The Fourth Kingdom - the Kingdom of Antichrist, the King's Image 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, 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 prophetic time period of the legs of iron, has been fulfilled.
Nebuchadnezzar, ruled the entire middle east from Babylon. This kingdom was given to him by the God of heaven: Daniel 2:37-38, also Jeremiah 27:6-7. The King was plagued by a dream that haunted his waking hours and he tossed and turned in his bed. Nebuchadnezzar, the prideful king worried about 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.
The dream was prophetic in nature, presenting a futuristic timeline of the Babylon kingdom. The image not only foretold of two additional kingdoms, one of silver and one of brass, that would rise to rule the middle east but, it foretold the prophesied fall of Babylon, and the rise of a fourth kingdom in the latter days, the feet and toes of iron and clay.
There are four kingdoms but five time periods in Daniel 2, implicating that the time period that falls between the third kingdom and the fourth, fulfill the prophecy of the fall of Babylon. (2,565- 2,349 years so far) The focus of the dream image revolves around the desire of the king to know what will become of his kingdom in the latter days.... placing the entire focus of Daniel 2, on Babylon.
The dream in Daniel 2 and the interpretation, present a historical timeline of Babylons future and, the order of kingdoms, that rose to rule the middle east; which Nebuchadnezzar saw as his kingdom. The image is in the form of a man, and made up of various metals whose gods the Babylonians worshiped: Daniel 5:4,23b, connecting the metals and the kingdoms, to Babylon.
The image portrays Nebuchadnezzar as the head of gold, head of the Babylonian kingdom. The image represents the King and his kingdom. The King's image portrays two additional kingdoms that rose to rule the middle east, the silver and the brass, with a fourth kingdom, yet to come. The silver and the brass depict the decline of Babylon as each metal is inferior to the one before, and all are less valuable than gold but, greater in strength. The dream and image revolve around the king, his kingdom and the fourth kingdom, which will rise to dominate the earth in the latter days.
Three kingdoms have come and gone, conquering the middle east, with kings who lived in and, ruled from Babylon. The Chaldeans ruled from Babylon, King Darius took the throne the night Babylon fell to the armies of Cyrus the Great: Daniel 5:31; 6:28 and, Alexander the Great ruled his Grecian kingdom from a secondary 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 decline and desolation signifying the prophesied fall of Babylon; a kingdom without a king. The fourth kingdom emerges from this time period and, provides the final king - the little horn or, antichrist.
With Babylon as the focus of the King's dream, the legs of iron are skipped over with barely a mention - 4 words, half a verse: Daniel 2:33a which doesn't offer any additional details about the legs of iron. This extended passage of time falls between the third kingdom, the belly and thighs of brass and the fourth, the feet and toes of iron and shard clay. The legs of iron begin below the thighs - just above the knees, and extend to the ankles, never joining as one. In relation to the dream and the King who wanted to know the future of his kingdom, this time period reflets a period of desolation and ruin for Babylon; the fall of Babylon; a kingdom without a king.
Babylons fall begins shortly after the death of Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon's fate was sealed when the armies of Cyrus the great, seized the city the night the writing was on the wall: Daniel 5; Isaiah 47; 45:1; Jeremiah 25:12. The kingdom of the Mede-Persians is recorded as the chest and arms of silver, which parallel the 'beast like that of a bear' in Daniel 7:5. Babylon's downfall accelerated after the death of Alexander the Great, the belly and thighs of brass which parallel the beast as a leopard in Daniel 7:6. The legs of iron present an overview of Babylon's fall, which has collected biblical dust, and is often overlooked in relation to the image.
As Babylon began her downward spiral into desolation, a historical rift occurs between the east and the west - as ruling power was removed from the east, and transferred to the west.
More than two millennium (2,349 years) have now passed since the death of Alexander, and the division of his kingdom; the belly and thighs of brass. During this long and continuous era of time, the ministry of Christ Jesus began and ended with his crucifixion and resurrection; fulfilling multiple prophecies. The rise of Christianity was swiftly met with extreme persecution, and the church age shortly followed. As Babylon declined, the Roman empire rose in the west, seizing land and military power. It became so large that it split into two empires in 395 A.D..
