An alternative view of Biblical Prophecy
Recently, we have been planning a post on all the passages that are believed to be about the Return of the Lord. While considering them one thing has struck us, most of these passages do not require a violent interpretation. We realize that the church has been preaching for some time that the Return of the Lord will be at a time of war and national difficulty. However the only real violence is directed toward the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet. Which are all spiritual things not literal, so the violence should be spiritual.
Dan 2 is a symbol destroying a symbol. There is no real reason to think that this will be literally violent [Dan. 2:34-35].
Dan 7 has no violence at all. The beast is given over to the fire. Again a symbol. Then the kingdom is given to the son of man [Dan. 7:11-14].
Dan 8 presents us with Islam just being broken, and emphatically states that no violence will happen [Dan. 8:25].
Rev 16 the seventh bowl has a long list of symbols for political upheaval of one kind or another [Rev. 16:17 -21]. And until it happens is up for speculations of all kinds.
Most of these passages seem to be better interpreted as a giant revival!
The nations of the former Imperial Powers (listed here) leave their allegiance to their respective national leaders and return it to the Risen Savior. Such people of faith would no longer need governments to lead them. After the Welch revivals, the jails of Wales were empty. Only one judge and two policemen were keep on “just in case” because everyone was self governing no government was needed.
Many Christian leaders teach that the Lord’s return will be violent. They have convinced many to step away from the world of politics and leadership because they believe that everything must get worse before the Return. However we were told to be salt and light no matter what. We are not to lose our taste or hide our light [Matt 5:13-20].
It is time to get on our knees and fight. Just as Daniel who had determined that the 70 year prophecy had run its course and was looking for direction, he prayed a prayer of national repentance [Jer. 25:12]. So, it is time that we all pray that same prayer. Every believer in every nation on this earth must repent for their nation. All that we need to do is take Daniel’s prayer and substituted our respective nations for Israel, and our capitals for Jerusalem and pray [Dan 9:3-19].
As salt and light we must take political action and vote. But remember that the battle is not against flesh and blood.
So we stand at the end of this last great dispensation, a.k.a. “the Church Age” (See dispensations), as John the Baptist stood at the end of the previous great dispensation, a.k.a. ‘the Mosaic Age” the cry is the same. Repent the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Belief that the blood moons signify something extraordinary is like believing that animal migrations signify something extraordinary. They are just too regular and predictable.
We are not sure how many or how far this teaching has spread. Google turned up Pastor John Hagee first, so we will go with what we found on his web sight. The Dispensationalists have taught that the eclipses of the moon are portents of the Second Coming, or the beginning of an apocalyptic tribulation event. Supposedly, four such blood moons are coming. While this is made to sound rather ominous and warlike, these blood moons are actually a known periodic celestial appearance.
What Hagee and others are teaching:
“THE COMING FOUR FULL BLOOD MOONS”
SERMON # 2
This Sunday we continue the sermon series, “The Coming Four Full Blood Moons” in the pursuit of the Biblical meaning of the four blood moons predicted by NASA to begin in April 2014 and conclude in October 2015.
Here is what we know for sure!
1) God created the heavens and the earth and the sun, moon and stars are totally controlled by his power.
2) The story of Joshua, Hezekiah and the three wise men following the star to the location where Jesus was is Bible validation of God’s absolute control of the universe.
3) Genesis 1:14 states that God has put lights in the firmament and let them be for “signs.” The Hebrew word for “sign” is “owth” which means also “a signal.”
4) Jesus said in Mark 13:24-46, “But in those days the sun shall be darkened (eclipse) and the moon shall not give its light (eclipse) then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
5) Joel 2 and Acts 2 both state; “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness (eclipse) and the moon into blood (eclipse) before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.”
Now NASA has stated a fourth blood moon series is about to appear in April of 2014. What does it mean? We will pick it up from this concept Sunday morning. See you there.
Pastor John Hagee
This is not only bad theology but, it is also bad science.
The standard rules of hermeneutics require that the reader separate the literal passages from the symbolic and prophetic ones. The verses quoted by Hagee have been mixed in an irrational and specious manner.
The “I feel, I think, I believe, or the Spirit told me” form of hermeneutics that is so popular in the post modern church, is not based in sound interpretation. There is a need to establish a reasonable logical way of looking at these passages. All interpretation should be able to be tested to standard hermeneutics, without lauding or questioning someone’s spiritual state. All things are confirmed by two or more witnesses, including scriptural interpretation.
One of the oldest rules of hermeneutics is: “The Bible is its own best commentary.” That is the most accurate way to learn how to interpret prophecy. Our first search is to look at prophecies that have already been fulfilled. There are reoccurring themes and vocabulary, and turns of phrases and language patterns that can be compared or matched to other references of the same events and actual history.
Unfulfilled passages become easier to analyze and perhaps, hypothesize, as to what possible meanings are appropriate. For example, a search of the language found in Daniel concerning the beasts from the sea is a case in point. These beasts have all been fulfilled as historic imperial powers. They were Babylon, Medio-Persia, Greece and Rome. A quick search for other beasts found in the bible should yield more information as to their usage as a symbols. Most beasts in the Bible are, in fact, animals. Where we find beasts described as coming up out of the sea, out of the earth, out of the abyss and being worshipped, etc. is in Daniel and The Revelation. Thus, we can reasonably conclude the beasts in The Revelation are likely to be imperial powers as well.
1. Yes, God is the creator and controller of the universe.
2. Yes, God is the creator and controller of the universe.
3. Signs generally refer to the signaling of the seasons.
The Hebrew word for sign has 8 different uses:
One decides which “sign” is meant by the context. In Gen 1 the context is the celestial orbs function which is “for signs and for seasons and for days and years”. So the “signs” were given for people to figure out a way of constructing a calendar. The “season” or rather “mo’adim”, meaning “the appointed times” , could be established. This is the same language used of the Biblical holy days, their “mo’adim” were to be be fixed.
Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year. Ex. 13:10 KJV
4. Jesus used prophetic and symbolic language to warn of an enormous change regarding the kingdom being taken from the Jews and given to another. (See Also: Matthew 24)
5. Joel and Acts are also a reference to this same change that Jesus spoke of.
The moving or shaking of the celestial bodies is a common theme in the Old Testament. They follow an established pattern. The pattern showed that abnormal behaviors of the sun, moon, and/or stars implied political change.
In Genesis 37, Joseph tells his family of his dream that the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed down to him. No scholar then, or since, has interpreted it as some kind of astronomical event. Joseph’s’ family did indeed bow to him; and the entire family came under his absolute control [Gen 43-50]. Joseph’s dream [Gen. 37:9-11] represented a change in the administration of his family, not the celestial bodies. No one would suggest that the sun literally bowed to Joseph!
The description of the fall of the Babylonian Empire uses almost exactly the same words [Is. 13:10].
Isaiah also calls the king of Babylon the planet Venus, and says he is fallen. Yet the planet is still in our skies although the empire of Babylon fell long centuries ago [Is. 14]. (See Also: Lucifer)
Stars are also used to explain the state of things when all the nations are gone and only God reigns[Is. 24.23].
The lamentation over the demise of Pharaoh is described as a darkness coming on Egypt[Ezek. 32:7]
See also [Am. 8:9; Hag 2:6,21]
It is clear from these passages, that in Biblical prophecy heavenly bodies behaving in strange and exotic ways symbolically indicates a change in the political structure, not a literal one catastrophic cosmic event. But the Dispensational futurists still insist on a literal meaning. We all need to acknowledge and learn the correct usage of symbols, metaphors, parables, etc. and their use as a literary device. They do not negate the message, but rather often form the most common of understandings among the readers. Hence, the “sky is falling, the sky is falling” from the children’s tale of Chicken Little also becomes a metaphor for calamity.
So lets look at some literal verses. There are only THREE verses in the Bible with blood red moons, NOT FOUR!.
The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and manifest day. Acts 2:20
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, Rev. 6:12
In the Acts passage, Peter is quoting the Joel passage and saying that it is being fulfilled in front of their eyes. So this can not be a prophecy about OUR future. It was about the fall of Jewish polity. From this moment Rome began to become less and less tolerant of the Jewish nation. As they had rejected their Messiah, God now moved to make the Roman Empire to reject them. Forty years later the temple lay in ruins, never to be rebuilt and the kingdom was fully given to the Gentiles. [See Also: Dream, dreams or see visions, and Kingdom Parables]
That leaves only the Revelation 6:12. As Historicists, we believe that Chapters 6-7 of The Revelation are about the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Remember the beasts? It is interesting to note that after Rome fell, the next time period in earth’s history is called the Dark Ages. But, even if you are a good little dispensationalist and believe that the very first verse in The Revelation is to be disregarded, there is still only ONE future blood moon.
There have been numerous times in our past when “blood red” moons have appeared with eclipses. The phenomenon is well known to astronomers and for that matter astrologers. Eclipses happen on a well established schedule work out by astronomers millennia ago. They surprise no one who is paying attention to the signs or has a almanac.
Lunar eclipses occur when the sun, earth and moon sit in alignment and the earth blocks sunlight from reaching the moon. Usually, we can only see the moon because it reflects sunlight. But during an eclipse, the source of light is blocked and the moon’s disk goes unusually dark. However, the moon doesn’t completely disappear since the gasses in our atmosphere act to bend sunlight, blocking the blue end of the spectrum, and allowing only the red part of the solar spectrum to get though to the moon. Sometimes this has the effect of turning the moon a deep red, often blood red color. The mechanism behind this phenomenon is called “Rayleigh scattering.”
But ecliptic moons are only sporadically blood red. They range in colors from dark brown and red to bright orange and yellow. Just how red it will appear during totality will depend on the conditions in our atmosphere. If there is a lot of dust and ash from a volcanic eruption, for example, the lunar surface may turn a dark brown, but if the atmosphere is clear, it may turn a striking blood red. It’s never easy to predict quite how it will look, so keep your eyes peeled.
Unlike solar eclipses where the moon blocks the sun from our view in only a few locations on the planet, for lunar eclipses, as long as you can see the moon then you will see the eclipse.
The Night of the Blood Red Moon
Using the sun, moon, and/or stars as portents of future events is not astronomy nor prophecy, IT IS ASTROLOGY.
Such superstitious non-science and practices are forbidden in the Bible [Deut 18:10-11]. And those who practice such deceptions are to be eliminated.
