In each blog, I often reference many different topics that I've already covered (or will soon cover), and maybe you've missed. Please review my blogs to read more...
CLICK HERE! for an index to previous blogs.
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Some of these notes with these blogs on Daniel are taken from a few different books that I would highly recommend as they really dive into the details:
Daniel Revisited - Mark Davidson
Mideast Beast - Joel Richardson
The Islamic Antichrist - Joel Richardson
Revelation Deciphered - Nelson Waters
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Daniel chapter 2 brings us the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the statue which he saw.
Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon and he conquered Jerusalem and carried of Daniel and other Israelites to serve him in his court. Nebuchadnezzar even trained Daniel and his friends:
Dan 1:17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
During Daniel's time of study, Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream. He called all of his wise men to interpret the dream or suffer the penalty of death. None were able to interpret the dream.
Daniel prayed, and God showed Daniel the dream and the interpretation.
Daniel saved the lives of those mentioned above through this Divine Revelation from God.
Daniel chapter 2 describes the dream of a statue of four metals and some clay. This dream was God's communication to Nebuchadnezzar and now us.
This dream points to the seven heads of the Beast. Note that Egypt and Assyria are not included in the statue because they existed previously to the reign of Babylon and king Nebuchadnezzar. The dream starts with Babylon and pertains to it, and the nations which follow.
Also note another instance where previous commentators go wrong in considering Rome to be the iron legs... Rome never pulverized Babylon or Persia. You'll see how this matters soon.
The fourth kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar's statue is representative of the Beast of Revelation.
Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things: and as iron that breaks all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
The head was of gold (Babylon), arms and chest were silver (Media-Persia), waist of brass (Greece), and the legs of iron (Islam).
Daniel Chapter 2 will bring out the Antichrist and his ten nation empire (represented by the ten toes in the statue). These ten nations are also referenced in:
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
These ten toes (nations) will come from the legs of iron, which stem from the waist of brass, and so on...
The Islamic Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire satisfies all of Daniel's requirements perfectly!
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Grab your Bibles and read along...
Dan 2:1
Nebuchadnezzar started worrying about things to come and he was given dreams that he did not understand.
Dan 2:2-13
His dreams troubled him so much that he calls on all the wise men at his disposal for an interpretation of these dreams. None were able to tell him his dream, or interpret his dream so Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon... including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Dan 2:14-19
This is where Daniel steps up to the plate. Daniel went in and requested time from Nebuchadnezzar in order that he might "declare the interpretation to the king" (Dan 2:16).
Daniel goes to his friends (see notes in Chapter 1) Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) and asks them to pray with him "concerning this mystery" (Dan 2:18) so that they would not be destroyed with the rest of the Babylonian wise men.
God gave the same dream to Daniel and revealed the mystery to him.
Dan 2:20-24
Daniel gives thanks to the Almighty for giving him wisdom and making known to him the mystery of the vision.
Dan 2:25-30
Nebuchadnezzar is told that an "exile from Judah" (Dan 2:25) is able to explain the dream to him. Daniel reminds the king that none of his so-called wise men were able to accomplish this enormous feat, but that there is a God in Heaven who can reveal this mystery! God has sent Nebuchadnezzar (and Daniel) a dream concerning the "latter days" (Dan 2:28) and what will take place.
Dan 2:31-35
The dream started with a huge, splendid metal statue of a man comprised of five parts; each part of this statue was made of different metals. The statue was struck in the feet by an uncut stone [Jesus], and the metals of the statue turned into dust and blew away until nothing was left. The stone then became a mountain that filled the whole earth.
Jesus will pulverize the Beast's kingdom when He returns and take what is rightfully His. See Dan 2:44-45 below.
Dan 2:36-45
The interpretation is given and Daniel tells us that this vision is a picture of future history from Daniel’s perspective, "... The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy" (Dan 2:45).
Note that the vision history begins about the time of Daniel (605 BC) as he tells Nebuchadnezzar "you are the head of gold" (Dan 2:38).
Regarding the fifth and last part of the statue which is the iron and clay feet, we are told in Dan 2:44, "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people".
So we can see that this vision of the statue covers the entire history from the time of Daniel (head of gold), to the Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah.
Everything in the picture above fits pretty good until we get to iron legs and the claim that they represent Rome. There is another empire that has not been discussed - the Islamic Caliphate.
"After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you..." (Dan 2:39).
"Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia [breast and arms of silver]..." (2 Ch 36:20).