After the demise of the western empire in 476 A.D., the Roman Catholic church rose, consolidating military and religious power. The eastern half, the Byzantine empire rose in 330 A.D., and fell in 1453 A.D., with the conquest of Constantinople, removing the last remnant of the Roman empire from the middle east. This conquest replaced a Christian stronghold, with Islam, a nefarious political and religious system, that has since spread outward, to devour and conquer the earth for global control. Two kingdoms rose, but only one was middle eastern - reflecting the location of Nebuchadnezzars kingdom, and the focus of the Kings dream.
Columbus discovered America in 1492, and in 1948 the world witnessed the rebirth of Israel; a nation born in one day, fulfilling several prophecies. Antisemitism is rising, Islam is spreading, oil is the new gold, A.I. is now a thing, and rockets are launched into space. But, none of this affected Babylon. The only thing that affected Babylon, was time.
As Babylon fell into ruin and desolation; a prophetic fourth kingdom began to emerge, claiming global supremacy. And now, as this extended era of time is nearing its end - an economic transformation is about to unfold in the ancient Babylon kingdom; one that will affect the entire world and move the prophetic timeclock into Revelation - the time of tribulation.
Four Beast: 1. Lion - Babylon, 2. Bear - Persian, 3. Leopard - Grecian, 4. Beast of ten horns - Antichrist / Tribulation.
Four Metals: 1. Gold - Babylon, 2. Silver - Persian, 3. Brass - Grecian, 4. Iron - Fall of Babylon, 4. Iron mixed with shard clay - Antichrist / Tribulation.
Part 2: Daniel 7: the Beast of Ten Horns:
Daniel 7 provides additional details of the tribulation / antichrist kingdom found at the base of the image, the feet and toes of iron and shard clay. In Daniel 7, the fourth kingdom is a beast of ten horns. This is the beast that rises from the sea in Revelation 13:1-4, with his mortal wound healed. A beast is a kingdom and the horns are his kings. The beast from the sea is the kingdom of Antichrist, and it has ten kings. A second beast, the beast of the earth (clay) is the realm of the false prophet; the religious system, which promotes the political power and global authority (iron) of the first beast: Daniel 2:41-44; Revelation 13:11-17.
The first beast has many parts and pieces which work together as a collective whole. The beast has seven heads, ten horns with crowns, and the genetic makeup of three previous beast kingdoms which were mortally wounded and deceased: the lion, the bear and the leopard: Rev 13:1,2a. It can be noted that when Daniel first saw the fourth beast in his night vision - apx 556 B.C., he didn't have seven heads or crowns upon his ten horns, indicating that these are obtained as the beast rises in the end of days.
The beast (kingdom) that was, and is not (was slain) and yet is: Rev 17:8,11, will need to go through a transformation or metamorphosis, before he rises from the sea with his mortal wound healed. Several millennium and other kingdoms will pass, before the beast with seven heads and ten horns, formed from his three deceased predecessors - can rise: R 13:2a.
What John saw and documented in Rev 13, was an event which has not yet happened. John saw a future kingdom, a tribulation kingdom; Daniel's fourth kingdom yet to come. It is from this kingdom that ten horns will rise to rule the earth. The little horn or, antichrist rises up among these ten horns: Daniel 7:7,23,24.
The first mention of the little horn is in connection to the fourth beast. Daniel sees four great beasts rise from the sea: 7:1-7. Beast is from the Aramaic: חֵיוְתָא which translates to animal. These four beast are four kingdoms. Three kingdoms ruled the middle east and came against Israel in various ways: the lion - Babylon, the bear - Mede-Persian and, the leopard - the Grecian kingdom of Alexander the Great.
Daniel 7:17 These four huge animals are four kingdoms that will arise on earth. (CJB)
After the death of Alexander, 323 B.C., his kingdom was divided into four dynasties, which became four kingdoms: Daniel 8:8a; 11:4. These kingdoms are seen as four heads upon the leopard. Antiochus Epiphanes rose from one of these four heads, the Seleucid dynasty in 175 B.C., as a Greek King - a king of the North.
