Mike Bickle – Daniel Seminar 2013 – The Four Beast Kingdoms

PDF: 20130829C D01 The Four Beast Kingdoms

Session 1 The Four Beast Kingdoms (Dan. 7:1-8)

OUTLINE OF DANIEL 7:1-8
1. Daniel’s first vision: Four beasts symbolizing four world empires (Dan. 7:1-14) As these all symbolize world-ruling powers, we expect to see Babylon through Rome. Here, the commentator chooses to forego Rome, in favor of a future Kingdom. The first three are fairly standard in their interpretation, however the last, as we will see, is the point of differentiation.
  1. Introduction (7:1-3)
  2. The first three beasts (7:4-6)
    1. First beast: Babylonian Empire (606–539 BC) – Iraq (7:4)
    2. Second beast: Persian Empire (539–331 BC) – Iran (7:5)
    3. Third beast: Greek Empire (331–146 BC) – Greece (7:6)
  3. Fourth beast: Antichrist’s empire foreshadowed by the Roman Empire (7:7-8)
    1. Roman Empire’s western and eastern divisions (146 BC–1453 AD) (7:7a) The dates on this are worth contesting. Rome did exist in some form or another, but its Principate was not formed until Caesar Augustus in 31 BC, which is when Rome became the Empire that would dominate the entire world. Rome did, indeed, dominate the entire world, and, of note, it was the tenth king, Titus, who destroyed the temple, and he only lasted a short time (two years and three months).
    2. Antichrist’s empire with a 10-king confederation (7:7-8) This, also, is the point of differentiation. Whereas the commentator sees Daniel as largely pointing forward towards a future Fourth Kingdom, we see a fulfilled one. The interesting phenomena here is that, understanding that the commentator’s stream of thought is guided by God, many very true and profound timely truths are being discussed here. However, in the assumption that we are correct in our literal understanding of the text, they are forced to fit within a framework that was not the original sense of the prophecy. As such, many truths are touched, and, indeed, the body of the work is revelatory, however, differences of opinion about the exact fit of certain phrases will abound. As to the actual fulfillment, we expect that many of the things that the commentator sees as relevant for today, are, in fact, much more relevant than many realize, however, whether they will fit and follow the exact text of what we consider to be a fully, historically fulfilled prophecy is doubtful. No doubt, many of the things will, indeed, happen. This is not pattern or dual-fulfillment, but simply God is speaking out of a fulfilled text about what is coming. This is simply what God does, especially when our particular model and expectation demands it. He uses what is available to get people prepared.
INTRODUCTION
1. Daniel 7 is Daniel’s first of four visions in Daniel 7-12. It highlights how God will use four world empires for His purpose of bringing Israel to salvation [This is agreed upon, however, we feel that Rome was the Fourth Empire, and the Jews missed their opportunity. Their hardening meant salvation for the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled.] and preparing them for world leadership [Acts 1:6 talks about the restoration of the Kingdom to the nation. We feel this will happen in, as we call it, the extra-‘millennium’, or the time between Revelation 20:10-11], as He establishes His kingdom on earth [This is the primary area of difference. The Kingdom, by our view, is here. It is a spiritual Kingdom, hence ‘as it is in heaven’. Mark 1:15 established the timing, and many, many verses confirm it, in our estimation. The Kingdom was not to be initiated in Daniel 2:44, merely the pre-existing Kingdom would then be ‘set up’] as it is in heaven [Matthew 6:10 is in view here. Many the futurist would say that this verse is praying for the future setting up of the Kingdom, however, nothing could be further from the truth. The answer lies in the verse itself, and, in this very quote–as it is in heaven. For Jesus to give this prayer to the disciples would mean that the Kingdom must already fully exist, since the prayer is for the manifestation of it upon the Earth just as it is presently there. The whole point is that the Kingdom was then, and is now, a heavenly Kingdom, first of all, as John 3:3,5 