Let’s Make The Assumption That The Leopard Is The Democratic Republic Of The Congo

Introduction to the assumption that the leopard is the Democratic Republic of the Congo

In a previous article, I asked the question, “Which Nation Could Be The Leopard of Daniel 7: 6?”  I am about to attempt to answer this  question today with an assumption rather than a definite conclusion. My conclusions are based on the premise under which I have been writing to date:

Symbols on flags and their coat of arms are the means by which nations officially  and uniquely identify themselves. This pattern was set by God in the scripture (Nations That Are Represented As Lions).

My search showed that four the following four nations are identified with the leopard:

• Somalia.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• Malawi.
• South Ossata  (Nations Aligned With Symbols Of Leopards).
  

This finding is a far cry from the conclusions made by other writers, some of whom identified Alexander the Great as the leopard.  However, the assumption coincides with my previous argument that the leopard could refer to an African nation (The Leopard Of Daniel 7: 6).

The Democratic Republic of the Congo as the leopard?

1. The Congo is located in west-central Africa.

2. The leopard is the smallest of the cat family which could either speak to the size of the Congo in comparison to the others or to the size of the people. The country was formerly called the Belgian Congo and was inhabited by ancient Negrito peoples or the Pygmies.

3. Was the Democratic Republic of the Congo ever an Empire?

Kongo was the most sophisticated and best known kingdoms of Central Africa, emerging as early as two centuries before the Portuguese arrived  (Gondolo, 2002). Congo kingdom:

• was located south of the Congo River and east of the Kasai river.
• Congolese kingdom was made up of strong political institutions.
• The king was supreme judge and legislator.
• The people attributed political and supernatural powers to the kings.
• The king ruled through well organized administrative systems.
• Kingdoms had a large military force (Gondola, 2002).
• was ruled by a King or Mani Congo from its early history. The Mani Kongo ruled over more than three million subjects by the early 15th century.  The relatively small size of the kingdom corresponds to the small size of the leopard in comparison to other members of the cat family (http://loki.stockton.edu/~kinsellt/projects/hod/history.html).
• Alvaki, King of Congo, was described as being a man of magnificence and pomp. He had a flock of peacocks (Rogers,

Gondola (2002), alluded to the system of rulership as theocratic and wrote that it was  “sometimes referred to as divine kingship,” and that Congolese kingships “provided order, stability and economic prosperity…”

In my mind, this system seems to be an aberration of the Jewish system of kingships under God. Were these people Jewish by origin?

4. Were the people ever cruelly enslaved and had their backs by rulers as represented symbolically by the four wings of a fowl whose claws ploughed the back of the leopard?

Yes, slavery was well institutionalized  by the early 15th century and continued under the rule of Belgium between 1885 – 1960 (http://www.yale.edu/gsp/colonial/belgian_congo/index.html). Under the reign of  Belgium King Leopold 11, the Congo was described as the “devil’s paradise,” mainly because his lust for wealth led to brutality, exploitation and deaths of millions of Congolese people  (Gondolo, 2002).

5. The four heads could represent various entities that ruled over the region at different points in its history:

• Congolese kings.
• Portugal which controlled many areas of the region after the death of King Leopold in 1665. The Portuguese first arrived in 1482. (Gondolo, 2002).
• Belgium.
• nationalists who ruled under circumstances of instability and civil unrest from the time of independence from Belgium on June 30th, 1960.

References

Gondola, D. (2002). The history of Congo. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.vc/books?id=QY82GNGpcDgC&q=kings#v=snippet&q=kings&f=false.

Rogers, J. (2010).  World’s great men of color, volume 2. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.vc/books?id=uTiEe2g56d4C&pg=PA542&dq=kings+of+the+congo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3_4mVN_mIYaVyQT4lIGgDQ&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBzgK#v=onepage&q=kings%20of%20the%20congo&f=false.

Further Reading

Kings of the Congo in Google Books

---

---

---

---

 

Is Alexander The Great Represented By The Leopard?

Why I believe that Alexander the Great is NOT the Leopard

Many writers believe that Alexander the Great is the Leopard of Daniel 7: 6. However, this claim is not substantiated by the scriptures neither by history. These are my arguments:

a. Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire and began the third  of the known great World Empires of his era

Alexander the Great conquered the great world empire of the Medes and Persians in BC 330.  He was the King of the third of the Great World Empires of the Era:

• Medes and Persians – fulfilled from  549 – 330 BC.
• Greeks – fulfilled from 330 – 63 BC.
• Rome – fulfilled from 63 BC – 476 AD

I believe that the World Kingdoms seen in the Prophets’ vision of Daniel 7 represents another era of time subsequent to the end of the Roman Empire.

b.  God gave King Nebuchadnezzar and Prophet Daniel two separate, but related visions in which the Greek Empire was revealed as the third great World Empire after the Babylonians.