This is the kingdom of the Medes and Persians who ruled together as one empire. The king which followed Nebuchadnezzar was Cyrus the great... who we see in the latter chapters of Daniel. Daniel actually served under Cyrus in his old age after they conquered Babylon. Cyrus is also the king that allowed the Jews to return to Israel from their Babylonian captivity.
What does Daniel tell us about the iron legs?
Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.
This verse says that the Empire of Iron would have to break, crush, and shatter all the other empires - Babylonian, Persian and Greek.
The phrase "breaks in pieces" is translated from the Aramaic word deqaq [H1855] meaning, to crumble or break into pieces. Another English word used by at least one translation is "pulverize". The words "shatter" and "crush" are translated from the word chashal [H2827] that means to subdue, to weaken, or to make feeble. The phrase "all the others" at the end of the verse refers to the three preceding empires - Babylonian, Persian and Greek.
Note that when Alexander the Great ("large horn between the eyes" (Dan 8:20-21) died (323 BC) the kingdom was divided into four kings. However... two of those kings dominated. The king of the South (Dan 11:5) and the king of the North (Dan 11:6). Notice how the waist of the statue (Greece / bronze) becomes two (legs of iron).
It was not Rome that conquered Babylon, Persia, and Greece... it was the Muslim armies of the Islamic Caliphate that did so starting in about 629 AD under the direction of Muslim general Khalid ibn al-Walid.
Rome controlled Babylon for only a year, and they certainly didn't pulverize Babylon. Rome also never defeated and controlled Medo-Persia. The Islamic Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire controlled both Iraq (Babylon) and Iran (Persia) for hundreds of years and completely transformed them linguistically, religiously, and culturally.
One note to completely disqualify Rome and a European confederacy:
Rev 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a ROBE DIPPED WITH BLOOD, and His name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
Why is His robe dipped in blood?
Some will claim it's His own shed blood as a symbol of the blood He shed for us. Why would His robe be dipped in His own blood?
Others claim it is the blood of the martyrs killed during the Great Tribulation (Rev 6:9-11).
The Truth is found in:
Isa 63:1-4 Who is this Who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, He who is splendid in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength?
"It is I [Jesus], speaking in righteousness, mighty to save."
Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?
"I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me; I trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel. For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption had come."
Isaiah sees Jesus marching to His Throne in Jerusalem from Bozrah (modern day Petra) with His robes splattered in the Edomites blood (not Roman blood, or any European blood).
The Edomites are the grapes He has just tread in the wine press.
Throughout Islamic history until 1924, the strongest and most widespread empire within the Islamic realm usually claimed the Caliphate - the Office of the Caliph, the leader of all of Islam.
The first politically organized Islamic Empire which started in AD 661, was called the Umayyad Caliphate.
Prior to that the Islamic realm expanded under the leadership of four leaders in a series called the "Four Righteously Guided Ones" (or the "Four Caliphs") who took over one after the other following the death of the founder, Muhammad.
It was under these Four Caliphs that the Islamic realm was responsible for completing the conquests of Babylon and Persia in AD 641. However, the Eastern Roman Empire remained and was the home and guardian of Greek culture. The Islamic Empire responsible for completing the conquest of the Eastern Roman Empire much later in AD 1453 was the Islamic Ottoman (Turkey) Empire. When Constantinople fell, the conquest of Greece was complete.
The Ottoman (Turkey) Empire fell in 1923 after World War I. It is likely to be the wounded head (Rev 13:3).
The Islamic Caliphate history matches perfectly with the description of the legs of iron and the coming feet of ten toes in the statue in Daniel.
Dan 2:41
Verse 41 is a defining characteristic of the final kingdom in that it would be divided (iron / clay).
Dan 2:41-43 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
There are many examples of how the Islamic Empire is, and has been, a divided kingdom. This divided kingdom is the eighth kingdom of Revelation 17 and the final Beast Empire that will conquer Jerusalem.
Shortly after Muhammad died, a division broke out between the Shia, (the minority sect), who felt that the successorship belonged to Muhammad’s relatives, and the Sunnis, (the majority sect), who felt the successorship belonged to Muhammad’s companions, or the Sahabah.
This division has defined Islam from its earliest days to modern times. For years, as the war in Iraq unfolded, we were treated to daily reports of "sectarian violence" with Sunnis killing Shia, and vice versa. Today this term is simply used with reference to the intra-Islamic violence that has been so common throughout Islamic history. This is further proof that the Islamic Empire meets the Dan 2:41 standard perfectly.
