Daniel 7: Order of Events - The Final King

Daniel 7: Order of events Part 1: Four Beast Kingdoms: 

   Daniel had a dream, a night vision in the first year of Belshazzar. Belshazzar was regent king who ruled in place of his Father, King Nabonidus who ruled the Babylon kingdom  from: 556-539 B.C.. King Nabonidus spent most of his time traveling to Arabia to worship the crescent moon god, whose origins can be traced to the ancient city of UR. He spent more time in Arabia, then he did in Babylon worshiping Marduk, the god of Babylon. 

   As Daniel's night vision unfolds, he sees the four winds of heaven stir the great sea with such force, that four beast rose from the churning depths. Beast is translated from the Aramaic חֵיוְתָא which means - animal. An animal can be a beast of the field such as oxen: Daniel 4.32 or, a beast that prowls the wilderness in search of prey, a lion, bear, leopard or, beast of ten horns: Daniel 7. Daniel tells us that each beast represents a kingdom. 

   The four beast are four kingdoms which parallel four metals in Nebuchadnezzars dream image; gold, silver, brass and iron mixed with shard clay. Three kingdoms ruled the middle east with kings who lived in Babylon. The Chaldeans ruled the middle east from Babylon, King Darius took the kingdom on the night of the writing on the wall: Daniel 5; 5:31; 6:28, and, the prophesized fall of Babylon began. Alexander the Great ruled the middle east from his home-base in Babylon, where he later died. Alexander was the last ruling king connected to the dream image, which reflects the historical timeline of the Babylon kingdom and, the future role of Babylon in the latter days. 

  Three kings have come and gone... the fourth kingdom provides the final king. 

Simplified Overview Revelation 13 - Rise of the Beast Kingdom

    Revelation 13 can be broken down into four distinct characters, the red dragon, the beast kingdom, the little horn (antichrist), the beast out of the earth, aka: the false prophet: the  magician or sorcerer.

    Mesopotamian kingdoms had a slew of false prophets: magicians, sorcerers, star gazers,  necromancers, mediums with familiar spirits, wise men, and dream interpreters in the kings court. This is what the false prophet represents, a master magician who rules in the kings court, in service to the king and his kingdom. 

The Simplified Overview:  

Rise of the beast kingdom. Revelation 13:1-4

Rise of the little horn or antichrist: Revelation 13:5 - 10 

Rise of the false prophet: Revelation 13:11-16 

Rise of the dragons power: Revelation 13:2b, 5b 

   Of the four, the rise of the beast is the most complicated as it is the most complex. What makes it so complex is the amount of detail involved in his genetic makeup. The beast has many parts and pieces, which work together as a collective whole. There are three previous beast kingdoms, ten horns with crowns, and seven heads; and, one of his heads was slain and mortally wounded. But, when John saw the beast rise from the sea, the mortal wound was healed. There is also a bit of Biblical and historical knowledge needed to navigate the rise of previous 'beast' kingdoms and, their geographical locations. 

   Many middle eastern kingdoms simply absorbed the conquered ones, expanding their territorial boundaries. These ancient territorial markers set the boundaries for the antichrist kingdom. 

Babylon Through The Ages

     Babylon the Great, a city of mystery and intrigue, antiquities and abandonment. An ancient city named after a great kingdom that ruled the middle east from the heart of the Iraqi desert. The city of the desert now lies deserted, desolate, lost and slumbering; waiting for the economic boom that will revitalize her, one last time. 

   Both history and science back up the Biblical claim that the Fertile Crescent, which runs through the heart of the Mesopotamia was the birth place of man, the birth of civilization. The 'rebirth' was directly after the great flood. 

   The Mesopotamia is the area that extends from the base of the Nile, up the entire eastern coast of the Mediterranean, then east through Israel. The Mesopotamian crescent continues through modern day Syria into Nineveh before taking a sharp downward turn into Iraq, by way of the Euphrates and Tigris River to the Persian Gulf.