As I recently studied the scriptures, I discovered that King Nebuchadnezzar and Prophet Daniel had two separate visions in which the Greek Empire was revealed as the third great world Empire after that of the Babylonians. This vision was given twice as reinforcement in the scripture. This parallels  the Genesis 41 vision in whihc King Pharaoh dreamt about the seven years of famine twice in the same night because God wanted to reinforce that this was indeed established and would not change. In King Pharoah’s vision,  seven malnourished  cattle ate up seven fat cattle yet remained malnourished. Again the King dreamt that seven malnourished ears of corn ate up seven fat ears of corn yet remained malnourished.

Scriptures reveal an interesting parallel between Daniel 2 and Daniel 8 in which  King Nebuchadnezzar and the Prophet were shown the World Empires which would succeed the Great Babylonian Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar.  We see God with tongue in cheek showing these Kingdoms to Nebuchadnezzar in the picture of an image, while Prophet Daniel saw the Kingdoms in the form of animals.  We see the great accuracy with which God confirmed His Word through these visions which took place several years apart. King Nebuchadnezzar was given the revelation in the second year of his reign (BC 604), while Prophet Daniel was given his version in 553 BC, the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon. This is 51 years after King Nebuchadnezzar’s vision.

There is an amazing  parallel between the two visions which both revealed that the succession of the Great World Kingdoms of the Era:

• Medes and Persians – fulfilled from  549 – 330 BC.
• Greeks – fulfilled from 330 – 63 BC.
• Rome – fulfilled from 63 BC – 476 AD

The scriptures – King Nebuchadnezzar’s vision

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

This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass

His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay

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

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

This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king (Daniel 2: 31 – 36).

…Thou art this head of gold.

And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth

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 (Daniel 2: 38 – 39)

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 (Daniel 2: 47).

The parallels between the visions of King Nebuchadnezzar and Prophet Daniel

In order to reinforce the revelation about the succession of the Great World Empires after the Babylonians, God repeated the vision twice – first to King Nebuchadnezzar then to Prophet Daniel:

Nebuchadnezzar’s Vision and Prophet Daniel’s Interpretation

– 1st Great World Empire of the Era = Babylon The image’s head was of fine gold – Daniel 2: 38 Thou art this head of gold – Daniel 2: 38 King Nebuchadnezzar reigned from BC 605

2nd World Empire in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision = Medes and Persians Nebuchadnezzar’s image had a breast and arms of silver Daniel told him, after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee…   (Daniel 2: 39)

2nd World Empire in Daniel’s vision = Medes and Persians    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.    Archangel Gabriel told Daniel that the ram represented the  kings of Media and Persia (Daniel 8: 7 & 20). Medes and Persians – fulfilled from  549 – 330 BC = 219 years Medes and Persians led by Cyrus aka Darius the Mede conquered the Babylonians

3rd   World Empire in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision = Greeks belly and his thighs of brass And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth (Daniel 2: 39)

3rd World Empire in Daniel’s vision = Greeks – fulfilled from 330 – 63 BC. Founded by Alexander the Great 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.

4th World Kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision = Roman Empire which was divided into East and West His legs of iron his feet part of iron and part of clay – Daniel 2: 32 & 33   … the kingdom shall be divided…   Division

4th World Empire in Daniel’s vision = Rome 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.   Rome – fulfilled from 63 BC – 476 AD = 539 years

KINGDOM OF CHRIST = THE STONE 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 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: 43 & 44 Jesus was born during the reign of Casear Augustus, the FIRST Roman Emperor (Luke 2: 1).

RELATED READINGS

Alexander the Great

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

Which Kingdom Or World SuperPower Is Represented By The Lion In Daniel 7?

The four horns on the head of the rough goat represent the division of the Empire of Alexander the Great into FOUR:

What happened to Alexander’s empire(s) after he died?

Hellenistic Civilization

 

Which Nation Could Be The Leopard of Daniel 7: 6?

What we’ve learnt to date about the leopard

It has been a challenge to identify the nation that is represented by the Leopard of Daniel 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 – Daniel 7: 6.

 

To date, we have deduced the following about leopards. They:

• live in the mountain.
• are very dangerous beasts of prey.
• are the smallest of the large cat family, and therefore directly related to the lion.
• are spotted and compared to the Ethiopian.
• has unique and distinctive spots.
• Somalia, Malawi, Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Ossata are four nations which associate themselves with the leopard.
• the leopard’s four heads could either mean that it has four chiefs/rulers or had four nations which ruled over it at times in its history.
• the leopard had four wings of a fowl of the air or bird. 

More on the fowl whose wings were on the back of the leopard

Prophet Daniel did not specify which fowl or bird was on the back of the leopard.  Maybe he could not clearly identify the species. As I searched the scriptures again, I noted that several birds of the air were identified. These included the:

• eagle, and the ossifrage (maybe vulture), and the ospray (black eagle/buzzard, comes from the root word meaning strength)  – Leviticus 11: 13.
• vulture, and the kite- Leviticus 11: 13.
• raven – Leviticus 11: 15.
• owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk – Leviticus 11: 16.
• little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl –   Leviticus 11: 17.
• swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle – Leviticus 11: 18.
• stork, the heron, and the lapwing, and the bat – Leviticus 11: 19.
• locust, bald locust, beetle, the grasshopper  – Leviticus 11: 24.