The toes are weak, divided, and trying to cling together... trying to even cling to the legs, but are failing. We see evidence of this today with all the unrest in the Middle East. Not to mention, those forces do not resemble the power of the united Ottoman Empire in any form.
Also see Gen 16:10-12 referring to God's promise that Ishmael's seed would always be divided.
Gen 16:10-12 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
The Scriptures tell us that those people who will comprise the Antichrist’s empire will be a divided people. And even beyond this, other passages also inform us that even at the final hour, while in the land of Israel, the soldiers of the Antichrist will attack and kill each other:
Eze 38:21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
Zec 14:13 Each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other.
The only unity they will have is found in their hatred for the Jews and their desire to destroy Israel and to reign globally under sharia law.
Also note that these 10 toes are representative of 10 kings who briefly reign. They will soon give their authority to the Antichrist.
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
In my Daniel 8 blog you'll see how Turkey defeats Iran's surge and from this victory four provinces will arise. These 10 kings (toes) will be kings from these four provinces. The Antichrist will also arise from one of the four.
Dan 2:43
I found another interesting example in the book Daniel Revisited, by Mark Davidson:
The splintering of the Islamic Realm into many states is a fulfillment of the words “will not remain united” in Dan 2:41-43. Additionally, there seems to be a play on words in the original Aramaic text of Dan 2:43. It involves the Aramaic word arab (Strong’s H6151, pronounced ar-ab’). Our English word “arab” comes from the Hebrew/ Aramaic word “arab”— which is a person of Semitic origin living in or near Arabia. But the Hebrew / Aramaic word “arab” also means to comingle, to mix. So our currently translated phrase “the people will be a mixture” can also be rendered in English as “the people will be Arab.” This is probably not what is directly intended in the translation, but the play on words is interesting to me.
In the ancient Middle East, the Arabs were viewed as the mixed desert peoples. In Hebrew, the word is ereb.
Because the descendants of Ishmael and Esau had so intermarried among the various desert pagan tribes, they had essentially become known collectively as "the mixed ones". The first reference to the Eastern desert peoples as the "mixed ones" is found in the book of Nehemiah.
After the Book of the Law had been rediscovered in the Temple, all Israel gathered together to hear the scroll read publicly:
Neh 13:1-3 On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God... So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude [ereb] from Israel.
After reading the Law, the Jews realized that it was forbidden for them to take wives from the mixed pagan peoples of the desert. Specifically mentioned are the Ammonites and the Moabites, who lived in what is today the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Essentially, the verse is saying that when the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of "arab" descent.
Again, in the ancient Near East, the words mixed and "arab" were synonymous. The very name Arab in its etymological origins refers to the mixed people that lived primarily to the east of Israel.
A literal transliteration of Dan 2:43 would look like this:
"As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will be Arab; and will thus not remain united, just as iron does not mix with clay."
Dan 2:44-45
Above, from Dan 2:34-35 we touched on the uncut Stone. This Stone strikes the feet of the statue and the rest of it comes crumbling down. The Stone becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth.
This Stone represents Jesus physical return to earth and the setting up of the Millennial Kingdom. It is also representative of the Kingdom of God which was first established during Jesus first earthly ministry.
The symbolism of this stone growing into a mighty mountain is shown to us in another parable:
Mat 13:31-33 He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES." He spoke another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened."
It is clear in several passage throughout Scripture that this stone will grow into a mountain:
Isa 2:2-4 Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.
The falling of this statue, and the "dust in the wind" aspect represents the dissolution of any and all earthly kingdoms. When Jesus returns, His Kingdom will reign exclusively.
Dan 2:44-45
I think these passages are pretty interesting. Daniel, ever since he was brought into exile under Nebuchadnezzar, has remained faithful. We see in Daniel 1 his resolution to his kosher diet as commanded by God. Every chance he gets, throughout these verses, he makes sure to point out that none of these are by His hand, but by God's hand. He points this out on several occasions to Nebuchadnezzar.
Now, here we see Nebuchadnezzar recognizing how truly great Daniel's God is.
Dan 2:46-49
Daniel is promoted. He also petitions the king for his friends: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. They also played a part in this revelation as they prayed with Daniel for the answer.
Some of these excerpts are from my personal notes copied from 30+ years of studying... some of these notes are direct copies of various sources - I do not claim to have authored every word of this... it's just a mass collection I've tucked away over the years for my own personal studies... I didn't consider a bibliography at the time I directly copied small excerpts from various authors. Also, any emphasis (underlines, bold text, all CAPS, etc.) noted above was only meant to capture my personal attention as I studied...