   This area, believed by many is the location of two of the four rivers that flowed from the Garden of Eden and the birthplace of man. Some have debated that the Garden of Eden was created in Israel; but, the great flood had changed the geophysical landscape in such a way, that neither place can be substantiated.

   Southern Iraq is also the area of the Plains of Shinar or more commonly known as the Land of Shinar, land between two rivers, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. The Bible mentions Shinar 8 times; each reference pointing to Shinar as the location of Babel, the land of Nimrod, the Babylonian kingdom and the city of Babylon.

   The Book of Daniel gives us a tiny glimpse into the ancient city of Babylon as a land of military might, merchants, sorcerers, necromancers, enchanters and idol worshippers.

Revelation 13:3 King or Kingdom?

    I was a little late to the Revelation 13:3 social media party and almost missed it completely. After the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald J Trump, social media lit up with Revelation 13:3 quotes. This was mostly from those who don't study scripture but, are quick to use it to serve their purposes or, fit a specific narrative which has become common practice. Most comments were quite misguided, even delusional, misquoting scripture. 

   "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast" 

   The bullet grazed former President Trump's ear, whereas, the alleged shooter received a deadly head wound which ended his life and no, he will not rise again. But, the scriptural reference was directed at former President Trump and his wounded ear. Heads represent kingdoms, horns represent kings, Is Trump a kingdom? Is he a kingdom that belongs to the beast that rises from the sea, mid-tribulation? Is he even a sitting President right now? Is he a leader (king) of a middle eastern world kingdom? No, of course not. 

   Why doesn't scripture say one of the horns was wounded as to death if this verse represents a deadly head wound upon a man; a king? Because it's not a man, it's a kingdom. 

   Let me explain: 

   Revelation 13:1-4 details the rise of the antichrist-tribulation kingdom aka: the beast of ten horns, who parallels the feet and toes of iron and clay.  

Dreams of a King Daniel 2

Nebuchadnezzar's Prophetic Dream

   Upon claiming the throne (605 BC) after the death of his father, King Nabopolassar, King Nebuchadnezzar II inherited a bunch of mystic advisors that had once served his father. These wise men were collaborators of the dark arts who worked in service to the King. The mystic advisors were the best the kingdom had to offer, Egyptian magicians, Canaanite fortunetellers, Aramaic astrologers, and Chaldean practitioners of the dark arts and dream interpreters. There were also soothsayers, diviners,  sorcerers, enchanters, conjurers, and illusionist available to provide counsel unto the new king.  

   But none would come close to doing what the king requested.

   King Nebuchadnezzar II was haunted by a dream that mesmerized his soul. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep, the details of his dream evaporating as soon as he woke. It intrigued  him so deeply that he called upon his court of dream translators, sorcerers, astrologers, and magicians to reveal his dream and also the interpretation. 

   He was desperate to know the meaning of the mysterious dream that evaded his waking moments. 

Daniels Fourth Beast from the Sea

   The interpretation of Daniel 7 can be a bit perplexing. I thought I would attempt a quick and hopefully simple breakdown of Daniels four beasts that rise from the sea. It will aid in the interpretation of the beast kingdom in Revelation 13, and 17, and perhaps offer some clarity concerning the rise of this kingdom in the latter days. 

    The writing below is reiteration of scripture as the Bible is interconnecting: scripture defines scripture. Daniels night vision interconnects with Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar was perplexed by a dream that foretold of two future kingdoms that would rule over Babylon, and a fourth Babylonian kingdom that would rise to seize world power in the latter days. The Bible doesn't require outside sources to interpret scripture but, we often find that historical events fill in the gaps. 

   God doesn't want us confused, he wants us to understand what the prophets are documenting. Fortunately for us, there was an angel close by to give us an explanation, adding clarification to what Daniel was witnessing.... the angel told Daniel: 

   Daniel 7:23,24 The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other (beast) kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it. Out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.