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 - which becomes mixed with the 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 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 in Daniel 2, which provides the historical timeline of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom and, the future role of Babylon in the latter days. 

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

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. 

   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, is an economic powerhouse, regulating the flow of merchandise tied to the spiritual harlotry of buying and selling.... in the last days: 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 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 for  judgement. The Angel shows John the judgement of the woman arrayed in scarlet and purple, adorned with the riches of the world. The name written upon her forehead: Babylon the Great indicates a middle eastern location, in the heart of the ancient Babylonian kingdom. In order for a judgement to occur, there needs to be a merchant city in the land of Shinar, the land between the rivers, home of the ancient Babylonian kingdom. 

   Revelation 17 - 18 details a great city which will exist in the future. But over the course of history,  Babylon has been removed from prophecy, and exchanged with Rome. Not only has Babylon been replaced by Rome, but, the prophetic significance of the entire middle east in the end of days, has been replaced by Europe. 

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

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. 

Seven Heads of the Beast Revelation 13

   1) "And I stood on the sand of the sea, and saw a beast (kingdom) rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2) And the beast that I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat (throne) and great authority. 3) And I saw one of his heads as it were (slain) wounded to death,(εσφαγμενην), and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." 

   John is instructed to document and record a series of events: the things which he had seen, the things that are, and the things which shall be hereafter. (Revelation 1:19). After the seven letters to the seven churches, John is shown a door in heaven and is taken in the spirit. The large majority of the things recorded in Revelation consists of futuristic events, that extended far beyond John's world, to the end of the age. These events transpire during the last seven years of human history and move the reader forward, into the the time of the end. 

  We are told that Revelation is full of prophetic symbolic imagery and it's hard to understand so, we expect to be confounded and confused. We were told how scripture should be interpreted and now, we hold onto centuries-old interpretations for dear life and pass them on, conditioning future generations. One of these ancient interpretations is the theory, that the seven heads of the beast, are the seven hills of Rome, moving the beast back in time. 

   The majority of Revelation consists of the witness statement written by John; the  documented account of the events he viewed 'which shall be hereafter,' These events were witnessed and recorded while John was in the spirit on the Lords day. Much of his witness statement is contested by bible students and scholars who don't quite agree with the timing or, the imagery that John saw and documented. Most of the symbology and imagery is found in the prophetic books of the old testament and, Revelation can be viewed from a biblical perspective based upon these ancient writings. 

   Many religious sects add more to scripture then what is detailed by John. It's important to read scripture as written and avoid the additional inflections that may add or, take away from the words that John had written: Revelation 22:18-19. 

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 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 the meaning of it.   

   He was desperate to know the interpretation 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 fourth kingdom which rises in the latter days, prior to the second coming of Christ Jesus - Yeshua Hamashiach.

    The writing below is simply a reiteration of scripture. The Bible is interconnecting as  scripture defines scripture. Daniels night vision interconnects with Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar was perplexed by a dream that prophesized the future of his kingdom. His dream began with his role as King of Babylon, the head of gold which ruled the middle east. This kingdom was  followed by two additional kingdoms, one of silver and another of brass. These future kingdoms would rise to rule the middle east - the kingdom of Babylon. The dream ended with a fourth and final kingdom that will 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. 

   Daniel 7 adds additional information which paralleled the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. The kings dream presented an historical timeline of Babylon, which revolved around four metals indicating the decline of his kingdom, and three additional kingdoms that would rise to rule the middle east - the kingdom of Babylon. 

   The four beasts parallel four metals from the dream image: 

   Four Beast: 1) Lion - Babylon 2) Bear- Mede-Persian 3) Leopard - Greek, Grecian 4) Beast of ten horns - Tribulation-Antichrist kingdom. 

   Four Metals: 1) Gold - Babylon, 2) Silver - Mede-Persian, 3) Brass - Grecian, 4a) Iron - God's judgement, fall of Babylon, 4b) Iron mixed with clay - Tribulation - Antichrist.