“You shall not permit a sorceress to live. Ex. 22:18
See Also: Is it Holy or Satanic?
Hopefully that is enough salve to cure the rash of plumber’s butt going around the regular church.
The scholars will tell you, that The Revelation is like all other apocryphal books, that were popular at the time. After having read a quite few of these, Tola feels it is safe to say that, “in fact the Revelation is like none of these books. It is however exactly like the Old Testament book of Daniel.
To fully understand The Revelation one must first start with the book of Daniel. They are twin prophecies. It is essential in the study of prophecy (i.e. Eschatology) that one reads these books in order. An understanding of the symbolism in the fulfilled Daniel gives light and reference to the unfulfilled of The Revelation. Daniel 12 ends with the prophecy being sealed and The Revelation chapter 4 begins with this sealed prophecy being opened. Both books have passages of narration, interrupted by sequential prophecies. Daniel’s narration appears to be personal and historic in nature, but when looked at closely, only the opening chapter is without prophecy. The rest of the narration’s have typological prophecies in them, often unnoticed by the casual reader, but none the less clearly there.
Both books are full of fantastic beasts. Daniel’s are separate and distinct animals [Dan 7& 8], whereas The Revelation, has a composite beast [Rev 12] made up of all the beasts Daniel introduced. Daniel’s little horn of chapter 7, becomes its own beast in Rev 13:11ff.
Daniel Prophecies ends with the death of the first Caesar of Rome [Dan 11:45], and the Revelation picks up the story with a pre told History of this last Empire of Rome. The few intervening years between the books are taken up with the history given in the New Testament. The Revelation again takes up the story of this fourth Empire starting in 96 AD, and gives a lengthy and detailed explanation of how it proceeds in its relationship with God’s people.
In The Revelation chapter 4, John sees the sealed book. He really wants to know what is in it. The angle calls for someone worthy to open this book. No one is worthy. John begins to cry. He really wants know the prophecies in the book. He knows the despair of wanting to know something he now fears he will be denied. Then one of the 24 elders informs him that its all right, because the Lion of the tribe of Judah can open the book. But when John looks, it is not The Lion he sees, but The Lamb that is standing there.
Daniel’s sealed prophecy can not be opened until the Lamb had proved that He was worthy. He must have been slain and raise from the dead to prove that His worth.
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Rev. 13:8b
Every Hebrew for 3000 years, had been looking for the Lion of the tribe of Judah [Gen. 49:9]. But when He showed up He was The Lamb. He looked nothing like what they had come to expect. They had been taught by the rabbis that He would destroy Rome and establish a Jewish kingdom. But He announced that His kingdom was not of this world. They did not understand that He came to establish His worth, and he did this by letting the Roman Empire mock and crucify Him. For all the world, it looked like Rome had won. But only for three days.
Daniel 12 sealed the rest of the Prophecy, all he was told were the dates.
Blessed is he who waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. Dan. 12:12
This is where we are, we are at the 1335. Are you looking for a Lamb or a Lion? Is your idea of what will happen the truth, or someone opinion? Who are you listening too? Are you reading books about what the Bible says, or the Bible? Are you listening to what the preachers say, or are you reading the Bible? Have you read and understood Daniel, and the history it for told? Because only then can you move on to seriously look at The Revelation.
none of the wicked shall understand; but those who are wise shall understand. Dan. 12:10b
To begin at the Beginning of the Commentaries start with Hermeneutics.
INTRODUCTION
TO
PROPHECY
SIR ISSAC NEWTON 1642 – 1727
Isaac Newton 1689 by Godfrey Kneller
Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John
“ The folly of Interpreters has been, to foretell times and things by this Prophecy, as if God designed to make them Prophets. By this rashness they have not only exposed themselves, but brought the Prophecy also into contempt. The design of God was much otherwise. He gave this and the Prophecies of the Old Testament, not to gratify men’s curiosities by enabling them to foreknow things, but that after they were fulfilled they might be interpreted by the event, and his own Providence, not the Interpreters, be then manifested thereby to the world. For the event of things predicted many ages before, will then be a convincing argument that the world is governed by providence.” pg. 251
“For understanding the Prophecies, we are, in the first place, to acquaint ourselves with the figurative language of the Prophets. This language is taken from the analogy between the world natural, and an empire or kingdom considered as a world politic.” pg. 16
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“And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him.”Deut 18:21-22 RSV
ESCHATOLOGICAL HERMENEUTICS
Or THE INTERPRETATION OF PROPHECY
There are four main schemes of interpretation regarding the book of The Revelation:
(1) the spiritual — the events described are only symbols of spiritual realities and struggles without any literal or historical application; (2) the preterit — everything has already been fulfilled; (3) the futurist — all predictions are in the future; (4) the historical — the predictions are in the process of fulfillment.
These four interpretations fall under three hermeneutical (science of interpretation) schools of thought.
I Covenant Theology Interprets all scripture from the point of view that there are only two
covenants. This came from Gal 4:22-31. There are several names for these two covenant, but no matter what the individual author may call them there are only two, the Covenant of Law and the Covenant of Grace. This view spiritualize nearly all prophecy making The Revelation to be about the churches struggle with apostasy. All the promises God made to the Jews are for the church either literally or figuratively. The doctrine of election is emphasized.
A Spiritualist The book of The Revelation represents the battle between good and evil
in which good ultimately wins over evil. Nothing is literal or historical. This interpretation takes a mystical or allegorical approach to most of the book. Because of this spiritualization they of necessity do not hold to a literal millennium. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and later Augustine and Jerome followed this viewpoint. Recent interpreters who accept this view finds the book dealing primarily with the general struggle between the church and evil throughout the entire age, thereby giving encouragement to tested saints.
Such an interpretation, however, fails to expound the book meaningfully, and practically ignores the claims to its prophetic nature (Rev 1:3; 10:11; 22:7; 10; 18-19). It fails to recognize the interpretive key to the book (Rev 1:19) and focus on the second advent, including the climactic events which follow (Rev 1:7; 3:11; 16:15; 22:7; 12).
B Preterit All or most of The Revelation is fulfilled. Promulgated by a Spanish Jesuit
Monk by the name of Alcazar around the close of the 16th century, this was a Roman Catholic view, with the Pope as Christ on earth; making the dark ages the millennium. This view maintains that the prophecy was fulfilled with the defeat of the Jews, the enemies of the early church. Nero is considered the antichrist. The last half of The Revelation being vaguely future. From the 17th century on, preterits have held that the church’s conflict with Judaism is represented in Rev 4-11 and the churches conflict with paganism is depicted in chapters 12-19. Chapters 20 thru 22 describe her present triumph.
This position ignores the interpretive key of Rev 1:19, “Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter” (RSV). It gives arbitrary meanings to the symbols found in the book, and fails to account for the indications of a short span of time covering the events of ch. 4 thru 10 preceding the second advent. Variations of this view are used by many modern day cults who claim their leader is Christ on earth and they are about to enter their millennium.
II Dispensationalism A modern interpretation that views scripture through seven dispensations
of covenants corresponding to human history.Although there are numerous views of salvation the redemption of Jews, distinctive from that of gentiles, is a primary feature. Promoted by John Nelson Darby, Edward Irving and C.I. Scofield, the foundations originated with 16th century Jesuit Priest Ribera.
Ribera’s writings were a Roman Catholic rebuttal to the Reformers view of the office of Pope as the “antichrist”. The Futurist view of a secretrapture was first taught in England by Presbyterian Minister Irving. He translated another Jesuit Priest’s futurist writings, which followed the same distinctives. Irving’s preaching upon them eventually led to his dismissal from the church. A series of ecstatic utterances breaking out in his and other London churches disseminated the revelation of a future yet seven year tribulation.
Dispensationalists, in stark contrast to the Reformers, hold to the following positions:
A Futurist See nearly everything as being yet future. The most popular view, in modern evangelical circles holds to various dispensations regarding salvation, and gaps in the prophetic scriptures.
There are many variations in this viewpoint. Interestingly enough, the theory was first presented by a Jesuit Priest Rebera who lived near the end of the 16th century. Originally it was a 3 1/2 year tribulation, but by the time it came into the Protestant church it had grown to 7 years. It was introduced to Protestants in the 1820’s, from ecstatic visions claimed by Margret MacDonald, then to the Darbyites (Plymouth Brethren), followed by Scofield who incorporated the view into the Scofield Reference Bible.
III Progressive Revelation God reveals himself to man in a series of Progressive Revelation. These revelations have been made though His work: Ps. 19:1, Rom 1:18-23, His Word: Jn 1:1-5, and His Son: Heb 1:1-4ff. A fourth revelation of God, His Glory: fuller and more perfect than any other, is yet given Rev 22:4.
Progressive revelation is like an artist painting a picture. He knows what His painting will look like when finished, however the onlookers see the work as it progresses. “One stroke” or revelation at a time, the Lord brings into sharper focus the final image or a fuller understanding of prophetic events.
One example of fulfilled revelation is in the Messianic prophecies:
A Gen 3:15 Enmity between the woman’s seed and the serpent’s.
B Gen 9:25-27 Blessed be Shem.
C Gen 12:3 By you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.
D Gen 49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah.
E Deut 32:18 The Rock that begot you.
F Ps 118:22 The rejected cornerstone.
G Isa 7:14 Virgin birth.
H Isa 11:1 Coming from Jesse.
I Isa 42:2-3 A willing sacrifice.
J Isa 53:4-6 Our iniquity fell upon Him.
K Isa 55:3-5 He will come from David.
L Isa 59:20 He comes to Zion as Redeemer.
M Dan 9:24-27 Daniel revels the timing of the Messiah.
N Hos 11:1 Messiah comes out of Egypt.
O Zech 9:9 Describes the triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
It is not surprising that in all of Israel there were only two people (Simeon and Anna Lk 2:25-38) waiting in the Temple when Jesus arrived to be circumcised. If you had only these prophetic artist’s strokes, could you have recognized the complete picture and been waiting with Simeon and Anna?
A HistoricistThe Historical or Historicist view interprets the book of The Revelation as symbolic and in the process of fulfillment. It sees the fulfillment of prophesies in the history of the church beginning in John’s day thru this present age of time. The view has been popular since the time of Berengaud (9th cen.), and Joachim (12th cen.). Wycliffe, Luther, Joseph Mede, John Foxe, John Bunyan, Sir. Isaac Newton, Bengel, Barnes, Rev. Edward Bishop Elliott A.M., H. Grattan Guinness, F.R.G.S. and others held to it. Most would agree that the Bishop of Rome is the “Antichrist” and that “Babylon the Great” is the Roman Catholic church. This way of understanding the book was held by every commentator who wrote upon it until the end of the sixteenth century.
“Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” Luke 21:24
The Historicist views the prophecies of Daniel and The Revelation as the interpretation to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great, metallic statue. The image symbolically portrays four gentile empires beginning with Babylon, each empire giving way to the next, progressively unfolding without gaps in time. God’s sovereignty over human history is chronicled in amazing detail. The great image of gold, silver, brass, iron and iron and clay was interpreted by Daniel to be the “image of the beast” kingdoms of Babylon, Medio-Persia and Greece. The fourth “terrifying” beast of iron is generally accepted as Rome. The feet of iron and clay would rule until the “stone not made of human hands” would crush the empires and our Lord’s kingdom begins to fill the earth. These gentile kingdoms are assigned a duration of seven times or 2520 years and are referred to as The Full Times of the Gentiles.
Daniel’s prophecies are chillingly accurate and are told from the perspective of the nation of Israel. Several prophecies, most notably the “Seventy Weeks” are written to the Jews specifically. From Babylon to the “fatal wound” of the fourth beast, Rome, the time designated is called time, times and half a time, or 1260 years. Daniel is told at the end of his prophecies to “seal up the scroll”. Further explanation of the Full Times of the Gentiles was concealed until the time of the end. In the book of The Revelation, John is taken to the throne room and sees the “Lamb that had been slain” “unseal the scroll”. What follows is the remainder of the prophecy of the gentile kingdoms.
The book of The Revelation opens with a special message to seven churches, the Israel of God, fixing the remainder of the times within the Church age. John describes the beast out of the sea, the beast of iron, in similar manner as is found in the book of Daniel, and therefore makes the connection to the Full Times of the Gentiles. It is John’s visions however, that provide the identity of the beast out of the earth, or the clay, in the feet of iron and clay. The majority of the prophecy of The Revelation concentrates on the 10 kingdoms, the little horn out of Rome, and the whore of Babylon which appear after the fall of Rome. The “beast out of the earth” makes war against the saints for a “time, times, and half a time”, or 1260 years.
PROPHETIC DAY PUT FOR A YEAR
Moses forewarned the Israelites that because of breaking covenants, especially the Sabbaths, sudden terror (The Babylonian Captivity) would come upon them. When they returned, if idolatry continued, the punishment would be seven times [Lev 26]. Ezekiel is told the punishment will be for 360 years; given as a day put for a year. Israel’s subjection to the gentile kingdoms is assigned chronological limits of seven times 360 years of punishment or 2520 years. Prophetic language of this gentile rule is mentioned in the book of Daniel as time, times, and half a time, 1290 days, 1335 days, and 2300 evenings and mornings. In The Revelation it is written as 1260 days, 42 months or time, times and half a time. The most convincing evidence for this is the historical record itself. It must be remembered that we are looking at possibilities. While God is precise, we lack all the knowledge, especially the conclusion of the prophecy fulfilled to make a precise declaration of the Full Times of the Gentiles.
Seven Times:
Time, Times and half a time: Time, times and half a time:
Captivity Era 1260 Lunar Years 2520 Lunar Years
747 BC ——————————- 476 AD —————————- 1699 AD
The first possibility of a time frame for the Full Times of the Gentiles is the initial date of the captivity era of Israel and Judah in 747BC with Nabonassar, the first king of Babylon. Twelve hundred sixty lunar years (1222 1/2 solar years) forward brings us to the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the apostate Roman Church, the whore of Babylon!
From the fall of Rome in 476AD to the Treaty of Ryswick in 1699AD is the last half of the time, times and half a time. Another period of 1260 lunar years from the rise of the apostate church, the Church of Rome, brings us to the beginning of the termination of the power and authority of the papacy. the Treaty of Ryswick, 1697AD politically established the Protestant religion.
The final possibility of a time frame for the Full Times of the Gentiles is the last dating of the captivity era of Israel and Judah in 587BC.
587BC——————————– 637AD——————————– 1860AD
The last dating of the captivity era in 587BC was the final fall of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar. Time, times, and half a time or 1260 lunar years (1222 1/2 solar years) forward leads us to the eastern empire and a date connected to the rise of Mohammedan power in 637AD Omar, a Caliph, took Jerusalem and by 691AD had built the Dome of the Rock that stands on the Temple site to this day.
From the rise of the eastern Mohammedan powers over the land of Israel in 637AD, to 1260 lunar years forward we arrive at a date of 1860AD. The Peace of Carlowitz stripped the Ottomans of much of their power and territory in the Middle East. In addition, the formation of the Universal Israelite Alliance marked the beginning stages of the Jewish renaissance and return to her homeland as predicted in Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones.
When these times end, an unspecified stretch of time leads to the Jew’s regathering to Israel, repentance, acceptance of their Messiah, and His (second) coming restores all things. At the end of this epoch, the “sanctuary” or the place where Messiah himself will reign from will be (becoming) cleansed. These time periods only indirectly imply a soon return of Messiah after the close of the full times of the gentiles.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue kingdoms are ultimately destroyed by “the stone, not made of human hands” that crushes the feet and cause all the kingdoms of the world to fall.
It must be remembered throughout the study of this prophecy: the 2520 years is the time of the gentile’s domination over Israel, not a prediction of the second coming of Jesus Christ. While it is tempting to speculate as to what the future will bring, prophecy is clearest when fulfilled. Date setting is fraught with many difficulties; chief among them is seemingly discrediting the Word of God.
We hope to show in the following study of Daniel and The Revelation, the historical fulfillment of the majority of the Full Times of the Gentiles.
HISTORISIST ASSUME
THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS
1 That in symbolic prophecy a “day” is put for a year and a “time” of 360 years.
2 That Daniel’s prophetic vision of the fourfold metallic image and of the four beasts have been fulfilled in the histories of the Babylonian, Persian, Grecian and Roman Empires.
3 That “Babylon the Great” in Rev 17 is the Roman Catholic Church.
4 That the little horn of Daniel 7 represents the Papal dynasty, and the little horn of Chapter 8 is, as to its final form, the Mohammedan power, the one arising out of the Roman Empire, and ruling in Western Europe; the other arising out of one of the divisions of the Greek empire, and ruling in Eastern Europe and in Asia.
out of Light for the Last Days pg 17
by H. Grattan Guinness in 1887
We Do Not Believe:
1 In a 7 year tribulation at the end of the Church age and preceding the millennium. Therefore, there is no separation between Daniel’s 69th and 70th week.
2 That the “abomination of desolation” will be fulfilled in a future antichrist who declares himself god in a rebuilt temple.
3 That most of the book of The Revelation is future, yet to come.
4 In wild speculation concerning future events, dates, etc.
GENERAL HERMENEUTICS
Or HOW TO INTERPRET THE BIBLE
The Bible is an ancient book with languages and customs unlike our own. It is essential to the understanding of the reader to be acquainted with basic rules of interpretation (hermeneutics) and recognized resources which aid in study.
I General Principles:
A Context: All passages must be read in their full context. The Bible as a whole is unified in its teachings and any part must support the doctrine of the whole.
B Normal usage of words requires:
C Understanding the history and geography of the writer as well as cultural and religious contexts.
II Literary devices:
A Similes; a figure of speech comparing one thing, often with as or like, to something of a different kind or quality.
B Metaphors; a word or phrase denoting on the kind of object or idea used in place of another suggesting a likeness between the two.
C Hyperbole; extravagant exaggeration of statement; a statement exaggerated fancifully, as for effect.
D Rhetoric; skillful or artistic use of speech.
E Paradox; an assertion or sentiment seemingly contradictory, or opposed to common sense, but that yet may be true in fact.
II Special Interpretation:
Prophecy like science has its own peculiar language: “for understanding the prophecies, therefore”, as Sir Isaac Newton justly observes, “we are in the first place to acquaint ourselves with the figurative language of the prophets.”
A Promises and warnings are often told through the use of prophetic language.
B Most prophecy contains literal and symbolic language:
2 Figurative or veiled language is truth told through symbolic speech, in which one object is representative of another.
3 Symbolic language is often interpreted by scripture:
4 Consistent use of figurative language is essential:
III Typology: Sometimes called Double Prophecy
Excessive dependence on typology can lead one to neglect the plain meaning of the text.
1 Definition of Type:
The Greek term ”tupos”, occurs 16 times in the New Testament. [Jn 20:25; Acts 7:43; 7:44; 23:25; Ro 5:14; 6:17; 1 Cor 10:6,11; Phil 3:17; 1 Thess 1:7; 2 Thess 3:9; 1 Tim 4:12; Tit 2:7; Heb 8:5; 1 Pet 5:3]. A person, event or thing resembling another; they are called type and antitype; and the link which binds them together is their similarity. You might say that Types are pictures or object-lessons, by which God taught His people concerning His grace and saving power. The first [type] is usually physical and the second [antitype] is usually spiritual.
Next Chapter: Daniel Chapter 2
Nebuchadnezzar by William Blake
Just when one thinks that one has read and understood the Bible, some odd little thing sticks out to make one think. So it is with the case of the madness of Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel chapter 4
King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has wrought toward me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. I had a dream which made me afraid; as I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. Therefore I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in; and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation. At last Daniel came in before me — he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods — and I told him the dream, saying, “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is difficult for you, here is the dream which I saw; tell me its interpretation. The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; and its height was great. The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. Its leaves were fair and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the air dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
“I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven. He cried aloud and said thus, ‘Hew down the tree and cut off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit; let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven; let his lot be with the beasts in the grass of the earth; let his mind be changed from a mans, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven times pass over him. The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will, and sets over it the lowliest of men.’ This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a moment, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth; whose leaves were fair and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all; under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the air dwelt — it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth. And whereas the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Hew down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field; and let him be wet with the dew of heaven; and let his lot be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him’; this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will. And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be sure for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you; break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your tranquillity.”
All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and the king said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; and you shall be made to eat grass like an ox; and seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” Immediately the word was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men, and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.
At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives for ever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing; and he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What doest thou?” At the same time my reason returned to me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven; for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to abase.
The sacred tree or tree of life is a universal concept in the ancient world. Nearly ever culture at the time had some reference to it.
