A
thorough investigation of the prophecies revealed to Daniel will provide
us with much knowledge about the history of the world
from his time up to and including the very end of the age. His recorded revelations are progressive as
they unfold in seven of the twelve chapters of Daniel which are primarily
prophetic in nature. The other chapters
provide history concerning Babylon and other details of the experiences of
Daniel and his fellows as captives of the Babylonians.
Initially
we must focus on Daniel himself as an instrument of God because of his faith
and unwavering devotion. Daniel along with multiplied thousands of Jews was
carried away into Babylon as an act of judgment upon them for their departure
from the laws and precepts of their covenant obligations. Daniel no doubt was
among the innocents for we see that his faith and devotion were steadfast from
the beginning as he would not partake of the king’s table even though he had
been set aside for special nurture under the king’s provisions. Daniel was very
young when the captivity began, likely in his teen years and he lived the
entirety of his life in Babylon. He had three special companions; Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego who were tested for their faithfulness when they were
thrown into the fiery furnace. They emerged unscathed as the Lord delivered them
as he did likewise for Daniel when he was cast into the lion’s den. With this
brief background we must move on with Daniel’s prophesies which began on the occasion
of a dream experienced by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon.(Daniel-chapter
two)
The
dream troubled him greatly but he could not remember the content much less know the interpretation so he called for the
Chaldeans, sorcerers and magicians to provide him with the content of the dream
as well as the interpretation. They were unable to do so pleading their cause
that if the dream was given them they could provide the interpretation. For
their failure the king decreed that they should be put to death. Desperate for
understanding the king called upon Daniel and Daniel assured him that given the
time he would provide the content of the dream and the interpretation. Daniel called
a prayer meeting with his fellows and in a night vision the dream and its
meaning was given Daniel by the Lord. So approaching the king through the
proper channels he came before Nebuchadnezzar beseeching him to spare the
sorcerers and magicians as he was now able to reveal the dream and its
interpretation giving credit to his Lord. So here is the dream and its
interpretation.
“Thou, O king, sawest and beheld a great
image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and from thereof was
terrible. This image, whose head was of gold, his beast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs ,
brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 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. Then was the iron,
the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken into pieces together,
became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them
away, and no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image
became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:31-36).
Daniel told the king that this was his dream and that he would show him the
interpretation of it.
Then following
through the remainder of the chapter we see that God had given Nebuchadnezzar a
great kingdom and he in fact was that head of gold. Then following him there would be an inferior kingdom
represented by the silver and we find that to be identified as the kingdom of
the Medes and the Persians. Then followed a third kingdom represented by the
brass and that was the kingdom of the Grecians and Alexander the Great. The
forth kingdom revealed to be the legs of iron was the Roman Empire which was
later divided and carried down to the feet and toes of the image. The feet of
iron and the toes of iron mingled with clay provides us with clues for the final world empire
which will come into existence at the very end of the age. It will be composed of ten world regions
associated as a confederation held together as one by the miry clay. The
sovereignty of nation states as we now know them shall be done away with in
favor of a unified world government. It has frequently identified as the NEW
WORLD ORDER. America as we have known it will be emerced into this one world
government destroying totally any concept of constitutional rights or freedoms.
If you
are observant of geopolitical developments worldwide you will be aware of
destabilized nation states in Europe threatening their sovereign status through
massive migration of Muslim invaders creating violence and terror. At the same
time America is divided politically in a manner never before seen and efforts
to undermine and overthrow government is at a historical peak. Economic issues
with the petrodollar as a world currency are under attack and in jeopardy of
financial collapse. The Middle East has been in turmoil and strife for more
than a quarter of a century and the destabilization of the region continues.
What
we have discovered thus far in this the first of a series of studies in the
book of Daniel is an overview of world history from Daniel’s day as a captive
in Babylon. Then we move through the
entirety of all of the world kingdoms with one final one in the process of
formation even now. We will enlarge upon
these concepts and provide much more detail as we move through the book of
Daniel.
David Lance
Dean Find my books: These
Prophets and the Revelation and
Christian Zionism and the Scofield Reference Bible @
authordavidlancedean.com
You may post your email address at my blogspot:
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