CLICK HERE! for an index to previous blogs.
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Daniel Revisited - Mark Davidson
Mideast Beast - Joel Richardson
The Islamic Antichrist - Joel Richardson
Revelation Deciphered - Nelson Waters
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Daniel chapter 2 brings us the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the statue which he saw.
Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon and he conquered Jerusalem and carried of Daniel and other Israelites to serve him in his court. Nebuchadnezzar even trained Daniel and his friends:
Dan 1:17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
During Daniel's time of study, Nebuchadnezzar had a disturbing dream. He called all of his wise men to interpret the dream or suffer the penalty of death. None were able to interpret the dream.
Daniel prayed, and God showed Daniel the dream and the interpretation.
Daniel saved the lives of those mentioned above through this Divine Revelation from God.
Daniel chapter 2 describes the dream of a statue of four metals and some clay. This dream was God's communication to Nebuchadnezzar and now us.
This dream points to the seven heads of the Beast. Note that Egypt and Assyria are not included in the statue because they existed previously to the reign of Babylon and king Nebuchadnezzar. The dream starts with Babylon and pertains to it, and the nations which follow.
Also note another instance where previous commentators go wrong in considering Rome to be the iron legs... Rome never pulverized Babylon or Persia. You'll see how this matters soon.
The fourth kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar's statue is representative of the Beast of Revelation.
Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things: and as iron that breaks all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
The head was of gold (Babylon), arms and chest were silver (Media-Persia), waist of brass (Greece), and the legs of iron (Islam).
Daniel Chapter 2 will bring out the Antichrist and his ten nation empire (represented by the ten toes in the statue). These ten nations are also referenced in:
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
These ten toes (nations) will come from the legs of iron, which stem from the waist of brass, and so on...
The Islamic Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire satisfies all of Daniel's requirements perfectly!
_________________
Grab your Bibles and read along...
Dan 2:1
Nebuchadnezzar started worrying about things to come and he was given dreams that he did not understand.
Dan 2:2-13
His dreams troubled him so much that he calls on all the wise men at his disposal for an interpretation of these dreams. None were able to tell him his dream, or interpret his dream so Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon... including Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Dan 2:14-19
This is where Daniel steps up to the plate. Daniel went in and requested time from Nebuchadnezzar in order that he might "declare the interpretation to the king" (Dan 2:16).
Daniel goes to his friends (see notes in Chapter 1) Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) and asks them to pray with him "concerning this mystery" (Dan 2:18) so that they would not be destroyed with the rest of the Babylonian wise men.
God gave the same dream to Daniel and revealed the mystery to him.
Dan 2:20-24
Daniel gives thanks to the Almighty for giving him wisdom and making known to him the mystery of the vision.
Dan 2:25-30
Nebuchadnezzar is told that an "exile from Judah" (Dan 2:25) is able to explain the dream to him. Daniel reminds the king that none of his so-called wise men were able to accomplish this enormous feat, but that there is a God in Heaven who can reveal this mystery! God has sent Nebuchadnezzar (and Daniel) a dream concerning the "latter days" (Dan 2:28) and what will take place.
Dan 2:31-35
The dream started with a huge, splendid metal statue of a man comprised of five parts; each part of this statue was made of different metals. The statue was struck in the feet by an uncut stone [Jesus], and the metals of the statue turned into dust and blew away until nothing was left. The stone then became a mountain that filled the whole earth.
Jesus will pulverize the Beast's kingdom when He returns and take what is rightfully His. See Dan 2:44-45 below.
Dan 2:36-45
The interpretation is given and Daniel tells us that this vision is a picture of future history from Daniel’s perspective, "... The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy" (Dan 2:45).
Note that the vision history begins about the time of Daniel (605 BC) as he tells Nebuchadnezzar "you are the head of gold" (Dan 2:38).
Regarding the fifth and last part of the statue which is the iron and clay feet, we are told in Dan 2:44, "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people".
So we can see that this vision of the statue covers the entire history from the time of Daniel (head of gold), to the Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah.
Everything in the picture above fits pretty good until we get to iron legs and the claim that they represent Rome. There is another empire that has not been discussed - the Islamic Caliphate.
"After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you..." (Dan 2:39).
"Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia [breast and arms of silver]..." (2 Ch 36:20).
This is the kingdom of the Medes and Persians who ruled together as one empire. The king which followed Nebuchadnezzar was Cyrus the great... who we see in the latter chapters of Daniel. Daniel actually served under Cyrus in his old age after they conquered Babylon. Cyrus is also the king that allowed the Jews to return to Israel from their Babylonian captivity.