In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream this tree was cut down, it was banded with iron and bronze which will prevent any sprouts from coming out of the stump and would in all probability kill the roots. The king is extremely worried, for in Babylonian and Assyrian mythology the sacred tree often represents the king or his kingdom. (It is interesting that Ezekiel uses the same sacred tree imagery for the king of Assyria in Ezekiel 31.) The king and everyone of his court advisers must have known that this dream meant nothing good for the future prospects of the king. But none of them had the courage to state the obvious. It is an all too common problem for an all powerful leader, king, or emperor, their counselors would rather bring pleasing news that honest counsel and guidance. The information and answers provided them often come from those who desire to flatter and complement in order to acquire prominence of position or gain wealth. But Nebuchadnezzar knows one of his advisors will give him the unvarnished truth. Daniel is the man of integrity, that the king knows he can turn to. Daniel tells him what he doesn’t want to tell, he would rather this was meant for some unnamed enemy of the kings, but regrettably, just as the king already must have suspected in his heart, the tree represented the king.
One year latter while Nebuchadnezzar is boasting of his personal greatness. He is struck down with what would now be called a clinical case of lycanthropy/zoanthrope- the delusion that one is an animal. He believes he is an ox and he behaves like one for seven years. Then his right mind is returned to him, and he repents of his pride.
That is what happened historically. However typologically Nebuchadnezzar seven years of being cursed with a bestial character stands for the 2520 years that the bestial empires have ruled over that little sliver of land called Israel. That is 360, which is the length of a “time” given to Noah, times 7, or seven times. All the math is in our post Prophetic Calendar. This is the same amount of time that was given in [Lev 26] as the amount of time Israel would be under gentile rule for her disobedience. The time is up. Israel is back in the land. The question is why has she not repented?
In chapter 7 of Daniel, the empires of the world are symbolically represented as beasts, a lion for Babylon, a bear for Medio-Persia, a leopard for Greece, and a terrible beast for Rome. As Nebuchadnezzar’s condition was degraded to that of a beast, so shall these empires be morally degraded. They shall be lead by leaders who are pride full, self-exalting, and demanding to be worshiped as a god themselves. Just as Nebuchadnezzar was restored to his right mind, we should expect that at the end of the 2520 years of the times of the gentiles, the nations shall also be restored to their right minds. They will once again come to their right minds and realize that that the Most High rules the kingdom of men. No longer will they be plagued by this bestial insanity. They will not longer behave as beast. But once again realize that they are in the image of God, and as such responsible to treat all with respect that that great awareness brings.
Everything I have ever read from the Historicists who came before us, expected the Church to be in rebellion [Rev 3:16] and Israel to be repentant, at the end of this 2520 years. Well the church is certainly in rebellion but so is Israel. She may have returned to her ancient land but she has not returned to her God. So we must wait and watch, for the time is up.
Previous Chapter: Daniel 2
Next Chapter: Daniel 7
The prophet sees the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea. Letting scripture interpret scripture; in Genesis 1:2 wind is symbolic of the controlling power of the Spirit of God over the world. In Rev 17:15 scripture explains that the sea represents peoples, nations, and tongues. By this we can then surmise that Daniel’s dream shows how the Spirit of God governs all history or His Story. No nation or king ever came to power but by the foreknowledge or preordination of God.
“till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will.” Dan 4:19-27
The Four Beasts Here is the great procession of the imperial history of the western world. Four fantastic looking and exotically behaving beasts represent these four great empires that have ruled the world from the time of Daniel until the present. These empires are beasts like in that they come to destroy, pillage, and demolish and yet are never completely destroyed. The customs and deities of one empire were never truly lost as the conquering empire merged the local culture, customs, and religions with their own, incorporating local deities with their own concepts of the gods.
Nebuchadnezzar was the eldest son of Nabopolassar, the founder of the neo-Babylonian Empire. He reigned from 605 to 562BC. As crown prince he had defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish and won all of Syria and Palestine. On hearing of his father death he returned to Babylon and was crown king in the same year. He laid siege to Tyre for 13 years and punished Judah for its defection to Egypt by capturing Jerusalem in 597BC. This would be when Jehoiachin was taken captive and Zedekiah was made king in his place. He then fought a rebellion at home in 595BC soundly defeating his opposition. In 589BC Zedekiah rebelled, which resulted in reprisals by the Babylonians. The entire country was laid waste and Jerusalem was sacked in 587BC.
The Babylonian Empire’s power began to crumble as continuing wars with the neighboring Assyrians weakened the empire. As it weakened, its lion-like heart gave place to that of a man’s. The kingdom was no longer the great power that it had once been. Nebuchadnezzar the great empire builder was gone. Belshazzar came to the throne to be the last of this imperial dynasty. The empire was tottering. Despite its extensive defenses, within 17 years Belshazzar would bring the empire to its final demise.
The golden head of the metal man was about to give place to the breast and arms of silver. Slowly the Medes and the Persian began to devour the outlying areas of the Empire, until finally they came in under the wall [Dan 5:30-31] crushing the great Lion.
The second beast was bear-likeRepresents the dual kingdoms of Media and Persia. [Dan 7:5] It is raised up on one side indicating that although the Persians came to the kingdom later than the Medes they were the more powerful with their leader Cyrus the Great at the head. Cyrus, like a bear, was renowned for his ability to see opportunities and seize them.
The bear had three ribs in its mouth. This is a picture of how a bear crushes the bones in order to get at the nutritious marrow. These three ribs were the three kingdoms of Babylon, Egypt, and Lydia, that made up the Babylonian Empire before it was crushed by the Medio-Persians.
Where the lion is a ferocious hunter, the bear is more of an opportunist, but it is also fierce and powerful. Medio-Persia was inferior in many ways to Babylon. Even-though Babylon was technologically advanced creating the great Hanging Gardens, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and having the ability to electroplate gold; many of the people of its empire viewed the Persians as great liberators. Cyrus exploited this. Babylon had removed large groups of peoples from their homes to other areas in its vast empire, creating unrest and tension. The Persians allowed these people to return to their homes. Taxes were lowered. Commerce thrived as the royal road from Sardis in Asia Minor to Susa the capital was maintained and the highwaymen in the mountains of Assyria were controlled. At its height the Medio-Persian Empire stretch from China to Egypt.
However, the Persians never completely controlled its border with Greece. There was constant tension. They only held what they did because of the strife that existed internally between the Greeks. When Philip of Macedon (the father of Alexander the Great) united the Greeks, the Persian Empire was doomed to crumble.
Represents Greece. The wings symbolize the swiftness and agility of its conquests. Crossing the Hellespont in 334BC Alexander the Great began his world conquest with sudden and amazing swiftness, he swept down upon the arena of nations to seize the scepter of world power. At the time of his death in 324BC he controlled a kingdom greater than any that had come before.
Upon his death, his generals, the four heads of the leopard, divided the Grecian Empire between them.
It is a terrible beast. [Dan 7:7] The Roman Empire, during the first century BC under the Triumvirate of Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar, began an expansion of the empire. Over time, it came to constitute most of Europe, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and a good deal of Asia. The Romans united the different peoples that made up their empire by co-mingling their own Emperor worship with the worship of local deities. Often they would rename the local deity for the Emperor.
Crushing the prevailing customs of local ethnic groups, the Romans shaped these variant people groups into one with the Empire. This ploy worked well with most groups for it was common in the ancient world to call local deities by many names as one name worked as well as another.
However, when they tried this co-mingling with the Jews and later with the sect of Judaism known as Christians there was far more resistance than they had ever encountered before. These two groups were unwilling to worship any idol or icon. This forced the Romans, for the sake of their own beliefs, to destroy the temple in Jerusalem and to try stamping out the early Christians through appalling persecutions.
This beast was more dreadful and cruel than all the rest just as the Roman Empire was more despotic than any other empire. Rome’s invincible might crushed all opposition, bringing nation after nation into slavery and subjection.
Just as the Metal Man in Daniel 2 had ten toes, this beast has ten horns and a little horn rising up from among the rest. [Dan 7:8] The Roman historian, Macchiavelli, named ten kingdoms that the Roman Empire divided into after the fall of Romulus Augustulus (the last Roman Emperor in 476AD). He named them as; Heruli, Suevi, Burgundians, Huns, Ostrogoth, Visigoths, Vandals, Lombards, Franks, and Anglo-Saxons. (see chart on Dan 2)
Comment: You may notice that the information on the beasts seems relatively brief while other sections, like the horns, seems long and full of information, there is a reason for this. The object of Scripture is to trace the story of God’s redemption for fallen man and how the natural world relates and affects the fortunes of His people. Scripture deals exclusively with the history of Empires and Kingdoms that have affected the Jewish people and the Christian Church. So the careers of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Pagan Rome are mentioned briefly, while the history of Papal Rome and Islam are given in detail because of their greater corruption, power and oppression over Israel; in the natural (the Jews), and in the spiritual (The Church).
“I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.” Dan 7:8
“I looked then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.” Dan 7:11
“and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up and before which three of them fell, the horn which had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and which seemed greater than its fellows. As I looked, this horn made war with the saints, and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints received the kingdom.
Thus he said; As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time.
But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey.” Dan 7:20-28
Before moving into the explanation here let us emphasize that “Most High” means God/ Messiah / Jesus; only He has an everlasting kingdom. All shall obey and serve God /Messiah / Jesus; no one else! Anyone who would claim this service and obedience for themselves is lying, is an impostor! Or in other words … an antichrist! This is what an antichrist does! He claims for himself the adoration and obedience that belongs to God. He claims that God has personally imparted that authority to him. This is a lie and needs to be exposed for the lie that it is so that we can begin to mend the deception. These deceptions blind us to the truth and will keep us from recognizing the fulfillment of prophecy.
The Little Horn comes up from among the ten horns. These ten horns are all on the Roman beast which means they cannot be from the Greeks or the Persians or the Babylonians, they can only be from the Roman Empire. Scripture says there will always be ten separate kingdoms or nations right through to the end. This means there will never be a One Transcendent Universal Power. Those, whose interpretation of scripture include a One World Power, although ingenious and attractive to our current mind set, are either misguided in their hermeneutics or out to propagate their own agenda. [Dan 2:43]
What king or kingdom arose out of the ten shortly after the fall of Rome in 476AD and has ruled them ever since? It has to be the Roman Papacy. The Papacy is Roman, its seat is in Rome, and its name is Roman Catholic (catholic meaning universal). Just as the little horn plucked up three of the other horns, so the Papacy put down three kingdoms early on in its career. These kingdoms were the Heruli in 493AD, the Vandals in 534AD, and in 553AD the Ostrogoths.