 

The back of the leopard

Prophet Daniel said that the leopard had four wings of a fowl “upon the back ^H1355.”  Gab (H1354) is the root word for H1335.  One of the texts in which it is used paint a picture of the bird (s) using the claws to inflict pain on the leopard’s back. The picture is of a human being beaten by another:

The plowers plowed upon my back: ^H1354 they made long their furrows – Psalm 129: 3.

My back is covered with cuts,  as if a farmer had plowed long furrows (NLT).

The plowers plowed on my back. They made their furrows long (HNV).

Ezekiel 16: 39  is the other text in which Gab (H1354) is used, and which may be relevant to the four wings of the fowl on the back of the leopard.  When Ezekiel 16: 39 is taken into consideration, we see the overpowering, stripping and forced nakedness of a people who were once in an eminent place. While this text is written in direct reference to Israel, I am reminded of the plight of the Africans who were taken into slavery during the slave trade:

And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, ^H1354 and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare (Ezekiel 16: 39).

 

The wings of the fowl

Prophet Daniel saw  four wings ^H1611 (gaph) on the back of  the leopard.  Gaph corresponds to H1610 which is used in Exodus 21: 2 – 4 in the context in which Moses instructed the nation of Israel on the manner of dealing with Hebrew servants.  The masters were commanded to free Jewish servants after seven years. If the servant chose to remain, he was to be bound for life in a legal transaction in which his ear was pierced with an aul.

I hope that I will be able to identity of the leopard after some historical search. More to come. Blessings, peace and angelic prosperity.

 

The Four Fowls’ Wings And Four Heads On The Back Of The Leopard

Where we began

We began two weeks ago with an introduction to the leopard of  Daniel 7: 6. Based on the data, I believe that it could represent an African nation:

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.

Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast – NLT.

The fowl is represented by `owph (H 5776)

`Owph (H 5776) is the word used for fowl in the text of Daniel 7: 6. It was used one other time in the dream in which  Nebuchadnezzar saw a golden image representing the World SuperPowers that would emerge in the earth after his Empire ended.  We see in the text that Nebuchadnezzar had been given great dominion, like Adam, even over the fowls  that fly in the sky:

And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls ^H5776 of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold – Daniel 2: 38.

He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold – NLT.

`Owph  corresponds to H 5775 which is used in scripture to represent:

• fowl of the air – Genesis 1 : 26, 28, 30; Genesis 2: 19 & 20; Genesis 9: 2
• fowls of the air – Genesis 6: 7; Genesis 7: 3;
• fowl of the heaven – Genesis 7: 23.
• birds – Genesis 40: 17 & 19.
• creeping things that fly – Deuteronomy 14: 19

These fowls in scriptures refer to either clean or unclean birds, with the latter being restricted from human consumption (Leviticus 20: 25). Unclean fowls included flying, creeping things with four feet (Leviticus 11 :23).  Some fowls of the air eat dead flesh – Genesis 40: 19; 1 Samuel 17: 44; 1 Kings 14: 11; Psalm 79: 2.

I’m asking why are there four wings on the back of the leopard.  What does this mean?

 

What are the four heads  on the back of the leopard?

Prophet Daniel also saw  four heads on the back of the leopard. Does this mean that each head belonged to one of those wings?  Re’sh  (H7217) is used in the text for heads. 

Head in this context  is used to mean ruler, leader:

the men that were the chief ^H7217 of them – Ezra 5: 10.

Nebuchadnezzar  had a vision in which he saw an image with a  “head ^H7217 …of fine gold” (Daniel 2: 32).   When interpreting htis vision, Prophet Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that he represented the head ^H7217of gold because God had given him an extensive kingdom which encompassed many nations and over which he ruled (Daniel 2: 38).

Further clarity comes from ro’sh (H7218) which corresponds to Re’sh. The usage of Ro’sh, when applied to the context of  Daniel,  indicate that the four heads on the leopard meant that this nation, though great, was ruled by four others at some time in its history.

Ro’sh in scripture:

• ruler
• chiefs
• the one who is the greater, as in the case in which Jacob transferred greater blessings to Ephraim the younger, rather than to Manessah the firstborn son of Joseph – Genesis 48: 13 – 19.
• heads ^H7218 over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens – Exodus 18: 25.
• the princes of Israel, heads ^H7218 of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes – Numbers 7: 2.
• then the princes, which are heads ^H7218 of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee – Numbers 10: 4.
• Let us make a captain, ^H7218 … – Numbers 14: 4.
• …the heads ^H7218 of the tribes – Numbers 30: 1.
• So I took the chief ^H7218 of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads ^H7218 over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes – Deuteronomy 1: 15.
• he shall be the head, ^H7218 and thou shalt be the tail… – Deuteronomy 28: 44.
• … Hazor beforetime was the head ^H7218 of all those kingdoms… – Joshua 11: 10.
• And with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was an head ^H7218 of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel – Joshua 22: 14.
• Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head ^H7218 and captain over them… – Judges 11: 11.
• thou hast kept me to be head ^H7218 of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me… – 2 Samuel 22: 24.
• For the head ^H7218 of Syria is Damascus, and the head ^H7218 of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people – Isaiah 7: 8.
• And the head ^H7218 of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head ^H7218 of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established – Isaiah 7: 9.
• For thus saith the LORD unto the king’s house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head ^H7218 of Lebanon… – Jeremiah 22: 6.

