Before we can fully understand the Revelation that John records, we must go back and see what Daniel and others wrote about the end-time events that are summed up in the Book of Revelation. We shall begin with the Book of Daniel . When one understands the Book of Daniel all other scriptures pertaining to the end times, including Revelation, are made clear.
A brief introduction to the Book of Daniel opens with the beginning of the Babylonian captivity where Daniel remains there for all of the seventy years of captivity. Nebuchadnezzar, the king, ordered all the young Jewish males of royal families and nobility to be trained to serve the king as counselors. Daniel along with three of his companians Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego), were between the ages of twelve and sixteen when they were taken into captivity. They were taught the Chaldean language as well as Aramaic as well as the customs of their captors. Their training took place in the first three years of their captivity. They were given their Babylonian names and at the ages of fifteen through nineteen they became advisors to the king. When these four gave the king advice he found it to be ten times better than all the magicians, wise men, counselors, sorcerers and astrologers combined. (Dan.1:20)
It is in chapter two of the Book of Daniel that we get our first view of the end. Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and no one could interpret it. Although the king threatens the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers and wise men of the kingdom with a brutal death (cut to pieces) if they were unable to discern the dream and give it an interpretation. The king ordered all the wise men (advisors) to be put to death including Daniel and his three companions. The king felt an urgency because the Babylonian gods were limited to a short time or season for the interpretation of the dreams. Daniel and his three companions sought God’s mercy to reveal the dream, along with its interpretation, to them. In a night vision God reveals the dream and its meaning to Daniel.
Daniel goes before the king and when asked if he can tell the dream and its interpretation, he responded by saying, “The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.” (Dan.2:27,28). As Daniel makes known the king’s dream he describes a large statue which begins with a head of gold, followed by a chest and arms of silver, then a belly and thighs of bronze, with the final parts of the statue being legs of iron and feet made of partially iron and clay. From the head down the metals get progressively harder. From soft gold down to very hard iron.
These four metals of the statue represent four kingdoms with each kingdom becoming stronger than the previous one. A fifth kingdom of iron and clay toes will be a revision of the fourth kingdom or a group of ten leaders. As each kingdom rises to power it will possesses a stronger military force than the preceeding kingdom until the final kingdom, which will possess weapons of mass destruction. Mankind has gone from the weak weapons of swords and spears to smart bombs, guided missiles, thermonuclear devices and others capable of rendering all living creatures extinct. It will be during this time of the threat of annihilation that the last kingdom will rise which will spawn the anti-christ.
The first kingdom (head of gold) was the Babylonian Empire which was in power during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. The second kingdom (chest and arms of silver) was the Medo-Persian Empire. The third kingdom (belly and thighs of bronze) was the Grecian Empire. The fourth kingdom (legs of iron) was the Roman Empire. With the fifth and final kingdom of man (feet of iron and clay) being the strongest. It will supersede all other kingdoms of man. From this kingdom shall come the ten toes or to say ten kings or rulers. By being part iron and part clay they will not mix, thus the kingdom shall be divided. This will be the last kingdom of man before the Stone, not cut out by hands, will come and crush the kingdoms of man. “Jesus said to them,’Have you never read in the scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone?’”(Matt.21:42). These ten toes or rulers will attempt to adhere one to another through mingling “with the seed of man,” but will fail. This “seed of man” is human effort attempting to rule the world through diplomacy and treaties that are designed to bring world peace. These are the very tactics that the anti-christ will use in deceiving Israel to enter a seven-year peace treaty. I believe that we are very close to witnessing this historical event.
We must understand the symbolisms of this statue in order to fully understand the Book of Revelation and the end times. In fact, without a thorough knowledge of Daniel, one would be hard pressed to fully comprehend the symbolisms found in the Book of Revelation. For this reason we must understand these ten toes. It will be from these that the anti-christ will rise to power.
Through Nebuchadnezzar’s statue we see the history of mankind from 600 B.C. down through the present day and to the end of the history of mankind. We are extremely close to seeing these end-time events unfold before our very eyes. So, look up for your redemption draws nigh. Jesus,our Redeemer,is about to come back to earth and crush all the kingdoms of man (the statue) and establish His kingdom on earth for a thousand years. Without the Book of Daniel we cannot discern the world events that lead us to know the season of Jesus’ return. For this reason we must look at Daniel’s dreams and visions.
Thank you…
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