The Little Horn has great pretensions. It has eyes. The eye is symbolic of spiritual insight and wisdom. [Matt 6:22] We have offices of oversight [Ps 66:7] we talk of seeing when we come to understand something new, we ask people to look at something in a certain way when we really want them to think in a new way. The Little Horn is an office of oversight and falsely presents himself to have spiritual insight and the wisdom of God.
Note: In the book of The Revelation the little horn is represented, as a beast in it’s own right, however this beast comes from the earth rather than the sea.
This Little Horn also has a mouth, and speaks great things. He speaks words against the Most High. When a new Pope is crowned, a special mass is performed. The Pope rises, and wearing his mitre, is lifted by the cardinals, and is placed by them upon the altar to sit there. One of the bishops kneels and begins the Te Deum (We Praise Thee Oh! God). In the meantime, the cardinals kiss the feet of the Pope, etc. Roman Catholic writers call this ceremony
The Adoration is a ceremony that has been observed for many centuries, frequently medals are struck to celebrate the occasion. These medals contain the inscription, “Quem creant adorant” meaning, “whom they create they adore“. Such language is idolatrous!
If that doesn’t frost you, look at the papal medal issued by Pope Callistus III [1455-58], the reverse side reads OMNES REGES SERVIENT EI, a quote of Daniel 7:27 from the Latin Vulgate, translated in the Catholic Douay Rheims as “ALL KINGS SHALL SERVE HIM”. Remember from above we discussed how this scripture clearly refers to God, but this coin has a papal triple-tiered tiara above the cross implying papal authority as God’s designated representative having authority over even the kings of the earth. This is clearly an antichrist who is claiming God’s service and obedience for himself.
The Little Horn makes war with the saints and prevails over them. He wears out the saints. This cannot mean a short time. How could the church be worn out in just seven years, let alone 3 ½ years, as those mischievous futurists would have us believe? The text actually says that he will prevail over them for a time, 2 times and a half time, using a day for a year [Ezek 4:4-8] interpretation this would be 1260 years. This then begins to look exactly like the Inquisition. The Popes power lasted from the decree of Justinian in 533AD until the French Revolution in 1793AD; a total of 1260 solar years.
Believers in Christ have suffered greatly over the centuries. Most have kept the faith and few have ever turned away. It has only been in the last 150 years that the Protestants have stopped protesting. Many today have forgotten the teachings of the Reformers and have begun to fellowship with the Church of Rome. They claim that they do not want strife or division in the body, but in doing so they have forgotten that to be part of the body, to be a believer, you must be born again. Many in the Church of Rome will never hear this message if the true church is too afraid to speak out, even though, someone might be offended. Many Christians are still in the Church of Rome and will not leave her. God says, Come out of her my people. [Rev18:4] Those who refuse to leave will share in the judgment that will befall her.
God remembers all the little ones whom she has deceived and in the end, the Church of Rome will face judgment for the many lives that she has destroyed. In Rev 18:21, her destruction is compared to a millstone being thrown into the sea. [Mat 18:6] She is destined to be burned in the unquenchable lake of fire!
According to H. Grattan Guiness, the Church of Rome has worn out the saints in many ways.
Seeappendix: St. Bartholomew Day Massacre
“Thrones are placed and one that was ancient of days took his seat; his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; the throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. I looked then because of the sound of the great words which the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” Dan 7:11-14
The only one who can legitimately speak great things is the Ancient of Days, or the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. [Rev 13:8 KJV] However, as this judgment is taking place the little horn continues to speak great things. Even though Papal Rome lost its temporal power she struggled and manipulated and will continue till the bitter end to try to usurp the position of the Ancient of Days and the Lamb in the hearts of men.
As Daniel looked on the beast was slain, and thrown into the lake of fire. [Rev 19:20] As for the rest of the beasts, their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. [Dan 7:12] It would seem that Iran, Iraq, and Greece will still be around for a short time, even though, Rome will be gone.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER: DANIEL 4
NEXT CHAPTER: DANIEL 8
A Historicist look at THE RAM AND THE HE-GOAT
DANIEL 8
It was the third year of the reign of Belshazzar, approximately 553BC. Daniel saw or had a vision in Susa, by the river Ulai, which was the capital of the province of Elam, and later became the capital of the Persian Empire. Whereas the prophecy of the four beasts [Dan 7] began with Babylon, the prophecy of the Ram and the He-Goat begins with Medio-Persia. The Ram represents the Medes and Persians. The He-Goat represents the Greeks.
While the Babylonian Empire was strong it had pushed the Medes north and east, but now things began to change. Babylon’s rule weakened as Belshazzar was more interested in amusements, than in maintaining the Empire. He was confident that no one could breach the city walls.
The ram has two horns that represent the Medes and the Persians. Here is the dual empire of Medio-Persia that in Daniel 7 was represented by a Bear raised up on one side. Now we are going to be given more information about this dual empire. Where in the previous prophecy concerning the bear information was given regarding the rise of the Medio/Persian Empire, in this prophecy information is given as to is demise.
One horn is higher than the other. This horn came up last. The Persians were greater than the Medes but came to power last. Cyrus the Great, descendent of Achaemenes (you know the Owl from the Disney movie The Sword and The Stone), became ruler of the Persian district of Anshan in 558BC, which was under the control of the Medes. Five years later having had enough of the Medes, Cyrus takes things in hand and captures the king of the Medes, Astyages, marries his daughter and declares himself King of the Persians.
The Ram came charging the west, north, and south. No kingdom stood before him, he magnified himself. Medio-Persia conquered the (west) kingdom of Lydia in 546BC. They conquered (north) Babylon in 539BC, and conquered (south) Egypt in 525BC.
As in most empires civil unrest and revolution signal the approaching end of an empire. As the empire weakened from within, another empire was gaining strength and suddenly Alexander the Great swooped in and broke off the two horns of the Ram.
FYI: In case you’re looking at your Historical Atlas and scratching your head please make note: Think of these directions in relation to the previous empire of Babylon where Daniel lived at the time of the vision. Lydia is to the west of Babylon and Egypt is to the south. Now think in terms of these prophecies as being centered around the city of God, Jerusalem. Babylon is to the north of Jerusalem.
The He-Goator the Empire of Greece. Its notable horn represents Alexander the Great. Came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. [Dan 8:5] In only seven years, Alexander built an Empire that stretched across Asia as far as the Indus River in India, to the Caspian Sea and as far south as Egypt.
“Four conspicuous horns come up” Four kingdoms arose out of this Greek Empire but not with the same power. Upon Alexander’s death in 324BC his empire was divided between his four generals.
A Little Horn comes out of one of the four horns of the He-Goat. Because this little horn comes from the goat, we need to look for it to come out of the Greek Empire not any other. It only makes sense that if it grew mighty towards the south, east, and the glorious land (Israel) that it must come from the northwest part of the Greek Empire, which would be Syria under the Seleucids. This is then concerning what was historically called the Eastern Empire that later became the Ottoman Empire or the Porte.
Glorious Land in this verse is an assumption not a literal translation of the Hebrew. This word tseveytranslates to gazelle. Gazelle is used in Song of Solomon as a symbol of the bridegroom or Christ. Therefore, the glorious land or gazelle’s land is the bridegroom’s land.
The person and history of Antiochus Epiphanes is clearly the typological fulfillment of the prophecy. However, there is clearly a greater meaning since Antiochus never waxed exceedingly great. Although he did take away the daily sacrifice, he never threw down the place of the sanctuary. The Prophecy also states it shall be for many days, and at the end of the indignation. Antiochus lived too near the time of the prophecy for this to fit just him alone. A specific time is given as 2300 evenings and mornings. Antiochus only held the temple for about three years or 1095 days. If the 2300 days are to be understood as a day for a year, like all other time prophecies, then 2300 years could never be applied to just one man. Therefore, this must be a prophecy of a physical fulfillment (type) and a spiritual fulfillment (anti-type). [Ps 72; Is 7:14; Hosea]
It should be noted that Antiochus Epiphanies, the Romans, and Islam have all taken part in the desolation of Jerusalem. Antiochus and the Romans took away the daily sacrifice, and the Romans cast down the sanctuary. All three have defiled, and trodden it under foot. It is, however, only the last two that have cast down, the holy people and stamped upon and destroyed them.
This final trodding down must come from that part of the world that made up part of the Greek Empire; therefore its fulfillment cannot be the Romans. This has to be Islam, with its Ottoman Empire, also known as The Porte. In eight different crusades, Christendom failed to drive out the king of bold countenance (Islam) from Jerusalem and the area of Palestine. For more than 12 centuries, Islam has stood against the Prince of the Host, casting down the truth to the ground, practicing and prospering. [Dan 8:10-12]
Special Note: Daniel never did understand this part of the vision and was told to seal it away until the time of the end. [Dan 12:9] Daniel’s prophecy is detailed only up to the Days of the Messiah. The book of The Revelation picks up the prophecy at that point and carries on with it until the return of Christ.
This Little Horn (Islam) is apparently the companion to the Little Horn (Papacy) in chapter seven. Only this one rises from one of the four branches of the Greek Empire, whereas the other little horn had arisen from the Roman beast. These two Little Horns are twin apostate powers. Though their powers are small, gradually they both acquired their respective empires on the grounds of religion. The Papacy does not stand out more distinctly, as the Great Apostasy of the west, than Islam, as the great parallel Apostasy of the East. They both proudly oppose Christ, and fiercely persecute His people. One originating from within the church while the other comes from without but both originating in Judaism. They repress truth and have enjoyed a long and prosperous reign, too long for any one man to fulfill the prophecy. During this time, they have trodden down Jerusalem either literally or spiritually. While one was defiling and trodding down the Church, the other was doing likewise to Jerusalem.
At the latter end of their rule when the transgressors have reached full measure
The transgressors came corrupting Jewish society both from within and from without. Whenever the fortunes of Israel changed and they were under the control of a different empire the office of High Priest would also change. The office of High Priest had become the chief tax collector for the enthroned empire (Seleucids and Ptolemys). The office of High Priest became highly profitable, thereby sought after. Priests would buy the office by the selling of Temple vessels. By the time of the Messiah, the entire system of priests was so corrupted that the Messiah spent much time condemning the ruling classes. After the Jew’s rejection of their Messiah, Judaism began to degrade into superstition and mysticism moving away from Scripture to the teachings of the Rabbis and Cabala.