What does Daniel tell us about the iron legs?
Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.
This verse says that the Empire of Iron would have to break, crush, and shatter all the other empires - Babylonian, Persian and Greek.
The phrase "breaks in pieces" is translated from the Aramaic word deqaq [H1855] meaning, to crumble or break into pieces. Another English word used by at least one translation is "pulverize". The words "shatter" and "crush" are translated from the word chashal [H2827] that means to subdue, to weaken, or to make feeble. The phrase "all the others" at the end of the verse refers to the three preceding empires - Babylonian, Persian and Greek.
Note that when Alexander the Great ("large horn between the eyes" (Dan 8:20-21) died (323 BC) the kingdom was divided into four kings. However... two of those kings dominated. The king of the South (Dan 11:5) and the king of the North (Dan 11:6). Notice how the waist of the statue (Greece / bronze) becomes two (legs of iron).
It was not Rome that conquered Babylon, Persia, and Greece... it was the Muslim armies of the Islamic Caliphate that did so starting in about 629 AD under the direction of Muslim general Khalid ibn al-Walid.
Rome controlled Babylon for only a year, and they certainly didn't pulverize Babylon. Rome also never defeated and controlled Medo-Persia. The Islamic Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire controlled both Iraq (Babylon) and Iran (Persia) for hundreds of years and completely transformed them linguistically, religiously, and culturally.
One note to completely disqualify Rome and a European confederacy:
Rev 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a ROBE DIPPED WITH BLOOD, and His name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
Why is His robe dipped in blood?
Some will claim it's His own shed blood as a symbol of the blood He shed for us. Why would His robe be dipped in His own blood?
Others claim it is the blood of the martyrs killed during the Great Tribulation (Rev 6:9-11).
The Truth is found in:
Isa 63:1-4 Who is this Who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, He who is splendid in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength?
"It is I [Jesus], speaking in righteousness, mighty to save."
Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress?
"I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me; I trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel. For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption had come."
Isaiah sees Jesus marching to His Throne in Jerusalem from Bozrah (modern day Petra) with His robes splattered in the Edomites blood (not Roman blood, or any European blood).
The Edomites are the grapes He has just tread in the wine press.
Throughout Islamic history until 1924, the strongest and most widespread empire within the Islamic realm usually claimed the Caliphate - the Office of the Caliph, the leader of all of Islam.
The first politically organized Islamic Empire which started in AD 661, was called the Umayyad Caliphate.
Prior to that the Islamic realm expanded under the leadership of four leaders in a series called the "Four Righteously Guided Ones" (or the "Four Caliphs") who took over one after the other following the death of the founder, Muhammad.
It was under these Four Caliphs that the Islamic realm was responsible for completing the conquests of Babylon and Persia in AD 641. However, the Eastern Roman Empire remained and was the home and guardian of Greek culture. The Islamic Empire responsible for completing the conquest of the Eastern Roman Empire much later in AD 1453 was the Islamic Ottoman (Turkey) Empire. When Constantinople fell, the conquest of Greece was complete.
The Ottoman (Turkey) Empire fell in 1923 after World War I. It is likely to be the wounded head (Rev 13:3).
The Islamic Caliphate history matches perfectly with the description of the legs of iron and the coming feet of ten toes in the statue in Daniel.
Dan 2:41
Verse 41 is a defining characteristic of the final kingdom in that it would be divided (iron / clay).
Dan 2:41-43 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.
There are many examples of how the Islamic Empire is, and has been, a divided kingdom. This divided kingdom is the eighth kingdom of Revelation 17 and the final Beast Empire that will conquer Jerusalem.
Shortly after Muhammad died, a division broke out between the Shia, (the minority sect), who felt that the successorship belonged to Muhammad’s relatives, and the Sunnis, (the majority sect), who felt the successorship belonged to Muhammad’s companions, or the Sahabah.
This division has defined Islam from its earliest days to modern times. For years, as the war in Iraq unfolded, we were treated to daily reports of "sectarian violence" with Sunnis killing Shia, and vice versa. Today this term is simply used with reference to the intra-Islamic violence that has been so common throughout Islamic history. This is further proof that the Islamic Empire meets the Dan 2:41 standard perfectly.
The toes are weak, divided, and trying to cling together... trying to even cling to the legs, but are failing. We see evidence of this today with all the unrest in the Middle East. Not to mention, those forces do not resemble the power of the united Ottoman Empire in any form.