attest. Second, that it was fully in existence then, and would continue to be now. The Kingdom, however, was not started at the time of Christ’s first coming, but as the psalmist wrote in Psalm 145:13, Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom. The statement, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand’ relates its relative proximity, not its instantiation. Further, elsewhere, when it talks about Christ coming in His Kingdom, that, too, is not its inauguration, but it’s ‘coming’. The two are vastly different. Daniel 4:1 talks about Nebuchadnezzar first making and then setting up the image on the plain. However, Daniel 2:44 only talks of it’s setting up, omitting its creation, because that is not in view at this point, but rather, it’s un-made-ness. The difference on the view of the Kingdom cannot be understated. Matthew 12:28 makes it clear, however, that it is only on the authority of the presence of the Kingdom that any true deliverance takes place. As a corollary, if the Kingdom were not still here in the same measure it was when Jesus was, and when the 12 and 72 were preaching without the physical presence of Jesus, then all deliverance in the church would be illegitimate, not having the basis of authority of the presence of the Kingdom. Not the future, but instantiated Kingdom, but the real, invisible Kingdom reality that circulated around Jesus. The everlasting Kingdom that was then available, of whom Jesus Christ was it’s only door, now present.]. It also reveals the certainty of victory and the intensity of the battle that Israel and the Church will have in the end times, as they stand together against the unprecedented evil that will manifest in the Antichrist’s empire. The commentator and ourselves will disagree, on the basis of the nature of the Kingdom.
2. In 603 BC, while Daniel was a young man, possibly in his late teens, God gave him prophetic insight into the same kingdoms that He revealed to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream (Dan. 2)
THE FOUR BEASTS (DAN. 7) AND THE GREAT STATUE (DAN. 2)
1. Daniel 7 confirms and elaborates on what was given in a dream to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2. We must compare Daniel 7 with Daniel 2 to gain more understanding; they are from different perspectives. Nebuchadnezzar saw four mighty kingdoms represented by precious metals in a statue of a glorious man (2:31-45). The head was gold, the chest and arms were silver, and the belly and thighs were bronze, etc. Nebuchadnezzar saw these kingdoms from man’s perspective—as glorious, like gold and silver. Daniel saw these same kingdoms, but from God’s perspective—as wild beasts that devour all that are in their path. Nebuchadnezzar saw their outward glory, Daniel saw their spiritual nature. That is, he most likely saw the principality, in some form or another, that would rule that nation in the spirit realm.
2. The head of gold represents the Babylonian Empire (606–539 BC). The chest and arms of silver represent the Medo-Persian Empire (539–331 BC). The belly and thighs of bronze represent the Greek Empire (331–146 BC). The legs, feet, and toes of iron and clay represent the Antichrist’s empire as foreshadowed by the Roman Empire (146 BC–1453 AD). The first three are agreed upon. As we find ample historical fulfillment of the Roman Empire for the Fourth, we see no need for this statue to be missing it’s “shins”, as it were. Rather, a continuous empire, in four forms, is in view, stretching for nearly 1000 years. We contest the dates of these empires. Caesar Augustus came in 31 AD, and the last emperor in the Western Empire was in the Fifth Century.
  You, O king, were watching…a great image…This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet…The iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together…the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. (Dan. 2:31-35) The fact that the first three are destroyed without a trace, and that Daniel 2:35 says they must be broken together, appears to us to be ample evidence that Rome must be the fit. There is simply no way that any future kingdom can be broken ‘at the same time’ as the first three, since the first three are completely missing in the contemporary society.