A king of bold countenance shall arise,one who understands riddles.
In the wake of all of the before mentioned kingdoms, a worse enemy to man’s soul arises. From the corrupted state of Judaism and Christianity arose yet another bane on the soul of man, that of the Islamic religion. With the birth of Mohammed about 570AD, a new apostasy arose out of the old to corrupt and oppress God’s people; and still to this day has a hold on many nations and souls. Mohammed’s desire was to rid his people of paganism by introducing them to the worship of the one true God for he understood the great riddle of syncretism. He knew that the Roman Catholic Church had integrated pagan idolatry into the teachings of the prophets and apostles. Likewise, the Orthodox Jews who had rejected the prophesied Messiah had replaced pure study of Scripture with rabbinical teaching and Cabalistic mysticism. Unfortunately, despite the undeniable recognition of the Bible in the Koran, it would appear that the prophet Muhammad and pagan Arabs had no direct access to the scriptures. Their only access to Scripture was through the Arab Jews, Christians, and the occasional trader.
The Arab Jews had fallen into widespread alienation from the Scripture due to intermingling paganism with their beliefs and practices. The religion of most Arab Jews consisted of superstition, mysticism and other non-canonical doctrines, and practices. In fact, many Jews and Christians were ignorant of the Scripture themselves, as they had lost the ability to read in Hebrew. The Koran itself suggests that they were more familiar with rabbinical writings than with Scripture and condemns them for not correcting this. [Sura 2:78-79]
Orators had taken great liberties through embellishment and application when orally translating the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic. In due time, these oral interpretations were written in Aramaic and called Targums. Because of the inaccessibility to Scripture in the Aramaic language these Targums where precious as the only source of the written word and often were sold as charms. However, as one can see these would have been useless to anyone seeking true spiritual enlightenment, they were too far removed from the original Scriptures to be of use. The Islam of today shows signs of the influence of some of the sects popular at that time, Nestorianism being predominant. Even though Mohammed’s original intent of ridding his people of idolatry and bringing them scriptures in their own language may have been a noteworthy endeavor, the result has been no better or worse than the Roman Catholic Church.
How long is this transgression and how long are the holy ones to be trampled?
The prophecy was given during the Babylonian captivity. At that time there was no place for the daily sacrifices to take place. This clearly indicates that a new temple in Jerusalem (Zerubbabel and Herod’s temple) would be restored and then desolated a second time thus taking away the daily sacrifices, once again. This prophecy must therefore in some way be connected with Dan 9:24 for they both have to do with the rebuilding of Jerusalem and it must include the temple being rebuilt. Dan 8:13 specifically calls out that because of sin the Holy One and the Host will be trodden down by religious persecution until 2300 years have elapsed. This trampling started with the Selucids, continued through the Romans, on to the Seljik Turks, ending with the Ottoman Empire. The Little Horn that sprang up started with the founder of the Seleucid Dynasty, Seleucus Nicator in 313BC.
Artaxerxes decree to rebuild Decree of Religious toleration Jerusalem by Ezra with the Ottomans
457BC ——————–2300 solar years ——————– 1844AD*
First Seleucid End of Ottoman Empire
313 BC ——————- 2300 lunar years —————— 1919 – 1920
Alexander the Great The Six Day War Takes Jerusalem defeating the Arabs
331 BC———————-2300 solar years————————-1967
2300 lunar years is equivalent to only 2232 solar years
*1844 The edict of Toleration stated “The Sublime Porte engages to take effectual measures to prevent henceforward the execution and putting to death of the Christian who is an apostate. Henceforward neither shall Christianity be insulted in my dominions, nor shall Christians be in any way persecuted for their religion.”
The decree was published in the 1260th year of the Hegira (Islamic Calendar). It is dated March 21st, 1844AD. This date is the first of Nisan in the Jewish year. It is exactly, to a day, 2300 years from the first of Nissan 457 BC, the day on which Ezra states that he left Babylon in compliance with the decree given in the 7th year of the reign of Artaxerxes.
By no human hand he shall be broken. [Dan 8:25] It should be noted further that Daniel and The Revelation represent this Little Horn as destroyed, not by the brightness of Christ’s coming nor suddenly in an hour, like Babylon the Great. It is described as broken without a hand, Dan 11:45 he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. In the book of The Revelation, this power is symbolically represented as the Euphrates River, which slowly dries up. [Rev 16:12]
In the early eighteenth century, the European powers became concerned that the Ottoman Empire was disintegrating. Fearing that Russia would take over the area they made many treaties, and otherwise propped up the Porte (Ottoman Empire). The Ottomans were slowly drying up as a unified nation. Until finally the once powerful Ottoman Empire collapsed during World War I. The League of Nations carved up the Ottoman Empire into the smaller Arabic countries we know today (the kings of the east Rev 16:12). Consequently, they no longer pose a unified military threat to Europe.
Here are more dates to consider
2300 years from Restoration Era (Persian)
Dan 9 Dan 8
Solar: 480 BC——————–6 BC—————————-1821 AD
Grecian Expedition of Xerxes Birth of Christ Greek War of Independence
Lunar: 480———————————————————–1753
Jewish Emancipation Act in England
Solar: 457————————–34 AD————————–1844
Ezra Decree the 7th Gospel to Edict of Toleration Artaxerxes Gentiles
Lunar: 457————————————————————————1776
USA Independence / Jewish equality before the law
Solar: 444————————33 AD—————————-1856-7
Nehemiah’s commission Gospel to Gentiles Treaty of Paris / the 20th of Artaxerxes after Crimean War
Lunar: 444——————————————————————–1789
East – War between Russian and Turkey
West – Destruction of the Bastille
Lunar: 432——————————————————————-1796/9
Nehemiah’s 2nd commission Napoleon Defeated Egypt the 32nd of Artaxerxes under the Mamelukes *
Solar: 408————————68 AD—————————1893
Ezra’s second return Jewish Wars Heavy taxes on Armenian’s caused revolt by 1894
Lunar: 408————————————————————-1825
Solar: 395———————–96 AD——————————1903
Nehemiah’s third return Patmos See Note 1
Lunar: 395————————————————————-1838
Egyptian insurrection of Mohamet Ali
* Napoleon ends the slave trade in the Mediterranean. Many Jews had been victims. The Jews of Israel support Napoleon and send a delegation to explain the messianic hopes embodied in his conquest.
Note 1 - Turkey accepts program drawn up by Austria and Russia at Murzteg (Austria) the three vilayets (officials) of Salonika (Greece). Monasir and Uskub were placed under a Turkish inspector general, who in turn, was under the supervision of Russia and Austrian civil agents. The gendarmerie (French Cavalry) was given an Italian commander, and French, English, Austrian, Russian, and Italian instructors.
Note 2 - The only other possible dates for the 2300 evening and morning prophecy are:
167 BC The temple that Zerubbabel built was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanies but Jerusalem was not at this time made desolate.
70 AD Titus razed the temple and Jerusalem to the ground. However, he did not really desecrate The temple, except for briefly putting a Roman Eagle (his legion’s standard) upon the temple mount, that they could find of it.
PREVIOUS CHAPTER: DANIEL 7
NEXT CHAPTER: DANIEL 9
A Historicist look at THE SEVENTY SEVENS OF DANIEL
Daniel 9:24-27
“Seventy weeks of years are decreed, concerning your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end of sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most Holy place, [or One]. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, [the Messiah] there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with streets and cisterns, but in a troubled time. And after the sixty-two weeks an anointed one [Messiah] shall be cut off, and shall have nothing and the people of a prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war; desolation’s are decreed. And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week; and for half of the week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” Daniel 9:24-27 personal translation
Hint of the day: Translators use a short cut for God’s unpronounceable name, sometimes miss-translated Jehovah, it will always be printed with lower case capitals. LORD or GOD
Daniel searches for understanding. During the first year of the reign of Darius, in Medio-Persia, Daniel, was studying the books, specifically Jeremiah, to determine the meaning of the prophecy. [Jer 25:8-11; 29:10] Fasting and praying in sackcloth and ashes, Daniel called on the LORD eight times, confessing his sins and the sins of the whole nation. He asked the Lord to remember His promise to return the people and the sanctuary and to give him understanding regarding the end of Judah’s 70 years of captivity, which was almost over. Gabriel was sent to give Daniel wisdom and understanding [Dan 9:20-23]; however Daniel’s request for an exact time was not addressed. Instead, Gabriel gave Daniel the most awesome prophecy of all time, covering the time from the end of the captivity to the coming of the Messiah!
“SEVENTY WEEKS HAVE BEEN DECLARED”
The language of this prophecy is similar to that of the Levitical code given in Lev 25. It is delivered in the same three-part format as the Jubilee cycle:
Levitical code:Dan 9:24-27:
One seven Seven sevens
Seven sevens Sixty-two sevens
Jubilee Year One seven
In Hebrew, the word, shauvuim, has been translated weeks; it would be more accurately translated as units of seven. So seventy sevens have been declared; 70 units of seven years is equivalent to 490 years.
FYI: Jesus was not crucified until AFTER the 69 weeks. Therefore, He was “cut off” in the middle of the 70th week. For more information on Daniel’s 70th weeks and the futurist position see End-Note: Futurism or what happened to the Tribulation.
Decrees issued to rebuild Jerusalem
Trained in Babylonian science, Daniel would have likely used a sidereal or stellar calendar of 360 days per year. The Hebrews used a lunar calendar of 354 days per year. Our own Gregorian calendar is 365 days per year. All calendars must be periodically adjusted to a true solar year. The ancient Babylonians and the Hebrews added a month about every three years. Our own Gregorian calendar adds one day every four years, (Leap Year). All these different calendars make it difficult to accurately set dates for events in antiquity. Reconciling the differences between the calendars has been a great puzzle. God clearly indicated that the sun, moon, and stars were all to be used in establishing time.
“Let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and year.” Gen 1:14
In 1754 M. de Cheseaux, using the book of Daniel, established a principle for figuring how far apart soli-lunar cycles are. He was then able to harmonize the calendars. He called his discovery the Daniel Cycles.
