Expecting the Little Horn aka: Antichrist? Not so fast!

   The Fourth Kingdom - the Kingdom of Antichrist, the Feet and Toes and the Beast:  

   Before the Antichrist can waltz out on the world stage and fill the role of global dictator, several things must be in place; Daniel's fourth beast kingdom must be in position of global dominance and, ten kings must rise out of this kingdom. 

   There are two prophetic portrayals of the fourth kingdom found in Daniel; the fourth beast of ten horns: Daniel 7:7-25 and the feet and toes of iron and shard clay: Daniel 2:40--45. The fourth beast of ten horns, is the kingdom from where the little horn rises from - making the fourth kingdom, the antichrist kingdom. The fourth beast parallels the feet and toes of iron and shard clay, indicating that the tribulation kingdom rises in the latter days, after the era of the legs of iron has expired - the time period between the third kingdom, and the fourth. 

   While the legs of iron barely get a mention - 4 words in half a verse, Daniel 2:33a, the prophetic sequence of kingdoms ends with the feet and toes; where the information of the fourth kingdom is contained. Daniel's fourth kingdom rises during the 2000+ year time period presented as the legs of iron. When the time period of the legs of iron is complete, the feet and toes, the fourth kingdom of iron mixed with shard clay, is in place. 

   Nebuchadnezzar, the prideful King, ruled the middle east from Babylon. This kingdom was given to King Nebuchadnezzar by the God of heaven: Daniel 2: 37-38, also Jeremiah 27:6-7. Nebuchadnezzar was plagued by a dream that haunted his waking moments and caused him to toss and turn in his bed. Nebuchadnezzar's mind was focused on the future of his kingdom and what would become of it in the latter days,: Daniel 2:28,29; 4:20; the dream image reveals the answers. Daniel 2 lays out the foundation of Babylons future and, the order of  kingdoms that rose to rule the middle east which the King saw as his kingdom. 

   Three kingdoms have come and gone, dominating the middle east with kings who ruled from a Babylon homebase. The Chaldeans ruled from Babylon, King Darius took the throne the night Babylon fell to the Mede-Persians and, Alexander the Great ruled his vast Grecian kingdom from a Babylon homebase- where he later died. After his death and the division of the third kingdom into four dynasties, the image falls into the time period of the legs of iron, a period of dormancy when Babylon had no king. The fourth kingdom provides the final king - the little horn or, antichrist. 

Babylon the Great: Rome or Babylon?

   The prophecy of Revelation 17 details a great city, metaphorically depicted as a woman, who sits in the wilderness with her companion; a beast with seven heads and ten horns. The woman, dressed in scarlet and purple is a bastion of spiritual depravity, who has kingship over the kings of the earth in the last days. She is economically corrupt, a habitation of foul spirits, regulating a religious merchant system of buying and selling. 

   Her name is Babylon the Great, indicating a great city located in the heart of the ancient Babylon kingdom. Though Babylon's end time role in the last days, has been relocated to Europe over a time period of several centuries, there is nothing in scripture to verify this relocation. There are no implications from the Angel that suggest that Babylon is Rome, the Roman Catholic church, a nation or any other city except what is stated in scripture. Generally, Babylon is interpreted as any where else other than Babylon, which conflicts with scripture. This can be viewed as a misinterpretation of scripture, an eisegesis, prioritizing generalized ideas, perceptions or assumptions, other than what is stated - which leads to scriptural friction.  

   During the time period of great tribulation, those who wonder after the beast: R 13:3b; 17:8b, will bow in submission before its image, its name, or the number of the name of it, and receive a mark. The mark is worn on the right hand or the forehead, granting special privileges to buy and sell: 13:15-17. Those who refuse this global ordinance will be killed. 

   The woman, that great city who rules over the kings of the earth, will be a global economic powerhouse, regulating the flow of merchandise tied to the global spiritual harlotry of buying and selling: 17:1; 18:3,11-19. And, for this harlotry, she faces judgement.

   ...  Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath: Revelation 16:19b

    John is literally in the midst of great tribulation, serving as a witness, watching it unfold,  when an Angel appears. The Angel arrives to explain why Babylon has been singled out by God for judgement. The Angel will show John the judgement of the woman arrayed in scarlet and purple, adorned with the riches of the world. In order for a judgement to occur, there needs to be a city in the land of Shinar, the land between the rivers, the ancient Babylonian kingdom. 

   The Bible details a great city which will exist in the future, but over  the course of history, Babylon has been removed from prophecy, and replaced with Rome. Not only has Babylon been replaced with Rome, but, the entire middle east has been replaced by Europe. 

   Somewhere down the line, Babylon was replaced by Rome; removing the prophetic significance of Babylon in the last days.