zechariah 1: 19.

KEY THOUGHT – SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

As I studied, Archangel Gabriel showed me a comparison between the beasts in Daniel 7 and 8. In Daniel 7, Prophet Daniel was shown four beasts or kingdoms which would succeed the Medes and Persians (ram), Greeks (rough goat) and the Romans which was represented by a King of dark and fierce countenance.

However, the Medes/Persians and Greek Kingdoms or World Super Powers were barnyard animals in comparison to the fierce jungle animals or Lion, Bear, Leopard. The analogy speaks to the greatness, and might of the rule of the latter kingdoms in the earth. In other words, the latter kingdoms would rule in more extensive areas of the earth.

The King of dark and fierce countenance in Daniel 7 and the fourth and terrible beast in Daniel 8 seem to represent Kingdoms or World Powers with occultic powers. Archangel Gabriel said that this was true of the Romans (Daniel 8: 24).

We see therefore, that in each era of time, at least one kingdom will supersede the others in greatness, violence and might. Even though a kingdom may remain, it would diminish from its former might, strength and glory. The British Empire and Communist Russia are modern-day examples.

In keeping with scriptures, we saw the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the decline in communism, although Mr. Putin is attempting to reestablish the former power and glory of his kingdom. I do not believe that this will happen, in keeping with the scriptures.

In 610 AD, the nation or Kingdom of Islam emerged and conquered of nations in specific geographic regions of the earth. By 2010, over 1.6 billion or about 23.4% of the world population were reported to be Muslims. Of these, around 62% live in Asia–Pacific, 20% in the Middle East–North Africa, 15% in Sub-Saharan Africa, around 3% in Europe,^] and 0.3% in the Americas (WIKIPEDIA.ORG)

We see the Nation/Kingdom of Islam exerting its horn by literally pushing down and warring against the saints, very much like the kingdoms seen in Prophet Daniel’s visions. How long will Islam prosper against the saints? The Nation/Kingdom of Islam parallels Rome in behavior. However, I anticipate that the horn of Islam will be broken by the prayers of the saints, just as they broke Rome and Communist Russia. Any kingdom that wars against Christ will be broken without hand.

I hasten to say that America must beware because this nation wars in many ways against the righteous laws of the Lord.

I also noted that Prophet Daniel was first shown the kingdoms/World Powers that would emerge hundreds of years later in the earth (Daniel 8). He would have been familiar with the Medes and Persians, but it may have been unthinkable in that era that they could have conquered the Babylonians, who were strong and ruled mightily in the earth.

I am rather amused that Islam seems to be imploding on itself. The people of the Islamic nations are uprising against the autocracy of their rulers and we saw the events in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria. Syria appears to be no more. A kingdom without people is no kingdom at all. The King of Sodom and Gomorrah told this to Abraham. We must pay attention to the Middle East as the events unfold in order to understand how the patterns in scripture evolve in the planet.

We see from scriptures that satan works through human kingdoms to oppose God and to accuse and persecute the saints. This is certainly true today. However, God has placed an expiry date on the power and reign of the kingdoms of earth. They will all be overthrown by God and His Christ, through His CHURCH, according to Apostle John:

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night – Revelation 12: 10.

OTHER PATTERNS

The kingdoms emerge in tetrads or groups of fours. Four in scripture symbolize new season, with each kingdom successively becoming more cruel than the previous. Also, according to the pattern in the two visions, we see that the final Kingdom in the tetrad overtly opposes God and wars against the saints.

Now I need to find out which Kingdoms or World SuperPowers emerged after the Roman Empire?

Apostle John saw these Kingdoms or World Super in Revelation 13.

GOD JUDGES WORLD SUPERPOWERS/KINGDOMS

However, let us see the end of Daniel’s beasts of chapter 7. Furiously and seriously aggravated by the fury of the beasts, especially the fourth, against His Name and His Church, the Ancient of Days emerged in justice and cast down their thrones (Daniel 7: 9 & 10):

According to Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7), the fourth beast, which he described as “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly,” had his throne cast down, was judged by God and slain (Daniel 7: 7 – 11).
In other words, this Super Power was entirely destroyed (Daniel 7: 11).
God also judged the Lion, Bear and Leopard. They had their “dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time” (Daniel 7: 12).
In other words, these Kingdoms remained in the earth, but with a decline in power.

It is in this vision that Jesus appeared in the Earth as the Son of Man, with the clouds representing the Glory of God in which He was shrouded. He was presented to the Ancient of Days on the Day of His Dedication, in keeping with God’s command “That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix” (Daniel 7: 13 & Exodus 13: 12).

You must note that Prophet Daniel did not write the vision of Chapter 7 in chronological order, but we see that he spoke about the saints, or the Church of Jesus Christ in order to indicate the era of time. The fourth beast would war against the saints and speak great things against God. I will study further on these kingdoms or World Powers and seek out their identity, since this is the pattern set by Archangel Gabriel.

CONTINUATION OF THE PROPHECY/PARABLE IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION

We see the merging of the three remaining Superpowers of Daniel 7 in Revelation 13: 2 since Apostle John saw ONE beast which looked like a leopard, had feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion.
Another beast emerged with two horns like a lamb, although he spake as a dragon (Revelation 13: 11).
This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, or rather dragon in sheep’s clothing, dragon representing satan, as this kingdom is satan’s copy cat, according to Gabriel.
This is the Kingdom or SuperPower of a FALSE PROPHET. Ahem.

I note that the beasts or Kingdoms of earth SPEAK against God. This would explain their anti – God/anti – Christ laws, policies etc.

TIME FRAMES

Medes and Persians – fulfilled from 549 – 330 BC.
Greeks – fulfilled from 330 – 63 BC.
Rome – fulfilled from 63 BC – 476 AD.
What Kingdom or Super Power succeeded the Roman Empire?

The next task that I have set myself is to further explore the Kingdoms in the vision of Daniel 8. Thank you Father, for showing us the events in World History through your servants the Prophets.

I now leave you with the blessings of Numbers 6: 24 -27:

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee

The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee

The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them

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