When you read the above verse and look at Daniel’s four creatures, which indicate four successive world powers,1 the similarities stand out immediately. In Daniel’s case the first creature looks like a lion, the second like a bear, the third like a panther (a leopard) and the fourth was horrible, without any comparison to an existing animal. When you compare these four animals in the Book of Daniel with the metals of the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream,2 you will recognize the similarities with these empires. In the statue Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream there the head is of gold, the chest of silver, the belly and the thighs of bronze and the legs of iron (these continue into the ten toes of iron and clay).
What’s important is that we start seeing where we in our world today, where we are heading for. That we observe the ‘signs of the times’ and start to understand. We are approaching the finale of this phase of world history. We are nearing the moment when the last world empire will unfold. It will include everything of every past ‘empire of man’. It will be the ultimate attempt by the ‘powers of darkness’ to realize once more an ‘empire of ‘peace and righteousness in the name of man’, and now on a worldwide scale. It will be ‘Babylon’ at its finest but it will end in ‘rivers of blood’.
In history, the world empires ruled in this chronological order – Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, Roman and the Post-roman Empires. One after another they rose, blossomed and faded away. But in the end, they will all appear one more time on the world stage at the same time, each with their own main characteristics.
The main characteristic of the Babylonian Empire was absolute dictatorship. Nebuchadnezzar was the absolute dictator of the Babylonian Empire. This is represented by the golden head at the top of the statue.
The main characteristic of the Empire of the Medes and Persians was iron laws. They had absolute laws. There still is an expression in our language: ‘laws of Medes and Persians’, meaning: absolute laws. When a law was issued in this empire that at a certain date all the Jews in that empire were to be killed, even the King Ahasuerus or Xerxes could not change that. The king himself was subject to the laws. The only thing he could do to save his queen Esther and her people was to issue another law. And he did, Esther chapter 8-10.
The main characteristics of the Empire of the Greeks (the Empire of Alexander the Great, and after his death, the Empire was divided among his 4 or 5 generals) is called: Greek humanism / Hellenism. With its beautiful art and architecture, great humanistic philosophers and philosophies like Plato and Aristotle, the discovery of the main principles of science and technology by people like Pythagoras and the Milesian (from the city Miletus) philosophers of nature, Thales (624 BC), Anaximander and Anaximenes. This is the start of Western rational thinking about nature, science and technology and the Universe, without using ‘gods’ as explanation for the mysteries. Some of these Milesian philosophers of nature even developed a kind of evolutionary thinking. The Greeks introduced ‘Sports’ as mass- entertainment in big stadiums and arenas. Today the whole world still enjoys every four like the ‘Olympic Games’. The Greeks performed these sports events in the nude because of the Greek admiration for the beautiful male body. In Greek culture homosexuality was considered as a higher form of love than the love between a man and a woman, which was seen to be necessary only for reproduction and continuation of the human race. The Greeks also developed ‘democracy’ as a system of political government that gives ‘power to the people’
The main characteristic of the Roman Empire was absolute military might. Nobody could resist the Roman legions. That Roman war-machine overpowered the whole then- world. The Romans conquered many peoples and nations and established themselves as the rulers of their new world Empire. But in a sense the Greeks conquered the Romans. Although militarily beaten, the Greek culture and way of thinking conquered the hearts and minds of the Romans. If you were a rich Roman, you tried to buy a well-educated Greek slave to teach your children all the knowledge of the Greeks in science and technology, arts and architecture, philosophies, ethics and sports. Over time, Greek culture became the Roman culture. Even the Greek religion and gods became the Roman gods also, with different names. The two cultural roots of Europe today – and for that matter of the Western world now – are the Judeo-Christian root as well as the Greek-Roman root.
Although these empires each separately displayed different key characteristics, they all had one thing in common. They all hated the Jews. The Babylonian Empire under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, killed thousands of Jews and led the Jews into Exile. The Medo-Persian Empire had issued laws that would destroy all Jews on a certain date. This was prevented only through the intervention of Esther. The Greek Empire wanted to impose by force Greek Hellenism/humanism on Israel and the Jews. If you tried to maintain and practise your Jewish faith, you were punishable by death. Ultimately the Jews resisted this spirit of the Greeks in the Maccabean Revolt (167 to 160 BC). And to the surprise of everyone they won! They did beat the Greek military forces and drove them out of their country. Basically, this was the clash between the spirit of man (humanism) who lives by his own ideas, and those who want to serve the God of Israel in the way that He wants to be served. The Feast of Hanukah reminds us of that great victory. And finally, the Roman Empire once again destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, killed over a million of Jews, and led the Jewish people into slavery and worldwide exile.
So although these empires each separately displayed different key characteristics, they all had one thing in common. They all hated the Jews.
The entire statue that King Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream as recorded in Daniel 2 apparently will stand on its feet once more in the ‘end-times’. But finally the ‘rock’ will strike the statue on its feet smashing it completely. This ‘statue’ ultimately is just a giant on clay feet. The head of gold, the chest and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of bronze, the legs of iron, the feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay (baked clay, porcelain?) will all together and all at once become like chaff in the wind disappearing without a trace.
And the ‘Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness’ will fill the earth. Under the leadership of the King of kings and the Lord of lords from Jerusalem, peace will fill the entire world. Then the nations shall train for war no more. What a glorious future!
• This final ‘empire in the name of man’, Babylon, is on the rise in our days. God alone knows when this will lead to the dominion of the anti-Christ. Everything points to that, however. The call for ‘world peace’ and for a ‘united world of nations’ is becoming ever louder.
• The problems with the environment, the mismanagement of raw materials and sources of energy, the unequal distribution of wealth, the promotion of social welfare and medical care for all, the promotion of human rights worldwide, the fighting of the problem of hunger, the problems of security and fighting crime, the solving of conflicts and wars and mini-wars, the promotion of a world-economy and multinational companies, the advancing of computer technology and mass-communication, the worldwide sorts and entertainment business: all these require international action on a world scale, and strong central authority and government to take binding decisions and, if necessary, to force them to be implemented by everyone, worldwide. The world will ask for a strong world-leader.
Bible References:
1.Daniel 7:3–7 2.Daniel 2:31–33