3. The two legs of iron represent the two divisions of the Roman Empire—the western division (146 BC–476 AD) and the eastern division (330–1453 AD). The two feet with 10 toes are
  
  parallel to the 10 horns in the Daniel 7 vision. They represent the 10-king confederation under
  
  the Antichrist (2:41-42; 7:7, 20, 24; Rev. 12:3; 13:1; 17:3, 7, 12, 16). The division of the legs into the Eastern and Western divisions must be seen as false, honestly. The statue is simply in the form of a man. But, careful reading indicates that the waist and thighs were of bronze, representing, as it were, Greece. The legs of iron then, started below the thighs, or somewhere probably above the knees, but long after the division of the two legs at the hips. Simple anatomy, then, applied literally, would require that the Eastern and Western be divided from the start, and this is not the case. There first of all is no direct textual indication that this is the interpretation, as this wasn’t given by Daniel, and so it is merely a possible interpretation, not fact. Second, the fact that if this were the case, strictly speaking, that the kingdom would have had to have been divided from the beginning seems to discredit this position. It is interesting, of course, to note the fact that there were Eastern and Western divisions, but, it is not technically part of the Scripture, but anecdotal. As such, no weighty conclusions should be derived from this fact.
  You saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided…And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.” (Dan. 2:41-42)
4. The stone that struck the image speaks of Jesus and His eternal kingdom (2:35, 44-45). This is agreed upon, however, we see it in the first coming of Christ, and not the second. The stone being cut without hands means that it has a divine origin. The stone will consume all the other kingdoms and shall stand forever (2:44). The stone, indeed, will destroy all the “other” kingdoms, strictly speaking, this only implies the four previously mentioned, and none others. The text expressly references only the four kingdoms of the statue, and the beasts, and to apply it beyond that to any others is absolutely conjecture. Right or wrong, on that, it is conjecture.
  And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed…it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this.” (Dan. 2:44-45)
DANIEL’S VISION OF THE FOUR BEASTS (DAN. 7:1-8)
1. Daniel saw four winds stirring the Mediterranean Sea, bringing upheaval to the nations (7:1-3). These are all more-or-less agreed upon. This is what Daniel saw.
  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts. Daniel spoke, saying, I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven [angelic and demonic activity] were stirring up the Great Sea [Mediterranean]. And four great beasts [empires] came up from the sea, each different from the other.” (Dan. 7:1-3)
  1. The first year: Belshazzar’s reign over Babylon began in 553 BC. This was 14 years before Israel was freed from Babylon. This vision gave Israel hope in the midst of their suffering as captives in Babylon. Daniel was about 70 years old when he had this vision.
  2. Daniel had a dream: He had visions of his head while on his bed at night. He wrote down the dream, telling only the main facts.
  3. Great Sea: Scripture describes the Mediterranean Sea as the Great Sea (Num. 34:6-7; Josh. 1:4; 9:1; 15:12, 47; 23:4). The sea represents the kingdoms of man being filled with chaos (Isa. 57:20). The empires that are highlighted in this vision include nations near the Mediterranean Sea—nations in the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa.
    But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest…” (Isa. 57:20)
  4. Four winds of heaven: These winds symbolize spiritual forces, both angelic and demonic, that stirred up the nations of the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa, etc. This represents God’s orchestration of history in appointing nations to rise and fall.
  5. Four great beasts: Daniel saw four wild animals—each represented an ancient empire in the Mediterranean region, which persecuted Israel and caused great turmoil in the region.
2. First beast: A lion with eagle’s wings refers to the Babylonian Empire, 605–539 BC (7:4). The lion (Jer. 4:7; 49:19; 50:17, 44) and the eagle (Jer. 49:22; Lam. 4:19; Ezek. 17:3; Hab. 1:8) were both used in the Scripture to describe the Babylonian Empire.
  The first [Babylon] was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. (Dan. 7:4)
  1. Like a lion: This speaks of being strong, majestic, and courageous.
  2. Had eagle’s wings: This speaks of military speed.
  3. Its wings were plucked off: This speaks of being humbled.
  4. A man’s heart was given to it: This speaks of being domesticated.
  5. It was made to stand: This implies standing like a man instead of like a lion, which cannot attack or devour others when standing on two feet.
  6. The reference to the wings being plucked off, being made to stand on two feet like a man, and being given a man’s heart, is seen in Nebuchadnezzar’s experience in Daniel 4.
