Dan 2
Head - Gold Babylon
Chest and arms - Silver - media persia
belly and thighs bronze - Greece
legs - iron - Rome
feet - iron and clay - Rome 2?
Iron (strong)
Concerning the 4th beast:
1. Will crush all other kingdoms, and power and territory will exced all of the other kingdoms. (History shows Rome fulfilled this not only in area of the kingdom, but in the number of years she held power)
2. It was this kingdom which was in power during the time of Christ, during the time of the writing of revelation. and in 70 ad, It had one king (Vespasian) and its power was at its fullest. The people of this king destroyed the city of jerusalam and its temple. (titus) who at the death of Vespasian, became king of Rome, proving that in this time, we were still under the 4th or roman kingdom of iron.
3. At sometime in history, will splinter into ten kingdom or ten parts
4. Will be divided but still have the strength of the original kingdom
5. partly strong and partly fragile (divided as it is not one kingdom in unity, but many kingdoms, which which will not adhere to one another (be in unity)
6. Christ himself (the stone) will destroy this kingdom (Stone hits the feet, which crush them) destroying this kingdom. causes all the gentile kingdome to crumble and fall, destroying all the gentile kingdoms (the statue) which was seen by Nebuchadnezzar. Leaving no trace of them behind (the end of Gentile dominion)
7. When the final kingdom (iron and clay) is destroyed, God himself will set up his kingdom, which will never be destroyed.
So what we have is this, in this shorter vision Daniel is exposed to (a much greater one will come later)
1. only 4 kingdoms were in power up till Christ, the same 4th kingdom destroyed the city and temple.
2. History shows when Rome fell, it was divided into two parts (not ten) and then fell off the map.
3. The final kingdom will be crushed by God himself, at that time, Gods kingdom will be established which will never be destroyed.
How do we explain the transition from the legs of Iron and the feet of Iron and Clay, who are these ten kings, who is the one king they give their allegiance too?
what other things can we gleem from this passage which will help in our study?
Every one argues concerning the identity of the fourth beast. Too many forget to look very closely at teh passage. Teh passage clearly states these re the gentile world rulers or kingdoms form Babylon till Jesus returns.
The first three all had beginnings and ends. The fourth beast had a beginning with the Roman Empire, but never ceased to exist. so the fourth beast cannot be just the Roman Empire.
A clue is found in the prophecy itself.
Daniel 7:19-24
King James Version
19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
1. It is not a known animal.
2. It is different from all kingdoms (in th epresent tense)
3. it will devour the whole earth
4. It has ten horn that arise from the fourth beast
5. the eleventh horn arises after the ten horns arise from the fourth kingdom.
We know the kingdoms are consecutive, the language clearly says so!
So, Rome either was the fourth kingdom or the start of the fourth kingdom.
What made Rome different from the other kingdoms on the earth? It was how it ruled! Rome was the first kingdom or empire to institute the form of government we know as Imperialism. Imperialism has never died but has carried on to this day.
Let us look with the Statue of Daniel two imposed.
Daniel 2:32-44
King James Version
32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
this fourth kingdom has feet of irn and clay and that little word "the" in verse 42 "so THEKINGDOM". LETS US KNOW THAT THE TOES ARE A CONTINUATION OF THE FOURTH KINGDOM.
Rome did not survive, but Imperialism, did . In the mid fourth century was was divided in TWO with Roman and Constantiople as the capitols of the two empires of Imperialism. the easter capitol remained there until the times of the Ottoman Empire when the rulers fled and settled in to modern day Russia and established their kingdom their (CZARS is the Russian word for Cesar) the west went from Rome, to Germany (kaiser=Cesar) France, Spain, then the western democarcies of the UK and America which are Imperial governments., then we need the fourth kingdom to devour the entire earth! So, this can only mean the fourth kingdom of Imperialism establishes a one world government. then we see the ten kings, the antichrist and then the return of Jesus.
This is a summation of a much larger study but i hope it helps.