Ronald Nolette
Well-Known Member
Not quite, it symbolizes the Governments in one concentrated section of the Mediterranean Sea Region, thus the 7 heads represent the 7 powers that ruled over Israel whilst she was a nation in the land or becoming a nation who was promised the land. Namely Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome.......AND the coming Anti-Christ who never passes his kingdom on so the Beast in Dan. 7 who all arose as kings and later became Gov. Beast are different in that this last Beast is the ONLY Beast himself. So, the 7 Heads = those 7 entities
The identity of the seven in Revelation (seven mountains, seven kings, five are fallen, one is and one is to come) is shrouded in mystery and controversy. Yours requires adding conditions that Scripture never called for. Namely Israel becoming a nation or a nation in the land!
Even the one I am most comfortable with (and I am not all that comfortable with it) requires suppositions that, like yours cannot be proven biblically.
Revelation 17:9-14
King James Version
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Problem with yours and so many other attempts at explaining are these:
1. the antichrist is the eighth who is of the seven. If the beast is a person, the seven also must be people and not kingdoms. The mountains are kingdoms and those kingdoms had seven rulers who are of the spirit of antichrist.
2. The ten horns are kings and not the European union Remember this from Daniel 7
Daniel 7:23-24
King James Version
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.
The fourth kingdom rules the whole world! So the fourth kingdom has to be a one world govt. and from that iteration of the fourth beast comes ten kings after the beast devours the whole earth. and when these ten kings rule- the eleventh shall rise (who is also the eighth who is of the seven). So it is not the European Union , but the whole world, for we know the antichrist rules the whole world!
AND the 10 horns represent all (10 = Completion) Europe as we see it now, about 25-30 nations give or take. Its not the whole world, this is why the prophecy stated that Nebuchadnezzar ruled over all men in the land and why it stated that Alexander the Great ruled the whole earth (earth meaning LAND being spoken of as in the Mediterranean Sea Region).
. Its not the whole world, this is why the prophecy stated that Nebuchadnezzar ruled over all men in the land and why it stated that Alexander the Great ruled the whole earth (earth meaning LAND being spoken of as in the Mediterranean Sea Region).[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately your understanding of what King Nebuchadnezzar ruled is in error.
Daniel 2:37-39
King James Version
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.
Nebuchadnezzar was given authority over ALL lands where men dwelt, not just land but wherever men dwelt! It doesn't say He exercised th efull extent of his authority, just he had it. Teh nuance is made much clearer in the Hebrew.
Greece however did rule over all the land and the land here refers to Israel!
Teh vison of the statue, the four beasts, and Revelation must be combined for they are all interrelated. These are also what Jesus said that Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the gentiles are fulfilled!
The beasts like the statue represent a continual trodding down of Jerusalem until Jesus returns as prophesied in Dan. 7!
To summarize, the four beasts are:
Babylon (gold, lion)
Medeo-Persia (silver bear lifted on one side)
Greece (leopard with four wings, brass)
Fourth beast ( unknown animal, iron, iron/clay)
The fourth beast started with Rome and is still in effect today!
Rome had two legs in the statue and that came to pass when rome split into two empires! Those two empires never ended but changed locations
West--- Rome, France, Germany , Spain, Western Democracies
East- Constaninople, Russia!( For when the Ottoman Empire fell, the leaders moved north to Russia)
What makes these tied to gether is that they all are imperialistic in their government. This is the fourth beast which is diverse. Rome introduced an entire new form of governing conquered lands- Imperialism which has survived as shown and even spread. The European Union will be one of the ten zones ruled by one of the ten, but thaqt is all.