3. Second beast: A bear with ribs in its mouth refers to the Persian Empire, 539–331 BC (7:5)
  Another beast [Medo-Persia], a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ (Dan. 7:5)
  1. A bear: Medo-Persia was like a fierce bear, with slow but steady military progress. The bear, after the lion, was the second most dreaded predator at that time in that region. The bear was larger and more cumbersome than the lion, yet it had great strength.
  2. One side: It was raised up on one side. This speaks of the Persian dominance over Media.
    1. This parallels the ram with one horn raised higher than the other (8:3).
    2. The beast raised on one side represented the greater strength of Persia; it coincides with the two-horned ram of Daniel 8, whose one horn was larger than the other.
  3. Three ribs: The three ribs in its mouth represented the three major kingdoms it conquered as it rose to power: Lydia (546 BC), Babylon (539 BC), and Egypt (525 BC).
  4. Arise, devour much flesh: God mandated Persia to arise and conquer more nations.
4. Third beast: A leopard with four wings refers to the Greek Empire, 331–146 BC (7:6).
  I looked, and there was another [Greece], like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.” (Dan. 7:6)
  1. Like a leopard: Greece was fierce, agile, fast and cunning. The leopard is known for its quickness and its cunning.
  2. Four wings: Having four wings of a bird spoke of its amazing speed in military conquest.
  3. Four heads: After the death of Alexander the Great, four of his generals divided up his kingdom into four separate kingdoms. This parallels the four notable horns of Daniel 8:8.
  4. Dominion: This spoke of the Greek government and culture pervading the ancient world. Alexander did not simply conquer kingdoms militarily. He won them over to the Greek language and way of life. Hellenization impacted the whole ancient world.
5. Fourth Beast: This refers to the Antichrist as foreshadowed by the Roman Empire (7:7-8). This beast has three stages—the ancient empire (146 BC–1453 AD); an end-time confederation made up of 10 kings and the Antichrist’s dictatorship ruling over the 10-nation confederation. This is, of course, the point of disagreement. We hold that Rome completely fulfills these passages. Daniel 8 is seen to be entirely historic, while Daniel 11:40-43 is see in the Battle of Actium, in September of 31 BC, or the beginning of the Roman Empire. Rome does not foreshadow it, it is it. We can conclude this securely since the first three are removed, and they must be broken together. Whatever broke them, and scattered them, Biblically, must be the Kingdom. It was seen in the Church, which grew and filled the whole Earth at the decline of Rome.
  Behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.” (Dan. 7:7)
  1. A fourth beast: The ancient Roman Empire prophetically foreshadowed, or pictured, the Antichrist’s end-time empire made up of a 10-nation confederation (Rev. 17:12-13). The idea of a confederation is seen to be conjecture. It has not been satisfactorily proven to us that this requires a concurrent rule of the ten, as opposed to a line of Caesars in Rome, where Titus is the 10th in Daniel, and, omitting the three very short-lived emperors, Titus being the 7th in John’s Revelation 17.
  2. It had ten horns: A 10-nation confederation will align with the Antichrist. The 10 endtime nations are symbolized here by 10 horns; in Daniel 2 they are seen as 10 toes (2:41- 42; 7:7, 20, 24; Rev. 12:3; 13:1; 17:3, 7, 12, 16). This is the popular reading today, and, while the case is clearly not fully developed here, it is seen that there certainly could be ample alternative fulfillment in the historical Rome, in further analysis. Simply put, the ten kings need not be concurrent based on any of the text.
    The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom.” (Dan. 7:24)
    The ten horns which you saw are ten kings…they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast [Antichrist]. 13…they will give their power and authority to the beast…God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.” (Rev. 17:12-17)
  3. Dreadful and terrible: Daniel was deeply troubled by the terror of this beast (7:15, 28). If we are not troubled by what Daniel shared about the Antichrist, then it means that we have not yet understood what he saw. Rome indeed was a dreadful and terrible power. It is interesting, today, however, that we speak of the “Dark Ages” in reference to the supposed ‘light of Rome’. Rome, in our opinion, was a beast. After it fell, there were nearly 1000 years when no great beast ruled over all the men of the Earth.