Antiochus Epiphanes was the little horn of the old testament: Daniel 8:9,22,23. The little horn of the new testament rises from the head of the fourth beast of ten horns, which becomes the seventh head of the red dragon, the seventh world kingdom. This is the kingdom which rises after Rome, (the sixth head); and remains a short while: 17:10.
The fourth beast that rises from the sea is the fourth kingdom: Daniel 7:23. Beast kingdoms rise from the sea, while kings rise from the earth. Daniel 7:3,17. Verse 17 with the English translations, connects kings to kingdoms and kingdoms to kings similar to R 17:10 which connects a king to a kingdom and kingdoms to kings - ie: the kings of the earth: Rev 17:2,18; 18:3.
The fourth beast is different from the previous three. This beast has the mouth of a lion with teeth of iron, which crushes the earth to devour it. His feet are as the feet of a bear, with nails of brass, that rake the earth, stamping the residue with his feet. Daniel 7:7,19. The beast from the sea in Revelation 13:1-4 is 'like' the leopard who had four heads. Instead of four heads, the beast from the sea has seven. The beast kingdom is an amalgamation of all three beasts, rolled into one and, it has ten horns - ten kings.
The fourth beast is formed from the previous three: the lion, the bear and the leopard: Rev 13:2a; and, is created in the image of the red dragon who has seven heads and ten horns: Rev 12:3. And, just as the red dragon is full of enmity against the woman's seed and those who carry the testimony of Christ Jesus, so is his beast kingdom: R 12:17; 17:3.
The kingdom rises to conquer and devour before the ten horns rise. The ten horns that rise out of this kingdom are ten kings: 7:7b,8, 20a, 24. The fourth beast parallels the feet and toes of Nebuchadnezzars dream image: Daniel 2:40-44. The toes at the base of the image, parallel the ten horns on Daniel's fourth beast kingdom - which are ten kings, who rise from this kingdom: Daniel 2:44; 7:7,8,24; Revelation 13:1; 17:12-14.
The kingdom of iron mixed with shard clay rises after the time period of the legs of iron is complete. The legs of iron are briefly mentioned in Daniel 2:33a, four words, half a verse, which doesn't offer any information about the legs of iron. The placement in relation to the Babylonian image and the desire of King Nebuchadnezzar to know what would become of 'his' kingdom in the latter days, indicates a gap in Babylon's history, a pivot between the third kingdom and the fourth - the prophesied fall of Babylon, when Babylon fell into perpetual desolation; a kingdom without a King. The prophetic sequence of the four kingdoms ends with the feet and toes, making the feet and toes the fourth kingdom.
The timeline of the legs of iron begin after the fall of the Grecian empire, and continues to the start of the fourth kingdom; the tribulation kingdom. This 2349 year gap in Babylon's history, depicted as the legs of iron predates the establishment of the feet and toes of iron and clay - the antichrist kingdom. After the rise and demise of the Roman empire in 476 A.D., a contentious political and religious system focused on conquest, rose from the middle east: Islam. This gap in Babylon's history, prepares the way for the fourth kingdom to rise. The fourth kingdom, the tribulation kingdom, rises after this time period is complete, and, the world stage is set - with all the prophetic tribulation pieces in place.
In the days of these kings: Daniel 2:44 establishes the time period after ten kings rise from this kingdom to seize world power, which is explained in more detail in Daniel 7:8,20,23,24. The kingdom rises first and then, the ten kings rise out of the kingdom. The kingdom forms and rises during the era of the legs of iron, emerging as a world power (iron) once this time period is complete with a religious system already in place - the beast out of the earth (clay). If Antichrist enforces a covenant with Israel: Daniel 9:27, then the fourth kingdom, the iron and clay aka: beast of ten horns must be in position before the time of tribulation begins.
This is the kingdom that rises to claim global authority prior to the return of Christ Jesus: 13:1; 17:12-14 and, will be destroyed at his second coming: Daniel 2:44-45. The fourth beast must be in place prior to the rise of the little horn aka: antichrist. The kingdom will be notably recognized by its ten kings and the eleventh, which rises up among them: Daniel 7:8a, 24b.