 

Nations which are affiliated with birds

Coat of Arms of Australia

Coat of arms of Bolivia

Coat of arms of Chile – vulture

Coat of arms of Colombia Coat of Arms of Cyprus Coat of arms of Ecuador

The Gallic Rooster decorated French flags during the Revolution

Flag of Mauritius

Flag of Thailand

 

 

 

 

Nations Aligned With Symbols Of Leopards

The nation represented by the leopard

Last week we began talking about the leopard in Daniel’s vision:

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.

Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast – NLT

Only three of the four  the nations affiliated with leopards are from Africa.

Here are their coats of arms:

Somalia coat of arms

Emblem of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Coat of arms: Malawi (lion and leopard)

Flag of South Ossetta with coat of arms which is a golden snow leopard with black spots Source: http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ge-so.html

MAP OF AFRICA

 

 

The Leopard Of Daniel 7: 6

 1. The meaning and usage of leopard in the holy scriptures

Prophet Daniel  also saw a leopard in the vision of Daniel 7. He must have thought that he had a nightmare. FIrst a lion, then a bear and this leopard:

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.

Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast – NLT.

2. The character of the leopard in scripture

Nĕmar (H5245) is the word used for Leopard in the Daniel 7: 6 scripture. Used only once in the King James Version, it comes from the root word namer (H 5246).  There are only six  texts associated with the root word.  While the scriptures say less about the leopard in comparison to the lion, we see from comparisons that they are similar in nature:

a.  like the lion, the leopard’s habitat is in the mountains

Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards ^H5246-(Songs of Solomon 4: 8).

b.  like the lion, the leopard is a beast of prey that lies in wait before it destroys and kills. It moves swiftly. However, the nation that is the leopard would lie in wait to destroy Israel because of their sins and rebellion against God:

Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard ^H5246 shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased (Jeremiah 5: 6).

Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard ^H5246 by the way will I observe them (Hosea 13: 7).

Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, ^H5246 and are more fierce than the evening wolves (Habukkuk 1: 8).

c. The spots of the leopard are  compared to those of the Ethiopian, an individual of color or from the black race.  This led me to question whether or not the leopard represented a nation of black people?

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard ^H5246 his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil  (Jeremiah 13: 23).

Source: http://www.wildlife-pictures-online.com

3. Known facts about the leopard give us an indication of  the location of the nation that Prophet Daniel saw in his vision

Species

The leopard (Panthera Pardus), comes from the family of  big cats which include the tiger, the lion and the jaguar. With an average height of 60 to 70 cms (23 5/8 to 27 9/16 inches), it  is the smallest of the cat family (Wildlife Pictures Online, 2014,  Planet Wildlife, 2013).  

The leopard is  stealthy, possesses a unique ability to climb trees even with the carcass of the prey, and is also able to run at the speed of nearly 58 kmph. Leopards hunt best between sunset and sunrise. They  silently stalk the prey then pounce at the last-minute, destroying with a strangle hold  (Planet Wildlife, 2013). The leopard is also described as being the most secretive and elusive big cat and a cunning, opportunistic hunter (African Wildlife Foundation, nd).  

The  statistics could either refer to the height of the people and/or (more likely), to the relatively small size of the leopard’s Empire in comparison to that of the lion, the former British Empire.

In spite of this, however, the two nations were similar in ferocity towards  Jewish people and/or people of Jewish descent. Maybe the nation is also genetically related to the British. So much for racial superiority of whites over blacks! 

God also revealed that the leopard was as much a threat and dangerous enemy as the lion.

Appearance

The Leopard has a large head, powerful neck and shoulders, and short, muscular limbs (Wildlife Pictures Online, 2014).  Its coat is yellow although color varies depending on the locale, tending to be paler and cream colored in desert populations, more gray in colder climates and a darker golden hue in rainforest habitats (Planet Wildlife, 2013).

The leopard’s top coat is covered in dark, irregular spots called rosettes which are circular in East African leopards, but square in Southern African leopards (African Wildlife Foundation, nd).  The underparts are white with black spots and the tail is also white underneath with rosettes on top. Interestingly, each leopard’s spots are unique, similar to human fingerprints, since no two leopards have the same markings or color (Wildlife Pictures Online, 2014).

Again we have confirmation that the markings on the leopard seem to identify it as a black race. In the vision, Prophet Daniel saw these distinctive markings and other physical characteristics that made this big cat stand out from others in the family, especially the lion which also featured in the vision.

Did not the Prophet say that similarly, neither the Ethiopian nor the leopard could change spots or genetic makeup.  