  4. It had huge iron teeth: Iron teeth speak of the ability to devour anything—unstoppable. The huge, or massive, teeth correspond to the legs of iron in the statue (2:33, 40-41), emphasizing its overwhelmingly destructive power. The Roman Legions were seen as such.
  5. Trampling the residue with its feet: This speaks of continuing to trample a nation after it is already defeated. The Antichrist will show no mercy or kindness towards those he conquers; he is ruthless and cruel, and will crush and trample everything that was not initially destroyed in the hostile military takeover. Again, the Roman system of roads and territorial takeover are seen to perfectly conform to this prophecy.
  6. It was different: The Antichrist’s empire will be energized by demonic power. This, to us, is gross exaggeration, of the need to try to make one’s point more strongly than the text. It simply says it is different. While this certainly could imply many things, the insistence upon a certain meaning is not without a reason in the mind of those who choose that over other possible readings. The beast was so terrifying and ferocious that there was no animal to compare it to. No, simply no animal was given, as opposed to there being ‘none’. The rest is conjecture, certainly.
    The dragon [Satan] gave him [Antichrist] his power, his throne, and great authority… He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven… (Rev. 13:2, 13)
  7. Daniel emphasized four times that the Antichrist is different from all other kingdoms (7:7, 19, 23, 24). This detail is far too important to overlook. The Roman kingdom, indeed, was different than all others.
    …the fourth beast, which was different from all the others… (Dan. 7:19)
    The fourth beast…shall be different from all other kingdoms… (Dan. 7:23)
    …another shall rise after them; he shall be different… (Dan. 7:24)
  8. The Antichrist is the “composite beast” in which all the former beast kingdoms will culminate and find expression. He is more than a beast, but is the beast, who incorporates all the former beast kingdoms, including the evil spirits, territory, and ethnicity of the four former kingdoms.
6. While focusing on the 10 horns, he saw a little horn (7:8). In consideration of this, we must consider again the ten toes as ten kings approach. If we take that approach, we must conclude that EITHER, the statue either actually had 11 toes and failed to mention this, or that the rock falls before the antichrist kingdom’s 11th toe. Seriously, there would have to be 11 toes for this interpretation to work. And, then, of course, three of those toes have to get ripped off, or something. If this is taking the metaphor too far, well, one could say the same thing about the toes to king approach in the first place.
  I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. (Dan. 7:8)
  1. Little horn: It speaks of a political leader that starts out “little,” or with a small sphere of authority and influence, as a seemingly insignificant regional leader. Much is said about the ‘little horn’. As ‘horn’ is already a very common metaphor to the Jewish language of the Bible, the application of ‘little’ is hardly the greatest distinguishing feature of the Word. As such, we feel, clearly, there is too much emphasis on trying to equate the various ‘little horn’s in Daniel and Revelation.
    1. The fact that the little horn is mentioned four times in this vision (7:8, 11, 20, 21) tells us how important this detail is. It is very significant and must not be overlooked.
    2. The little horn is the Beast of Revelation and the man of sin in Paul’s teaching (2 Thes. 2:3). We disagree, and see the man of lawlessness as pertaining to the 70 AD destruction, most likely one of the rebel leaders who held headquarters in the temple. It does, however, correspond to the beast of Revelation. The little horn is the wicked prince who will take away the sacrifice in the temple (8:11; 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Mt. 24:15). The little horn of Daniel 7 is the same little horn of Daniel 8:9, and the despicable person of Daniel 11:21. We, again, however, disagree with these correlations of descriptions. There is ample historical fulfillment for Daniel 8 and Daniel 11, and, as said, simply being a ‘little horn’ is not a very limiting descriptor. But, equating the horn of Daniel 8 with Daniel 7 seems completely backwards, as the Daniel 8 account is clearly the third kingdom, Greece, and the horn in Daniel 7 is on the Fourth, be it Rome or a future kingdom. The equation of these two personalities seems, to us, a grave and curious error.
