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PURPOSE
Revelation 13:1-2 symbolizes the Antichrist as a Beast coming up from the Sea. The ultimate purpose of this article series is to identify the Beast of the Book of Revelation. Part of that task would be to identify the Mark of the Beast. However, the Book of Revelation alone cannot identify the Beast. One of the articles in this series shows that the Evil Horn of the Book of Daniel symbolizes the same Antichrist as the Beast of the Book of Revelation. Consequently, the Beast of the Book of Revelation is identified mainly from Daniel’s prophecies.
Overview
The Antichrist is prominent in the later visions in the Book of Daniel, but Daniel 2 does not mention it. Instead, Daniel 2 provides a broad outline of history. That outline serves as a framework for interpreting Daniel’s later prophecies.
Daniel’s visions are parallel. In other words, the prophecies of Daniel chapters 2, 7, 8, and 11 describe the same events but use different symbols. The different visions also emphasize different aspects of those events.
Using a statue of a man, Daniel 2 divides history into six ages:
The statue’s head of gold symbolizes the first age. Daniel 2 identifies this head of gold as the ancient Babylonian Empire. However, the vision does not identify the subsequent three ages, symbolized by Silver, Bronze, and Iron.
The fifth age is a divided kingdom. This is a period when multiple kingdoms rule concurrently.
The sixth and last age is Christ’s eternal kingdom. In His eternal kingdom, not a trace of the current world order will be found. The stone that destroys the image becomes a great mountain.
Discussion
| Daniel 2 serves as a framework for interpreting Daniel’s later prophecies. |
A first principle is that Daniel 2 gives an outline of history that serves as a framework for interpreting Daniel’s later prophecies.
Daniel 2 does not mention the Antichrist. However, it provides a broad outline of history, from Daniel’s time until God’s eternal kingdom. Daniel’s later prophecies say less and less about the six ages. Instead, the later prophecies focus more and more on the Antichrist itself, which arises in the fifth age and continues until Christ returns. Daniel 2, therefore, serves as the framework for interpreting Daniel’s later prophecies.
The vision in Daniel 9 is an exception to this rule. While the other prophecies in Daniel deal with all nations and all time, Daniel 9 deals only with the nation of Israel and the 490 years allocated to her (see here).
| Daniel 2 divides history into six ages. |
In a dream, God gave Nebuchadnezzar a vision of the statue of a man consisting of different metal parts (Dan 2:32-33). These metal parts symbolize six ages of history. The first is the head of Gold. Daniel explicitly stated that it represents the Babylonian Empire, which reigned in the seventh and sixth centuries before Christ (626-539 BC). The Head of Gold is followed by three empires or ages that will rule one after the other. The fifth age is a divided kingdom. This divided kingdom is a period when multiple kingdoms exist concurrently. The sixth and final phase begins with the complete destruction of the statue. In this final phase, a single king will again rule the world. However, this will be God’s eternal kingdom, ruled by Jesus Christ.
| The first is the ancient Babylonian Empire. |
As stated, the first kingdom, symbolized by the Head of Gold, is the ancient Babylonian Empire. Daniel identifies it as Nebuchadnezzar. However, Daniel explained that the Head of Gold will be followed by “another kingdom” (Dan 2:37-39). That means that the Head of Gold symbolizes the entire Babylonian Empire. Nabopolassar founded the Neo-Babylonian empire in 626 BC. Nebuchadnezzar the Great inherited this empire in 605. The Babylonian Empire ended when the Persians captured Babylon in 539.
While the Babylonian Empire is symbolized by gold, the subsequent empires are represented by less valuable metals, namely, silver, bronze, and iron. The gold probably symbolizes the quality of that empire, perhaps something like the quality of rulership or human rights.
| Daniel 2 does not identify the next three empires. |
The second empire is represented by the Breast and Arms of Silver. It is described as another but inferior kingdom that would follow after the Babylonian Empire (Dan 2:39).
The third empire is signified as the Belly and Thighs of Bronze. It is described as “another third kingdom” that would “rule over all the earth” (Dan 2:32, 39).
The Legs of Iron symbolize the fourth empire. Daniel prophesied that it would be “as strong as iron.” It would “crush and break” its predecessors into pieces (Dan 2:40).
Daniel 2 explicitly identifies the first kingdom as the Babylonian Empire, but none of the others. Daniel 7, which describes the same six ages, the same first four empires, followed by the same divided kingdom and, finally, the same eternal kingdom, also does not identify any empire by name. However, Daniel 8 uses two animals, a ram and a goat, to symbolize two of the four empires. The important point is that Daniel 8 explicitly names these two empires as MEDIA-PERSIA and as GREECE (Dan 8:20-21). Consequently, one of the articles in this series identifies the four kingdoms by comparing the animals in Daniel 7 to those in Daniel 8 (see here).
| The fifth is a divided kingdom. |
Daniel 2 symbolizes the fifth age by the statue’s feet. While the legs are of iron, the feet are partly of iron and partly of clay. This is explained as “a divided kingdom” (Dan 2:33, 41). In other words, during each of the first four empires, a single supreme king would rule, but the fifth “divided kingdom” would be a period when different kings would rule concurrently. They would rule in different parts of the territory of the fourth empire. Daniel said that these kings would attempt to combine with one another through intermarriage. However, they would fail (Dan 2:43).