“Now this period, is astronomically, a soli-lunar cycle, in which the solar year gains on the calendar lunar year of 360 days, one entire year. Accurately, 367 days a calendar lunar year, and a week; one day and a fraction in excess of the 365 ¼ days of the true solar year, but nearer to it, than would be the gain of epact of either 69 or 71 years, the nearest possible therefore.”
THE APPROACHING END OF THE AGE by H. Grattan Guiness pg 415
More than one decree was made to rebuild Jerusalem and also for the return of the Jews to Israel. This has created great controversy as to the choosing of a date by which to begin ones calculations. However if one takes the different calendars into consideration the difficulty disappears. They all culminate at important dates that fulfill some portion of the prophecy.
480 BC Xerxes +490 lunar years = 6 BC the nativity.
457 BC Ezra’s 1st return * +490 solar years = 34 AD Gospel to Gentiles
444 BC Nehemiah’s 1st return +490 lunar years = 33 AD Gospel to Gentiles
425 BC Artaxerxes +490 solar years = 66 AD Jewish wars
408 BC Ezra’s 2nd return +490 lunar years = 68 AD siege of Jerusalem
395 BC Nehemiah’s 2nd return +490 solar years = 96 AD John writes The Revelation
*Archeological Evidence
There are Christians today who wish to rebuild the Temple. Will God allow a temple to be built today? [Heb 10; I Cor 3:16, 6:19] Are we to return to the “shadow” represented by the temple and its sacrifices? There is another recorded time in history when it was thought that rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple would be a glorious thing. They did not get very far.
“To the same hostile design against Christianity is to be referred the favor of Julian to its old hereditary enemy, Judaism. The emperor, in an official document affected reverence for that ancient popular religion, and sympathy with its adherents, praised their firmness under misfortune, and condemned their oppressors. He exempted the Jews from burdensome taxation, and encouraged them even to return to the holy land and to rebuild the temple on Moriah in its original splendor. He appropriated considerable sums to this object from the public treasury, entrusted his accomplished minister Alypius with the supervision of the building, and promised, if he should return victorious from the Persian war, to honor with his own presence the solemnities of re-consecration and the restoration of the Mosaic sacrificial worship. f80
His real purpose in this undertaking was certainly not to advance the Jewish religion; for in his work against the Christians he speaks with great contempt of the Old Testament, and ranks Moses and Solomon far below the pagan lawgivers and philosophers. His object in the rebuilding of the temple was rather, in the first place, to enhance the splendor of his reign, and thus gratify his personal vanity; and then most probably to put to shame the prophecy of Jesus respecting the destruction of the temple (which, however, was actually fulfilled three hundred years before once for all), to deprive the Christians of their most popular argument against the Jews, and to break the power of the new religion in Jerusalem. f81
The Jews now poured from east and west into the holy city of their fathers, which from the time of Hadrian they had been forbidden to visit, and entered with fanatical zeal upon the great national religious work, in hope of the speedy irruption of the Messianic reign and the fulfillment of all the prophecies. Women, we are told, brought their costly ornaments, turned them into silver shovels and spades, and carried even the earth and stones of the holy spot in their silken aprons. But the united power of heathen emperor and Jewish nation was insufficient to restore a work, which had been overthrown by the judgment of God. Repeated attempts at the building were utterly frustrated, as even a contemporary heathen historian of conceded credibility relates, by fiery eruptions from on subterranean vaults; f82 and, perhaps, as Christian writers add, by a violent whirlwind, lightning, earthquake, and miraculous signs, especially a luminous cross, in the heavens, f83 so that the workmen either perished in the flames, or fled from the devoted spot in terror and despair. Thus, instead of depriving the Christians of a support of their faith, Julian only furnished them a new argument in the ruins of this fruitless labor.”
HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH by Philip Schaff VOL. 3
Seventieth Week
“… the prophecy states that the Messiah was to be cut off before the close of the seventy weeks (or 490 years), ‘after’ the sixty-ninth had elapsed, and before the seventieth fully ran out; that is to say, in the course of the seventieth week. He was to be cut off ‘in the midst of the week’, i.e., of the last supreme week – the one week which is marked off from its fellows; the week which stands pre-eminent, not only among the seventy, but among all the weeks the world has ever seen; the week of seven years which witnessed the miracles, the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of the Son of man and Son of God. In the middle of this terminal week of the seventy Messiah would, according to the prophecy, be ‘cut off’, and by the shedding of His own blood would confirm the new covenant with ‘many’ – not with the nation of Israel, but with many, both Jews and Gentiles. He would also cause all Jewish sacrifice and oblation to cease by putting away sin forever ‘by the sacrifice of Himself’.
“. . . and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” . Dan 9:26
“… The prophecy asserts that the death of Messiah would be followed by the destruction of the second temple (the temple just about to be rebuilt by order of Cyrus), by a fresh cessation of the daily sacrifice (just about to be recommenced), and by a longer and more terrible judgment than the Babylonish captivity (just about to terminate); that Judah’s crowning sin in rejecting her Messiah would bring down God’s severest judgments upon her, which would rest upon the Jewish nation till “the times of the Gentiles” being fulfilled, Rome, the great desolator, should itself be desolated and judged, – an event which, as we learn from other Scriptures, will take place at the second advent. No chronology, however, is attached to this last event, the object of the prophecy of the “seventy weeks” being to measure the time up to the first, and not up to the second advent of Christ. Chronological measures, terminating in this latter, had been previously given to Daniel in connection with his earlier vision [Dan 7].”
LIGHT FOR THE LAST DAYS by H. Grattan Guiness pg 54-55
THE PROMISE OF THE PROPHECY
Israel never seemed to be able to keep The Law and for this God repeatedly punished them. Each time they were punished, they carefully kept away from idolatry for at least a little while. However, before long they would eventually, once again, fall into some sort of apostasy. Jesus was constantly chiding the Pharisees for finding ways to nullify the law. The Sadducees did not even believe in the resurrection and the Hellenists were trying to hide their Jewish identity. This seems a vicious circle never progressing to an end or finish. God had other plans, though, which he revealed through His prophets, an end to sin, and an opportunity for man once more to have a personal intimate relationship with Him.
“to finish the transgression . . . to bring in everlasting righteousness” Dan 9:24
In the person of Christ Jesus, all Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah is fulfilled. [Jn 5:39] From Adam’s first sin to the last sin of mankind, our eternal redemption was promised and is purchased for us by His blood, in this one solitary event. There is an element of timeless eternal sovereignty, for before the foundation of the world the Lamb was slain [Rev 13:8]; and yet, we who are His own possession are awaiting our full redemption. [Heb 9:11-12] Then we will be as He is, when mortality takes on immortality. [I Cor 15:52-53] The law, that foreshadowed His Atoning Sacrifice, is fulfilled through Christ and His work on the cross and in the resurrection. [Acts 3:18] He is the final and ultimate atonement for sin. [Heb 11:25-26]
These last seven years of the Seventy weeks fulfilled Gods promise of a Messiah the Redeemer. The Crucifixion of Christ in 29AD, was 3 ½ years after his anointing in 26AD and 3 ½ years before the apostles began preaching to the Gentiles. For 3 ½ years, the Messiah walked among the Jews, preached to them, healed them, touched them but in the end, they rejected him, and he was cut off. After his death, resurrection and ascension His disciples continued His ministry among the Jews but they were rejected, persecuted, and even killed. With His promise fulfilled to Jews, God now sent out His gospel and Spirit to the Gentiles, breaking off some of the natural branches while grafting in the wild branches. [Rom 11:17-24] Now both will share in the richness of God’s mercy and grace.
The anointing of the Holy One was to bring about six promises of God, reconciling us to Him, and making us free indeed, through His Son.
Note! The Seventy times Seven is for Daniel’s people, the Jews, not the church. It is not about the world empires. It is about the Jews. Remember this when you read Matt 24.
The gospel was to go to the Jews first, then the Gentiles. This coincides with Peter’s vision of preaching the gospel to Cornelius (a gentile) and the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. [Mk 16:15; 16:20; Acts 3:25,26; 8:4, 10; 11:19; 13:46; Rom 1:16] The general time of these events easily fits within the last three and one half years of the Seventieth week. There is no time left over or a gap in-between!
The Prince to Come
The prophecy continues on to the destruction of not only the Temple but of Jerusalem as well. The people of the prince have to be the Roman armies under the leadership of Titus. They acted as God’s tool to punish an unrepentant Israel who had rejected their Messiah. Josephus recounts the many horrors of 70 AD that show further fulfillment of prophecy given concerning the destruction, yet again, of the Temple.
With the destruction of the Temple, an end was made to sacrifice and grain offerings. Using the Roman armies God destroyed the Biblical ritual sacrificial system. Not only did God destroy His Temple but also he dispersed the Jews among the nations as captives, just as He had dispersed the idolatrous people who built the tower of Babel. To have been given so much, and to be so blind, puts one in such a hopeless state. To have had The Torah, a physical representation in the Temple, and the Son of God walking among you, yet to have missed the hour of your visitation is truly tragic. Will the grafted in branches fare any better when Christ returns?
Note: Futurism or what happened to the Tribulation
PREVIOUS CHAPTER: DANIEL 8
NEXT CHAPTER: DANIEL 10, 11 & 12
Daniel chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a metal man
A Historicist look at Daniel chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the then future Imperial Powers through world history.
DANIEL’S VISIONS
NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM
Daniel Chapter 2
Metal Man
When the seat of the world’s powers was still in the sun-baked Euphrates valley, and Europe was merely a backwater in this world, God knew that the course of imperial power would move from the east to the west. While Athens and Rome were insignificant villages, God saw the rise of their glory, the glittering parade of the successive empires to this present day, and beyond. World power does not mean the same to God as it does to man; and those who understand God’s mind, as revealed in His prophetic word, will share His own calm attitude concerning it. [Is 40:15, 17]
Omniscience is one of God’s marvelous, inexplicable attributes. He knows everything; He can see the end from the beginning. The past and the future are alike to Him. He is never taken by surprise. There was never a moment in history when He did not know what was going to happen next. His omniscience is revealed in the giving and fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecies.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream:
As a captive in pagan Babylon, Daniel may have thought himself to be useless to God and his people. In reality, he was in exactly the right place and time for God’s sovereign purpose. Nebuchadnezzar was having a hard time getting an interpretation for his dream. This is only because God had given the dream with the intent of Daniel giving the interpretation and the prophecy concerning it. Daniel, in spite of his circumstances, had proven himself righteous before God.