World population of leopards

In modern times, the leopard is native to more than 35 African countries (African Wildlife Foundation, nd), with species also located in regions of Pakistan, India, Indochina, Malaysia and China  (Planet Wildlife, 2013).  

 

The Biblical comparison between the Ethiopian and the leopard seems to indicate that this nation is from a region of Africa.

4. Finally

We still need to explore the meaning of the two fowls’ wings  and the four heads  on the leopard. Let’s hope that we are right so far:

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.

Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four bird’s wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast – NLT.

CLUE

The antagonism of these Empires (LION AND LEOPARD), could have been directed, albeit unknowingly, towards the LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL

 

 

 

 

The Bear Is A Bitter And Furious Nation

Prophet Daniel saw that the bear was “chafed in its mind” – a bitter and furious nation

In the previous post titled “The Bear Of Daniel 7: 5 Represents A Nation That Devours”  we learnt that the bear, though ferocious and destructive, can be destroyed by the power of God through a leader who knows his God and does exploits. This is a man or woman like David – intercessor, worshipper and warrior.

And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear (Dob/h1678), 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).

Dob (H1680), which is the root word for bear in Daniel 7: 5, gives a true picture of the spirit of the bear:

The following words were spoken by Hushai as he advised Absalom on his strategy to capture his father during the uprising. Hushai warned Absalom not to follow Ahithophel’s advice to pursue after and to capture the king, since David and his men would be “chafed in their minds” like a bear that is robbed of its young ones:

For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father andhis men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear ^H1677 robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people – 2 Samuel 17: 8

You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Besides, your father is an experienced fighter; he will not spend the night with the troops (NIV)

Mar (H4751) is the word used in the  text of  Daniel 7: 5 for “and they be chafed.”  Usage of the phrase  means that the bear is bitter.  The phrase  “and they be chafed“: or bitter, was used in the following contexts:

1. an individual is robbed of something they treasure:

Esau cried with a ” great and exceeding bitter ^H4751 cry” when he lost the blessing to Jacob – Genesis 27: 34.

And she was in bitterness ^H4751 of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore – 1 Samuel 1: 10

2. a supply source is inaccessible because it is bitter or poisonous

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: ^H4751 – Exodus 15: 23

3. the cause of a curse

And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter ^H4751 water that causeth the curse – Numbers 5: 18.

4. angry to the point of murder – the Babylonians were described as a bitter nation – killing and destructive

Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry ^H4751 fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household – Judges 18: 25.

Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness ^H4751 of death is past – 1 Samuel 15: 32

Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness ^H4751 in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren? – 2  Samuel 2: 26

 

5. A state of discontent and bitterness – ripe for political conflict, grieving,angry, speaks bitter words, a heart of bitterness which produces wickedness to others

And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, ^H4751 gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them – 1 Samuel 22: 2

And another dieth in the bitterness ^H4751 of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure – Job 21: 25

Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter ^H4751 words – Psalm 64: 3

Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, ^H4751 because it reacheth unto thine heart –  Jeremiah 4: 18

A nation can be bitter and angry to the point where they rise up against other nations in order to rule them

Scriptures show that nations can be bitter and angry.  We see this in the use of mar in the following text about the Babylonians. They conquered, pillaged and destroyed other nations in order to become the World SuperPower of their era, and succeeded:

For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter ^H4751 and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs – Habukkuk 1: 6

Additionally, marar (H 4843), the root word for mar, confirms that that rulers can rise up against other nations with great anger in their bitterness to conquer and rule. We see this in the modern-day scenario between Russia and the Ukraine and also in the Hamas war against Israel:

And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler ^H4843 against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: 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 the king of the south shall be moved with choler, ^H4843 and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand – Daniel 11: 11

 

Adolph Hitler’s Germany – is it the Bear?

The bear loved human flesh. It loved to kill. In the vision, Prophet Daniel saw that it had three ribs in its mouth.  Additionally, the bear was told to arise and devour much flesh.

Adolph Hitler devoured  approximately 6, 000, 000 Jews in the bitterness of his spirit in a spate of  genocide.

THE TRUTH

The Holocaust was conducted under the auspices of racial hygiene. Between 1939 and 1945, Nazis and their collaborators were responsible for the deaths of 11 million to 14 million people, including about 6 million Jews, representing two-thirds of the Jewish population in Europe. Deaths took place in concentration and extermination camps and through mass executions. Other persecuted groups included Poles, communists, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses and trade unionists, among others (history1900s.about.com/od/hitleradolf/a/Hitler-Facts.htm).

 

 

Flag of  Berlin 

The flag of Berlin was adopted 13th May 1954 for West Berlin and in 1990 for all Berlin

Adolf Hitler: 1889-1924 – explains the source of Hitler’s bitterness

34 Facts About Nazi Leader Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler Biography

Holocaust Encyclopedia (1933 – 1945)

 

Question: Is Adolph Hitler reflected in the biblical descriptions of one who is chafed in his mind?I believe so based on his biography.

 

Interesting bear facts

Black bear mothers seldom attack people in defense of cubs, but typically bluff or retreat, while grizzly bears will attack (http://bearwithus.org/understanding-bears).