    3. Hitler is an example from recent history of a leader who started out as a “little horn,” or an insignificant regional leader, who became a “big horn,” a major world leader. In 1928 he ran for president of Germany and received only 2% of the vote. However, within five years (1933), he became chancellor of Germany. His rise to power came very suddenly, and it surprised many.
  2. Eyes like a man: In this horn were eyes like a man, which speaks of great intelligence. It certainly could. I suppose it would depend upon the interpreter.
  3. Mouth speaking pompous words: The Antichrist will speak pompous, arrogant words. His arrogant words will create fear (threats) and/or excitement (false promises) in the nations. His arrogant words are emphasized four times in this chapter (7:8, 11, 20, 25). This is seen, for us, to be Domitian. Domitian fits nearly all the criteria of Revelation 13, and was called a ‘beast’, and viewed as Nero back from the dead.
    In this horn [was]…a mouth speaking pompous words. (Dan. 7:8)
    …that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words. (Dan. 7:20)
    He shall speak pompous words against the Most High. (Dan. 7:25)
    The king…shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods… (Dan. 11:36)
  4. Three horns plucked out: Three of the first horns or kings will be plucked out by the roots, or killed, in a violent overthrow led by the Antichrist. In the year of the four emperors, there were indeed three emperors who fell very quickly. This is part of how he will seize control of the 10-nation confederation and come onto the world stage as a leader. When these three world leaders are killed, the Church will understand it as a prophetic sign of the times—knowing that the Antichrist will soon be manifest on the world stage. However, for us, we see these specific events as past. Yet, just as we both agree that Hitler was not the antichrist, he still came and killed did evil. Since we both know that he was not “it”, we should heed the warning to “Watch!”, and be ready, because the evil described is, most likely, coming upon the Earth very shortly, as the Spirit testifies, yet, for us, the popular notion of the antichrist is nothing but the work of fiction, hyped up by such works as AW Pink’s “Antichrist”, whereby, every derogatory title is attributed to some, supposed future ‘super-villian’. This is seen as foolishness, but not to the laying down of our guard for what IS coming. We must always be ready, waiting, and watching. But, we do not see the Biblical expectation of the pattern of Daniel to be futurely fulfilled, as it appears historical. This means, essential, we see the commentator as both right in raising the alarm against the coming storm, but wrong in expecting many of the specifics of the Daniel prophecies to be fulfilled by him. This means we, at least, will be on the lookout in more areas than simply the traditional, narrow avenue of a seven-year treaty, and so forth. The fact that much of the Church will most likely MIS-understand it, and not see it as a prophetic sign of the times is both regrettable and not without precedent. The fact is, the leader, more or less, to the point that evil in whomever did come, but wasn’t the devil incarnate, should make us realize there may be a wicked power play that goes on, and, if we are not following the ever-proceeding Word, we are liable to miss it, because it does not fit our pre-conceived notion.
    …before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. (Dan. 7:8)
  5. Coming up among them: The Antichrist will first come up “among them” (7:8) as a peer, then he will “arise after them” (7:24) and seize control of the 10-nation confederation. We see no confederation, and simply put, Domitian was the 11th, after Titus, also a son of Vespasian.
THREE STAGES OF THE FOURTH BEAST
1. This beast has three stages: the ancient empire (146 BC–1453 AD); the end-time confederation made up of 10 kings, and the Antichrist’s dictatorship ruling over the 10-nation confederation. The ancient Roman Empire prophetically foreshadowed, or pictured, the Antichrist’s empire. We disagree, including on the dates.
2. The ancient Roman Empire: This includes the western (146 BC–476 AD) and the eastern (330– 1453 AD) divisions of the empire. The Eastern Roman Empire, also called the Byzantine Empire, lasted for 1,000 years after the fall of Rome and the Western Roman Empire. The Eastern was simply one of the seemingly larger pieces of what was Rome. Daniel 7:12 portrays that the first three beasts will continue for a “season and a time”, and this, quite possibly, was one of them. It, however, was not ‘Rome’. The principate failed in the Crisis of the Third Century, where we see the fulfillment of the bowls of wrath in Revelation 16. The Eastern division was started either by Emperor Diocletian in 285 AD or Emperor Constantine in 330 AD, when the capital transferred from Rome to Byzantium, later known as Constantinople and Nova Roma (New Rome), and today as Istanbul in Turkey. It was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe at the time.