Also see Gen 16:10-12 referring to God's promise that Ishmael's seed would always be divided.
Gen 16:10-12 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
The Scriptures tell us that those people who will comprise the Antichrist’s empire will be a divided people. And even beyond this, other passages also inform us that even at the final hour, while in the land of Israel, the soldiers of the Antichrist will attack and kill each other:
Eze 38:21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
Zec 14:13 Each will seize the hand of another, and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other.
The only unity they will have is found in their hatred for the Jews and their desire to destroy Israel and to reign globally under sharia law.
Also note that these 10 toes are representative of 10 kings who briefly reign. They will soon give their authority to the Antichrist.
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
In my Daniel 8 blog you'll see how Turkey defeats Iran's surge and from this victory four provinces will arise. These 10 kings (toes) will be kings from these four provinces. The Antichrist will also arise from one of the four.
Dan 2:43
I found another interesting example in the book Daniel Revisited, by Mark Davidson:
The splintering of the Islamic Realm into many states is a fulfillment of the words “will not remain united” in Dan 2:41-43. Additionally, there seems to be a play on words in the original Aramaic text of Dan 2:43. It involves the Aramaic word arab (Strong’s H6151, pronounced ar-ab’). Our English word “arab” comes from the Hebrew/ Aramaic word “arab”— which is a person of Semitic origin living in or near Arabia. But the Hebrew / Aramaic word “arab” also means to comingle, to mix. So our currently translated phrase “the people will be a mixture” can also be rendered in English as “the people will be Arab.” This is probably not what is directly intended in the translation, but the play on words is interesting to me.
In the ancient Middle East, the Arabs were viewed as the mixed desert peoples. In Hebrew, the word is ereb.
Because the descendants of Ishmael and Esau had so intermarried among the various desert pagan tribes, they had essentially become known collectively as "the mixed ones". The first reference to the Eastern desert peoples as the "mixed ones" is found in the book of Nehemiah.
After the Book of the Law had been rediscovered in the Temple, all Israel gathered together to hear the scroll read publicly:
Neh 13:1-3 On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God... So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude [ereb] from Israel.
After reading the Law, the Jews realized that it was forbidden for them to take wives from the mixed pagan peoples of the desert. Specifically mentioned are the Ammonites and the Moabites, who lived in what is today the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Essentially, the verse is saying that when the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of "arab" descent.
Again, in the ancient Near East, the words mixed and "arab" were synonymous. The very name Arab in its etymological origins refers to the mixed people that lived primarily to the east of Israel.
A literal transliteration of Dan 2:43 would look like this:
"As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will be Arab; and will thus not remain united, just as iron does not mix with clay."
Dan 2:44-45
Above, from Dan 2:34-35 we touched on the uncut Stone. This Stone strikes the feet of the statue and the rest of it comes crumbling down. The Stone becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth.
This Stone represents Jesus physical return to earth and the setting up of the Millennial Kingdom. It is also representative of the Kingdom of God which was first established during Jesus first earthly ministry.
The symbolism of this stone growing into a mighty mountain is shown to us in another parable:
Mat 13:31-33 He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES." He spoke another parable to them, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened."
It is clear in several passage throughout Scripture that this stone will grow into a mountain:
Isa 2:2-4 Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.
The falling of this statue, and the "dust in the wind" aspect represents the dissolution of any and all earthly kingdoms. When Jesus returns, His Kingdom will reign exclusively.
Dan 2:44-45
I think these passages are pretty interesting. Daniel, ever since he was brought into exile under Nebuchadnezzar, has remained faithful. We see in Daniel 1 his resolution to his kosher diet as commanded by God. Every chance he gets, throughout these verses, he makes sure to point out that none of these are by His hand, but by God's hand. He points this out on several occasions to Nebuchadnezzar.
Now, here we see Nebuchadnezzar recognizing how truly great Daniel's God is.
Dan 2:46-49
Daniel is promoted. He also petitions the king for his friends: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. They also played a part in this revelation as they prayed with Daniel for the answer.
Some of these excerpts are from my personal notes copied from 30+ years of studying... some of these notes are direct copies of various sources - I do not claim to have authored every word of this... it's just a mass collection I've tucked away over the years for my own personal studies... I didn't consider a bibliography at the time I directly copied small excerpts from various authors. Also, any emphasis (underlines, bold text, all CAPS, etc.) noted above was only meant to capture my personal attention as I studied...
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