The surname of BEAR meant one of surly temper.  The bear has generally been regarded with a mixture of fear and amusement, due to its strength and unpredictable temper on the one hand and its clumsy gait on the other (http://www.4crests.com/bear-coat-of-arms.html)

What bear cubs did Hitler need to defend? He was just a bitter, angry man who was full of hatred for Jews.
Angelic blessings, peace and prosperity.

 

 

 

The Bear Of Daniel 7: 5 Represents A Nation That Devours

Can we can move on to explore the identity of the  bear in Daniel 7: 5?

In the previous post titled, “the Lion Had Eagle’s Wings, According To Daniel 7: 4”, we discovered that the former British Empire is the Lion while the Holy Roman Empire is the Eagle. Today, we move on to study the identity of the bear seen by Prophet Daniel in the vision:

And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear (Dob/h1678), 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).

 

Similarities between the bear in Prophet Daniel’s vision and the bear that David killed at age 16 years

Since bear (dob/ h16780), is used once in the King James Version, I had to explore the root word dob (H1680) in order to understand the meaning of this bear seen by Prophet Daniel.  I found several cross references for dob (H1680), one of the first being the report given by David about his encounter with a bear that DARED to steal a lamb from his flock.

This picture was given to us by David in the scenario in which the Jewish army, under the leadership of weakling King Saul, was faced with invasion by the Philistines. No one in the army dared to confront the champion Goliath out of fear of his size, height, weaponry and daring words against them and their God.

David was just 16 years old and a lowly shepherd, at least in the mind of his brothers. He was keeping sheep, overpowering a lion and a bear, while the brothers cowered with the best of Israel in their tents out of fear of Goliath.  Sent by his father to provide food for his siblings, David discovered the plight of  the Defense Force. Indignant at Goliath’s behavior, he offered to fight and kill the giant.

David reported to King Saul that a bear robbed his flock of a lamb (1 Samuel 17: 34).  In the scripture, Israel is symbolically compared to sheep and therefore the lamb refers to the young, defenseless and susceptible ones from the flock. David represents the shepherd, ruler or protector of Israel.

I hear the Father showing me the comparison between the bear in Prophet Daniel’s vision in whose mouth he  saw three ribs AND the bear that robbed the lamb from David’s flock

                                                       Parallels

Prophet Daniel’s vision = picture of the plunder of Israel by the bear. This is Israel without a true shepherd	David and the bear = Israel under a leader who know his God and does exploits	David and Goliath = Israel under a leader who fears no man because he knows his God
In the vision, Prophet Daniel saw a bear with three ribs between the teeth, meaning that it had already plundered, killed and eaten God’s people.The deed had been already envisioned and done in the mind of the bear.	A bear stole a lamb and ran off with it in its mouth.	David compared Goliath, the uncircumcised Philistine, to the bear that stole a lamb from his flock of sheep.  The bear is an uncircumcised, Gentile nation.   Goliath means Splendor and comes from a root word which means uncover, to have one’s nakedness revealed, captivity, exile, carry captive, carried Israel away out of their own land.   Based on his challenge, Goliath, compared by David to the bear, represents a nation that overpowered, enslaved the Jews and took them captive.     Goliath was intimidating in appearance, weaponry and threats of destruction of the nation’s champion. He promised to kill Israel’s champion and to enslave the nation, in keeping with his name. He will intimidate those who do not know their God.   As fearless as he appeared to be, Goliath did not offer to fight the entire army. He is a bully, fighting with intimidating words and weaponry:   If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.   And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
	David engaged in face to face combat with the bear and delivered the lamb from its mouth. The bear had to release the lamb and fight with his paws. He was no match for Israel under the anointed leadership of an Intercessor, Worshipping, Warrior King:And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, H1677, and took a lamb out of the flock:And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: H1677 : and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, H1677, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee (1 Samuel 17:  32 – 37).	Goliath is confident in his military strength and uses intimidating words to show disdain for the apparent inexperience of   Israel and its Leader:  And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance…   And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
	David prevailed against the Philistine with a primitive weapon of war and by the POWER OF GOD.The bear is not invincible:  45. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.   46. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel	47.  And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands 48. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that DAVID HASTED AND RAN TOWARD THE ARMY TO MEET THE PHILISTINE  49. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth   50. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lion Had Eagle’s Wings, According To Daniel 7: 4

1.  Archangel Michael said that we need to identify the Eagle before we name the Lion of Daniel 7: 4

As I  read the previous post titled “Nations That Are Represented As Lions”  in order to get my bearings for today’s study, I heard Archangel Michael say, “the Lion had eagle’s wings.”

I laughed because I was deep in thought and was absolutely delighted to hear Michael speak. Therefore today, we will attempt to answer the questions:

1. Which nation is represented by the Eagle?
2. Nations that are represented as Eagles

 

2. The usage of eagle’s in Daniel 7: 4 shows an immediate comparison between King Nebuchadnezzar and the Lion

a. Hebrew usage of eagle’s

Neshar (H 5403), is the Hebrew word used for eagle’s in Daniel 7: 4.  It is used only twice in scripture:

The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ ^H5403 feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws (Daniel 4: 33)

The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s ^H5403 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).