  1. By seeing that the Roman Empire did not stop in 476 AD, but continued until 1453 AD in its eastern division, we see that Antichrist’s empire has historic roots in Islamic nations. The eastern Roman Empire covered part of the Middle East. The former beast kingdoms will “live on” in the future beast kingdoms. The Roman Empire “lives on” through the influence of countries in the territory of both its eastern and western divisions. We disagree. The principate had already failed.
  2. In 1453 the Eastern Roman Empire fell to the Ottoman Empire, with its dominant Islamic rule and culture, which swept into the Middle East and Europe. The “spirit of Rome” lives on in the Islamic governments that have ruled and still rule that region. Again, disagreed. The Ottoman Empire shows none of the strength of Iron of Rome. Such a proposition is ludicrous. While notable in its size and aggression, it lacks the fundamental strength to band together like iron, as the Roman Legions did. Rome was ‘mixed with clay’, in that they did not Hellenize the nations as the Greeks did, and hence were a mixed people. They also allowed the Germanic tribes to intermix with them, which proved to be troublesome later. But, to say that the Ottoman Empire possesses the ‘spirit of Rome’, to us, is a great stretch, well beyond fact.
  3. The Antichrist may come from the geographic territory associated with the eastern division of the Roman Empire (8:9). This overlaps with the region where Antiochus ruled the Seleucid Empire—the overlap includes Syria, and parts of Turkey and Babylon (Iraq), etc. Antiochus Epiphanes’ rule was a type of the Antichrist—foreshadowing his reign.
    …the large horn [Alexander the Great] was broken, and in place of it [Greek Empire] four notable ones [four Greek generals] came up…And out of one of them came a little horn [Antichrist] which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. (Dan. 8:8-9) We see Daniel 8 as completely, historically fulfilled.
C. A 10-nation confederation: An end-time empire will arise that will initially be under 10 kings. It will cover geographic areas that include some territory from the eastern and western divisions of the ancient Roman Empire, geographically and ethnically. We disagree with the conclusions, for the aforementioned differences of opinion.
The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. (Dan. 7:24)
The ten horns which you saw are ten kings…they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast [Antichrist]. …they will give their power…to the beast. (Rev. 17:12-13)
1. Geographic territory and ethnic continuity are important in understanding the end-time implications of this vision.
2. This confederation will probably be made up of mostly Islamic nations, leaders, and people living throughout the Middle East, Europe, and the former Soviet Union. The Antichrist’s 10-nation confederation will probably be mostly Islamic. A non-Islamic leader ruling the Islamic world against Israel is unlikely.
3. Ezekiel prophesied that the Antichrist would bring with him various Islamic nations to fight Israel (Ezek. 38:5-6). Gomer and Togarmah both refer to modern-day Turkey.
  Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them [Antichrist’s army], all of them with shield and helmet; 6Gomer [Turkey] and all its troops; the house of Togarmah [eastern Turkey] from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you. (Ezek. 38:5-6)
4. The fourth beast may be divided between the east and west—the two legs (2:33), and separate toes (2:41-43). It may be that one leg is in the east and one is in the west.
The dictatorship of the Antichrist: The Antichrist will “arise after” the 10-nation confederation is in power. He will arise to take it over (7:24). He will lead a violent overthrow of the government to seize control of the 10-nation confederacy by having three of the kings killed.
The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise…and another shall rise after them; he [Antichrist] shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. (Dan. 7:24) This, and the other details, fit Domitian.

Mike Bickle – Daniel Seminar 2013 – The Four Beast Kingdoms

Session 1 The Four Beast Kingdoms (Dan. 7:1-8)

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