The Dream Interpreted: “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Rom 13:1
This metal image represents the world empires (gentile governments) from that very point in history until the end of human governments, as we know them.
The fall of the Babylonian Empire did not happen with the death of Nebuchadnezzar, but rather after the death of his successor Belshazzar. Nebuchadnezzar was not just the head of gold but represented the entire line of Babylonian kings. So it will be with all the empires, each section of the metal man will represent an entire line of an imperial dynasty
BabylonHead of Gold747-539BC
Medio-PersiaChest & Arms of Silver 539-334BC
Greece Thighs of Brass334-65BC
RomeLegs of Iron65BC-476AD
Feet of Iron & Clay 476AD-present
Ten kingdoms of the Western Roman Empire, who never become one again, due to the interference from the clay (which is the beast from the earth).
For a current list of all the nations that were once part of these Empires see 2012.
Gold Kingdom:“You O King art the head of gold” Dan 2:36-38
This is the Babylonian Empire, started by Nebuchadnezzar’s grandfather Nabonassar. This is one of the few dates in antiquity that is on solid ground; Nabonassar was crowned king of Babylon on Feb 26, 727 BC. His grandson Nebuchadnezzar II expanded the kingdom until it became an empire embracing much of southwest Asia. One can just imagine how puff up Nebuchadnezzar was at the words; you oh king are the head of gold. Of course he was, was there any doubt? His very name in Babylonian, Nabu-kudurri-usur, meant the god Nabu has guarded the estate (succession).
FYI:This date, the noon of Thoth I., has been astronomically determined as February 26th, 747BC, by the records of a series of eclipses and planetary positions extending through nine centuries, all measured from that point by the astronomers who recorded them, notably Ptolemy. These eclipses and planetary positions have been verified by modern astronomers, and have been use to pinpointed this date exactly.
Nebuchadnezzar was married to Amutis the daughter of Astyages of Media and in her honor built the Hanging Garden of Babylon one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. He greatly embellished his capital. The palace alone covered an area of more than 13 acres. There were five blocks of annex buildings facing a central courtyard. In the center of all this was a massive throne room measuring 60x55m, and decorated with blue glazed bricks. The imperial capital at Babylon was refurbished with new temples and palace buildings, extensively fortified walls and gates, and paved processional ways. It was at that time the largest city of the known world, covering more than 1000 hectares (some 2500 acres).
The Neo-Babylonian Empire was of short duration. In 539 BC, Cyrus the Great captured Babylon and incorporated Babylonia into the newly founded Persian Empire. Under the Persians, Babylon for a time served as the official residence of the crown prince, until a local revolt in 482 led Xerxes I to raze the temples and ziggurat (temple tower) and to melt down the statue of the patron god Marduk.
Silver Kingdom: “After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you,…”
Dan 2:39
This empire is represented as silver instead of gold making it inferior to Babylon just in economics alone. Scripture does not give its name here, but history reveals that it was the Medio-Persian Empire. Where the Babylonian empire was rich with gold, the Medio-Persians notably used silver; even their warrior’s armor was heavily adorned with it.
Cyrus the Great began to build the empire with the defeat of his Medan overlord in 550BC Cyrus, the first non-Jew ever referred to as anointed by Yahweh, or messiah, declared he would make good the wrong done by his predecessors. To facilitate this he sent the captives (including Jews) home, helped them rebuild their temples and allowed them their gods.
Kings of the empire included:
Bronze Kingdom:
“…and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.” Dan 3:39
The third empire was Greece represented by the belly of brass or bronze. With the Battles of Marathon, Salamis, and Arbela, the Greeks under Alexander the Great began to take over the Persian Empire. Little description is given here of this particular empire, but more will be given in later scriptures. Just as the Persians notably used silver on their armor, the Greek armor was largely made of Bronze.
Iron Kingdom:“And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces, shatters all things; and like iron which crushes, it shall break and crush all these.” Dan 2:40
The fourth empire is represented with the legs of iron, and refers to the Roman Empire. God gave Daniel more detail in regards to this fourth empire. Their weapons were made of iron and history verifies how the Roman Empire did smash and break all the previous empires. Where the Greeks had brought language and culture, the Romans brought governing by law and roads to expand commerce and trade to the known world.
Constantine divided the Roman Empire into two parts.One was the Western Empire ruled by the Bishops (or Popes) in Rome and the other was the Eastern Empire ruled by the Emperors in Constantinople (later known as the Ottoman Empire or The Porte).
Time progressed and the iron’s strength diminished due to the clay that is mixed into the iron, weakening the iron empire. The text tells us that this clay is miry which means it has not been fired. Only after clay has been shaped and fired does it become something of value and permanent. The clay because of its miry form can only be detrimental to the stability of the statue as a whole and eventually its downfall.
Because of this clay the empire divided into 10 kingdoms that only loosely adhere to one another. It was the Bishops of Rome who are the clay. In the beginning they were given governing authority within the Western Empire in an effort to stabilize and avert a total collapse of the governing system. The reality has been that these Bishops-turned-Popes have been the constant irritant that has caused many conflicts, palace plots, coups, and even wars.
The Ten Toes:
“And as you saw the feet and toes partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.” Dan 2:41-43
When this last empire, Rome, fell in 476AD it quickly divided into ten toes or ten smaller kingdoms. We should not look for these ten little kingdoms among any of the former territories of Babylon, Medio-Persia, nor the Greeks, as they have no part of the previous empires of gold, silver, or bronze. Sir Isaac Newton said that the 10 kingdoms must come from that part of the Roman Empire that was never part of the preceding empires. Over the centuries they have fought wars, signed treaties, and exchanged in marriage from within their royal houses. This activity sometimes created an extra little country here or there or combined two for a time. In the end, they always returned to ten separate kingdoms.
1 – When Rome fell they were called:
Anglo-Saxons, Bretons, Franks, Burgundians, Alemanni,Visigoths,
Suevi,Vandals, Italy, Basques.
2 – Today they are called:
England, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland,
Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria.
We are now living at the extreme end of the time covered by this image. The present talk about a one-world government is doomed to failure. No such development is possible. God has decreed that it shall not happen. He knows, and He has spoken. Here it is specifically stated that the powers of modern Europe, the ten smaller kingdoms of the old Roman Empire, will never reunite, nor ever consolidate into one all-dominant power again. We must not look for a revival of the Roman Empire; we already have the ten nations into which it disintegrated. Many have come and tried to unite the warring tribes of Europe, but all have failed. Seen in the light of history, illuminated by the glow of the campfires of a thousand battlefields, millions of men have shed their blood in the vain struggle to defeat this divine purpose.Charlemagne, Charles V, Louis XIV, Napoleon, and finally Hitler have all failed to hold them together. Yet the Word stands they will not hold together. There have always been ten ethnic nations, and there will always be ten until the bitter end.
The Ten Nations of Western Europe
486 AD
1. Anglo-Saxons
2. Bretons
3. Franks
4. Burgundians
5. Alemanni
6. Visigoths
7. Suevi
8. Vandals
9. Italy
10. Basques
526-600 AD
1. Anglo-Saxons
2. Welsh
3. Franks
4. Burgundians
5. Ostrogoths
6. Visigoths
7. Suevi
8. Vandals
9. Alemanni
10. Basques
814 AD
1. Northum’land
2. Danes
3. Mercia
4. Wessex
5. N. Wales
6. Galmorgan
7. Bretons
8. Carolingian Empire
9. Asturias
10. Benevento
About 1000 AD
About 1190 AD
1. England
2. Wales
3. France
4. Venice
5. The 2 Sicilies
6. Leon
7. Navarre
8. Castile
9. Aragon
10. Portugal
About 1097 AD
1. England
2. Wales
3. France
4. Venice
5. Norman S. Italy
6. Leon
7. Navarre
8. Castile
9. Aragon
10. Catalon
1360-1400 AD
1. England
2. Netherlands
3. France
4. Naples
5. Castile
6. Navarre
7. Aragon
8. Portugal
1490 AD
1. England
2. France
3. Venice
4. Naples
5. Castile
6. Navarre
7. Aragon
8. Portugal
9. Genoa
10. Florence Siena
11. Siena
About 1740 AD
1.England
2.Netherlands
3.France
4.Switzerland
5.Venice
6.Spain
7.Portugal
8.Savoy
9.Genoa
10.Tuscany
1815 AD
1.England
2.Netherlands
3.France
4.Switzerland
5.Spain
6.Portugal
7.Sardinia
8.Modena
9.Parima
10.The 2 Sicilies
1871-2000 AD
1. England
2. Netherlands
3. Belgium
4. Luxemburg
5. France
6. Switzerland
7. Spain
8. Portugal
9. Italy
10. Austria
The Stone:“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.” Dan 2:44-45
All of these earthly empires followed the same natural chain of events marching through history books just as God said they would. In succession, each expanded into a great power, degenerated, and finally fell to the invading force of the next empire.
Images by definition are cut and shaped by human hand. This stone is not made by a human hand. The stone represents Christ’s kingdom that will endure forever. [Matt 16:18] This kingdom crushes the image into chaff, so that it will blow away and be no more. [Dan 2:35] The STONE will crush all that remains of the FOUR previous empires at the same time, once-and-for-all.
The remains of the four empires are still here today although their former glory is all but gone.
They are: Babylon, now Iraq Greece is still Greece
Medio-Persia, now Iran Rome, the 10 nations
Comment:Daniel (6th century BC) gives a series of wonderful prophecies concerning the future Empires of the world. Because of this the some Bible critics have taught that Daniel was written after Alexander the Great (356-323BC) or even after the Maccabean revolt (165BC). This late dating of the book of Daniel is their explanation as to how Daniel could know the future so well. There are even a few things yet to happen so as we go though these astounding prophecies, the problem of late dating Daniel becomes a question of how late are you going to date him? (Only till 11:00pm, then it’s my bedtime)
Current history shows we are living at the extreme end of the times of the Gentiles as mentioned in Lk 21:24. We have seen the Gentile powers disintegrating as Israel returns to the land. In 1948 Israel, again, became a nation and in 1967 they took back Jerusalem. There is no room for doubt; change is in the air. A greater change than any the world has ever seen. However, the nation of Israel still does not control the temple mount, nor have they repented of rejecting the Messiah.
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