I saw these comparisons as I read these two texts, the first of which refers to the great King Nebuchadnezzar, who, for seven years,  was driven from among men, ate grass, lived outdoors and who looked like an eagle in appearance.   In contrast, the lion had eagle’s wings which were plucked off, after which, the lion looked and behaved like a human.

b. The judgment in which King Nebuchadnezzar grew his hair like an eagle’s feathers and got long claws

Because of this contrast, I need to examine the scenario preceding the judgment of Nebuchadnezzar in order to determine if there are any similarities.  King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream in which he saw a great tree in the midst of the earth. The tree was so tall that it reached up to heaven. It was a source of food and shelter for animals, birds and humans.

In the dream, King Nebuchadnezzar saw “a watcher and a holy one” descend from heaven. This watcher and holy one gave a decree from God which was intended to show humans alive in the earth that God rules over the kingdoms of men and gives rulership to whoever He chooses.

The watcher and holy one:

cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches

Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth

Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him

This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men  (Daniel 4: 14 – 17).

Puzzled by the dream which his magicians were unable to interpret, the King asked for  Prophet Daniel who gave the interpretation:

• King Nebuchadnezzar was the tree.
• He had grown great and became so strong that his greatness reached to heaven, and his dominion to the end of the earth.
• he would be driven from men to live with the beasts of the field and eat grass like an oxen until he learnt that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever he will (Daniel 4: 25).
• The stump of the tree remained to indicate that Nebuchadnezzar would not lose his kingdom (Daniel 4: 26).
• Daniel then counseled the King to escape this judgment by living righteously and by showing MERCY TO THE POOR (Daniel 4: 27).

c. Fulfillment of the prophecy

Twelve months later, King Nebuchadnezzar walked in his palace and boasted about his great kingdom as if he had gotten this greatness in his own strength. God immediately judged him and he was driven from human habitations to live with animals. He ate grass, his hairs grew like eagle’s feathers and he grew long claws.

Just as God decreed, Nebuchadnezzar regained his reason seven years later and confessed that GOD IS THE GREATEST POWER, (according to Heaven).  He repented of his pride and glorified and praised the God of Heaven.

Here is the full text for greater clarity:

At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon

Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee

And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will

the same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws…

And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me

Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase (Daniel 4: 29 – 37).

Daniel 4 – NIV

 

d. Meaning of the comparison

Scriptures show that King Nebuchadnezzar ruled over a great and mighty kingdom that consisted of “people, nations, and languages” (Daniel 4: 1).  However, God humbled him due to pride and he took on the spirit and behavior of an oxen, losing his throne for a seven year period. He ate grass like an oxen and looked like an eagle, which is a great majestic bird, ruler of the sky and bird of prey. However, this parallel was paradoxical since the king lost his kingdom and throne for seven years and became like a farm animal which was usually harnessed to a yoke and made to labor in the fields.

The Lion, in contrast, had eagle’s wings, which implies that it was ruled by another nation and was in a state of  subservience. The wings were plucked, which means that the eagle lost dominion over the lion.

This is an interesting comparison between the lion, the greatest of the beasts of prey, and the eagle, the greatest of birds of prey.

This tells us that the nation that is represented by the eagle is extremely ferocious.  However, Nebuchadnezzar became like an eagle, somewhat paradoxically, during the seven-year period of abasement.

God reveals in this paradox that a nation can look like an eagle and yet be weak, just as the greatest beast of the forest looked like a lion, but had to gain the spirit of a man in order to prevail over the eagle and rule.

The paradox is so interesting because eagles usually build their nests high in rocks. This must have been a great and mighty nation to prevail over the lion. However, the nation that was the lion must have been in a crouching position during the period of rule, waiting for the moment when it could seize dominion over the eagle.

Scriptures did not describe the lion as a whelp or cub, so it was not young and inexperienced and seems to have had some degree of power. However, the lion could not prevail until it began to think and behave like a man.

King Nebuchadnezzar ruled over many kingdoms because he had a man’s heart or spirit. In other words,  God endowed him with the spirit to rule and to have dominion over nations of the earth, although he did not understand or acknowledge that his power came from God.

The lion did not have that spirit of dominion over nations. Remember that dominion, rulership or the power to subdue was given to Adam by God, although He never intended for humans to rule over each other in a godless manner.

God took this spirit of dominion and kingship  from Nebuchadnezzar and he became like a farm animal with the potential to rule in the sky like the eagle that he resembled.  The Lion, the greatest of the beasts, was ruled by a bird of prey because it did not understand the principles of dominion and did not have the spirit to rule over nations. This dominion only came when God lifted it up and gave it this spirit to rule, reign and become a mighty Kingdom or SuperPower in the earth:

Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him (Daniel 4: 16)

The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s ^H5403 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).

 

3. Nations that represent themselves as eagles – which one was a SuperPower that ruled the Lion?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

 

5. AND THE ANSWER IS …

The LION – UNITED KINGDOM, says Heaven. History shows that the British Empire was the  largest empire in history.