Daniel tells us that ten kings rise from the head of the fourth beast:7:20 - indicating that all ten kings rise from the same kingdom - as they are genetically attached to the beast, as ten horns. The kings belong to the beast, and the beast is ruled by his ten kings. The little horn or antichrist rises up after these ten kings as a 'little horn' Daniel 7:8a - which tells us ten kings must be in positions of ruling power before the little horn can rise. (Note: a horn is a king that rises from the head of the beast, which is a kingdom. A horn is not a head.)
Daniel gives us the backstory, filling in the blanks for the rise of the beast out of the sea in Revelation 13:1-4. The kingdom is dreadful, terrible and exceedingly strong, so much so that not one kingdom will be able to make war with him: Rev 13:4b. The beast is a war machine, masculine in nature, and is given male pronouns: he, him and his, which can lead to some confusion in scripture, transposing a wounded head for a wounded horn. The beast is a kingdom, and the horns are his kings; it's important to read scripture as written in order to understand the context. -- I find it interesting and even a bit amusing, that the great city, the woman arrayed in scarlet and purple who sits upon the seven heads of the beast Rev 17:3,9, is given feminine attributes, while her companion, the beast is masculine - much like a match made in Hades.
Daniel moves close to someone in his vision and asks about the fourth beast: Daniel 7:16
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
Daniel draws out the specifics of the fourth beast. - The fourth kingdom rises first, to crush and devour, which is unprecedented, as most kingdoms revolve around the sovereignty of a king.
What type of kingdom rises to conquer and devour the earth without a king?
Part 3: The ten horns and the little horn:
Now that the ground work for the soon-to-come antichrist kingdom is laid, we can look at the ten horns that rise out of this kingdom. The ten horns provide clues as to the power of the eleventh king: the little horn or antichrist:
As the beast kingdom accumulates global power and authority, ten horns will rise out of the kingdom. These kings can also be seen as the toes that extend from the feet. The feet and toes are made of iron and shard clay. (This in itself is an amazing study as shard clay or, potshard is not the same as potters clay or miry clay, found in most translations.)
They are given crowns or diadems. And I saw a beast ascending up of the sea, having seven heads, and ten horns; and on his horns ten diadems, and on his heads the names of blasphemy. Revelation 13:1. Beast in the Greek is: θηρίου - living thing, genetically non-human, a wild animal hunted by man. Greek: 2342.
In Revelation 12:3 we see that the dragon had placed crowns on each of his heads, one for each kingdom. But now, as the beast rises, the crowns are removed from the seven heads, and new crowns are placed upon the ten horns. The red dragon transfers ruling power from the seven heads, to the ten kings. The crowns that were upon the seven heads are now replaced with the names of blasphemy - the name of the beast or the number of his name. A beast is a kingdom and the horns are his kings.
The ten horns receive ruling power to serve as kings, but have no kingdom of their own: Rev 17:12. This tells us the ten kings do not represent ten regions, nations or, kingdoms but, instead, serve the beast. They have one mind, one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast: R 17:13. All the power and global authority they have accumulated up until this time, will be for the benefit of the kingdom.
After the ten horns are in position of global authority - 'then' a little horn begins to rise. As he rises, he removes the power of three kings: Daniel 7:8a,24b, - but 10 still remain: 13:1; 17:12-14. Three kings have their power removed, replaced or, restrained, but there are still ten horns who rule the global affairs of the beast kingdom. Overall, this beast is different from the previous beast kingdoms that Daniel saw, as the fourth beast is a mixture of all three: lion, bear and leopard, and it has ten horns - ten kings with global authority.
The little horn or, antichrist rises from this group of ten horns or, ten kings to seize world power and make war with the saints.
The ten kings war with the Lamb:17:14. The ten horns are full of enmity and embrace the essence of the beast kingdom which is full of blasphemy: 17:3b. And, like the little horn, the ten horns are filled with the spirit of antichrist, mocking the God of heaven and the divinity of his son, Christ Jesus.
Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist that denies the Father and the Son: 1 John 2:22. ... By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it should come, and even now it is already in the world. I John 4:2-3
Little Horn:
The little horn has the eyes of a man and a vile mouth, that arrogantly mocks and ridicules the God of Heaven, day and night, continuously, non-stop: Daniel 7:8b,20b,25; Rev 13:5,6. He is full of enmity, making war with the saints, wearing them out, treading them underfoot, and he prevails heavily against them:
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them. Daniel 7:21 .... And he shall speak great words against the most high, and shall wear out the saints Daniel 7:25.... And it was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given to him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. Revelation 13:7
Those left on earth who are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life, will wonder after the beast, and they worship the red dragon who gives the beast his seat (throne, territorial domain) his power and great authority: 13:2b,3,4. They also worship the little horn. The word translated from the Greek for worship is: προσκυνεω which means: to merge with, follow (as in allegiance) submit to, bow before or, hold in great reverence Greek: 4352. They will follow the little horn in blind allegiance and loyalty, and also make war with the saints: Rev 13:7,8. Those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, will not follow the beast nor the little horn, in blind allegiance.
Those who dwell under the power and authority of the beast, share the same rhetoric as the little horn and together, they rise to war with the saints. This is shown by the seven heads, seven world kingdoms that carry the name of blasphemy Rev 13:1b. This blasphemy is the name of the beast or the number of the name of it; allegiance to the kingdom.
The fourth kingdom is full of the names of blasphemy: Rev 17:3b; blasphemous men and women who follow Antichrist in military-style allegiance. The little horn mocks God, His tabernacle and those who dwell in heaven: Rev 13:6,7, while warring against the saints. He has a ready made army which follows him blindly.
His sights are on Israel and Jerusalem is his target. He has a god of his own, which isn't tied to Judaism or, Christianity in any way: Dan 11:36-39. (Antiochus Epiphanes' god was the Greek god Zeus) He and his marked hoard target the remnant of the woman's seed which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Christ Jesus: Rev 12:17.
Mid-tribulation he begins his spiritual war against the God of gods. He sits in the temple of Jerusalem and proclaims himself as higher than God, higher than any and all gods or objects of worship. He mocks and opposes any and all authority of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - taking his place in the Temple to insult the God of Israel with his constant blasphemies.
...who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4
He seeks to diminish the power and authority of God, removing any mention of Judaism and Christianity from the earth, establishing the earthly kingdom of the red dragon. He will speak arrogant blasphemies against the most high, and the saints will be given over to him for a time and times and dividing of time. He will think to change times and laws. abolishing Jewish feasts and appointed times that honor and signify the Godship of Yahweh, and the divinity of the risen Christ: Daniel 7:25; 11:31-35.
Then the king will do as he pleases and will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and he will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must be accomplished. Daniel 11:36.
Antioch Epiphanies, the Greek King of the North, was the little horn of the old testament; who desecrated the temple by erecting an altar to Zeus, and slaughtering an unclean animal on the altar of burnt offering. The little horn of the new testament will be a typology of Antiochus IV, but with much more globalized power. He makes war with the saints, transforming the old world into a world that worships the red dragon. A new world that signifies death for many.
...And by peace he will destroy many.... Daniel 8:25
He continues to mock the God of Heaven until the beast of ten horns is thrown into the burning flames: I (Daniel) beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the (little) horn spoke; I beheld even till the beast (of ten horns) was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time: Daniel 7:11,12.
The fourth kingdom is the mixture of political (iron) and religious (clay) elements - the beast out of the earth (clay), and is formed from of the previous three: the lion, the bear and the leopard: Rev 13:2a. Beast - Greek: θηρίου - living thing, animal. A beast is a kingdom and the horns are its kings.
What type of kingdom rises without a king, with political and religious systems built right in?
Note: the prophesized fall of Babylon officially began with the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus the Great 539 B.C., = 2,565 years ago. I've used the time period after the death of Alexander the Great 523 B.C., when the fall of Babylon, the ruin and desolation accelerated: = 2,349 years ago in the article above.
Greek translation from Strong's Concordance, Greek Lexicon and Abarim Greek Interlinear. This is a work in progress as it is an ongoing study based upon scripture and historical time periods, and may be subject to updates.
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