The EAGLE  –  HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE.

NB: The USA, represented by the Bald Headed Eagle, escaped from the Lion, which is the United Kingdom.

 

RELATED READINGS

The British Empire

Coats of Arms of Europe

King Nebuchadnezzar in scripture

Coat of arms of nations of the world

GAME: Coats of Arms of the  World

Other countries with Eagles in their Coat of  Arms

 

 

 

.

 

Nations That Are Represented As Lions

Where do we go from here?

I’m puzzling over the question, “Which Kingdom Or World SuperPower Is Represented By The Lion in Daniel 7?”   Based on the Hebrew usage of  the word LION in Daniel 7, my current understanding is that the text refers to the PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS. Actually, this was said to me by Archangel Gabriel.

Hence, while scriptures compare the Tribe of Judah to a lion, I do not believe that the lion of Daniel 7: 4 refers to the Nation of Israel. After Reuben committed adultery with his father’s concubine, Jacob stripped him of the right to lead and replaced him with Judah. Jacob later prophesied that Judah would become  the Ruler and Lawgiver in the later days of the nation’ s existence (Genesis 49: 10).   This prophecy was further fulfilled when King David of Judah established his throne and when the Lion of Judah established His earthly Kingdom and ruled on the Throne of David.

This is the vision that Daniel saw about the Lion:

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 (Daniel 7: 4).

 

The nation that is the LION might be revealed by its UNIQUE IDENTIFIER

Each nation on the planet uniquely identifies itself  either by its FLAG and/or  COAT OF ARMS.  Did Daniel see  LION on the flag or coat of arms of  one or more nations? We also need to remember that the lion had eagle’s wings for a period of time.

God commanded Israel to uniquely identify each tribe or state by a standard/banner/flag each of which carried an ensign   (symbol or distinguishing mark). This was drawn to my attention by  Save your heritage. 

The distinguishing mark or ensign was associated with Jacob’s prophecy of Genesis 49. Therefore, Judah’s standard, banner or flag would have carried the ensign of a Lion.

Prophetically ordained as Ruler, the standard of Judah always took the first place. The Prophecy is still fulfilled today because King David came from the Tribe or State of Judah and the Jewish National flag bears the STAR OF DAVID. God still intends for Israel to be a leader in World Affairs because of that prophecy and also because Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who tore up satan’s kingdom.

                         Stars/Stripes

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, ^H1714 throughout their hosts – Numbers 1: 52.

Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, ^H1714 with the ensign of their father’s house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch – Numbers 2: 2.

And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard ^H1714 of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah – Numbers 2: 3.

In the first place went the standard ^H1714 of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab – Numbers 10: 14.

 

SEVEN NATIONS WITH LIONS IN THEIR COAT OF ARMS

These are seven of the nations on the planet which associate themselves with the Lion.  Which of them is the Lion that Daniel saw?  Here is the key to  the answer:

1. the nation  would have had to  be recognized as a World SuperPower – with territorial rights over other nations as seen in the vision of Daniel 8.
2. It should have been ruled by the Eagle at some point in its history.

 

NORWAY

BELGIUM

SWEDEN

DENMARK

UNITED KINGDOM

FRANCE

NORWAY

What is the nature or character of this nation that is compared to a lion?

Language used in the scripture to describe  the lion show that it is brave, fierce and violent killer – an animal that  hunts  prey. It roars terribly at its prey, stalks, hunts and eats flesh.  It hides then suddenly attacks and kills the susceptible.

Like the lion, this nation was  fearful to humans. It ate its prey by tearing the flesh viciously with its teeth:

• ... he couched as a lion – Genesis 49: 9.
• … as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain – Numbers 23: 24.
• Samson went down…to Timnath… and a young lion roared against him – Judges 14: 5.
• the men of the city said unto him …what is stronger than a lion? – Judges 14: 8.
• there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock – 1 Samuel 17: 34.
• he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion – 2 Samuel 17: 10.
• The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion – Job 4: 10.
• Thou huntest me as a fierce lion – Job 10: 16.
• Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions – Job 38: 39.
• Lest he tear my soul like a lion … – Psalm 7: 2.
• He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor… – Psalm 10: 9.
• Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places – Psalm 17: 12.
• They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion – Psalm 22: 13.
• The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion… – Psalm 19: 12.
• The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets – Proverbs 22: 13.
• I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones – Isaiah 38: 13.
• … like a destroying lion – Jeremiah 2: 30.
• she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men… – Ezekiel 19: 6.
• The lion hath roared, who will not fear?… – Amos 3: 8.
• The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin – Nahum 2: 12.
• Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour – 1 Peter 5: 8.

Proverbs 30: 30 describes the lion as the “…strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any.”  This suggests that the lion in the vision of Daniel 7: 4 was the strongest and most powerful SuperPower of its era. This lion was so destructive that it leaves desolation in its path.

 

 

READINGS

Coat of Arms of Denmark

Save your heritage

World Atlas