| Some kingdoms of the divided empire will be strong. Others will be weak. |
As stated, the feet consist of iron and clay parts. Some propose that the clay represents some spiritual authority. However, the prophecy says, “Some of the kingdom will be STRONG and part of it will be BRITTLE” (Dan 2:42). Furthermore, the prophecy says that iron symbolizes “TOUGHNESS.” It also says that the fourth kingdom, the iron kingdom, will be as “STRONG as iron” (Dan 2:40-1). Therefore, while the iron parts of the divided empire symbolize strong kingdoms, the clay parts symbolize weak kingdoms. Some kingdoms of the divided empire will be strong. Others will be weak.
| The ten toes emphasize that many kingdoms will exist during this phase. |
When Daniel recited Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he said nothing about toes. He only mentioned the feet. But he mentioned the toes when he explained the dream (Dan 2:33, 41-42). He noted that the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery (Dan 2:42). In other words, both the feet and toes consist of both iron and clay. That seems to make the toes part of the feet.
Like Daniel 2, Daniel 7 also predicts a divided kingdom following the first four kingdoms. Daniel 7 symbolizes the four empires as four animals, and the divided kingdom as ten horns growing out of the fourth animal. Therefore, the ten toes in Daniel 2 parallel the ten horns in Daniel 7. Both the ten toes in Daniel 2 and the ten horns in Daniel 7 emphasize that many kingdoms would exist during this phase. It does not mean literally exactly ten.
| The ‘divided kingdom’ continues the fourth kingdom. |
In both Daniel 2 and 7, the divided kingdom is a continuation of the fourth kingdom, but in a fragmented form:
In Daniel 2, this continuation is indicated by the fact that the fourth kingdom is IRON, while the divided kingdom contains IRON fragments.
In Daniel 7, the continuation is indicated by the fact that the divided kingdom is symbolized as horns growing out of the fourth animal.
| The sixth age is Christ’s eternal kingdom. |
The establishment of the everlasting kingdom will be a supernatural event. For example, it says that a stone was cut out WITHOUT HANDS (Dan 2:34; cf. Dan 2:45), meaning supernaturally. Similarly, in Daniel 8, the evil horn “will be broken WITHOUT HUMAN AGENCY (Dan 8:25).
The stone that destroyed the statue struck the statue on its feet (Dan 2:34). The feet symbolize the very last part of the kingdoms of this world. The last verse of the Book of Daniel refers to this as the end of the days (Dan 12:13).
Daniel said that the stone crushed the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold all at the same time (Dan 2:34-35). In other words, although the first four empires dominate one after the other, remnants of them remain. They are only fully and finally destroyed when the eternal kingdom is set up.
Daniel 2 says that the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. Nothing will remain of the current world order. As God promised in the Book of Revelation: “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev 21:5).
| God’s eternal kingdom will be on Earth. |
Daniel said that the STONE that would crush the statue would become a great MOUNTAIN and fill the whole earth. In other words, the stone that becomes a mountain represents God’s eternal kingdom. We see this also in Daniel 2:44, which says that the God of heaven will set up A KINGDOM, and that kingdom will crush and end all these kingdoms.
It is sometimes said that the stone symbolizes Jesus Christ. The stone is Christ only indirectly because He will rule the eternal kingdom. Daniel uses the terms “king” and “kingdom” interchangeably. For example, Daniel identified the head of gold as Nebuchadnezzar, but says another kingdom will arise after him (Dan 2:37, 39). Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar represents the Babylonian empire. As another example, the four beasts in Daniel 7 are explained as four “KINGS,” but the fourth is described as “a fourth KINGDOM,” not merely an individual king (Dan 7:17, 23).
Daniel said that the sixth and final kingdom will NEVER be destroyed (Dan 2:44). The parallel vision in Daniel 7 refers to it as the “everlasting kingdom” (Dan 7:18, 27). It says that God’s people will possess the kingdom FOREVER. In Revelation 11:15, we read similarly that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.
Daniel 2:35 says that the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled THE WHOLE EARTH. Contrary to what many people think, God will establish the eternal kingdom ON THIS EARTH, and He will rule it through the Son of Man. Similarly, according to Daniel 7, “the Ancient of Days” will give the eternal kingdoms to “One like a Son of Man.” Then, all the peoples, nations, and men of every language will serve Him (Dan 7:13-14).
| The stone, which becomes a great mountain, describes Christ’s return. |
Some argue that the “kingdom” that God will set up does not refer to a physical kingdom but to “the kingdom of God” that Jesus often mentioned, and which refers to a spiritual reality that always exists, also today. For example, Jesus said that if He casts out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come (Matt 12:18; cf. Luke 17:20-21).
However, once the stone has crushed the statue, all traces of the previous age have been obliterated, all people will serve Christ, and the Antichrist will cease to exist. Since none of these are true today, that stone lies in our future (Dan 2:35, 44; 7:14, 26-27).
Furthermore, Daniel 12 interprets the stone crushing the statue as “the end of time,” and as “the end of the age.” At that time, the dead in Christ will be raised to life. Since the dead will be resurrected when Christ returns, we can safely assume that the stone, which becomes a great mountain, describes Christ’s return, including the judgment of the dead, and the rewarding of His bond-servants, as we read about in Revelation 11 (Dan 12:4, 13; John 5:25; Rev 11:18).
Principles from Daniel 2
In summary, we can derive the following general principles for the interpretation of Bible prophecies from Daniel 2:
| The kingdoms are not worldwide. |
Firstly, these four empires, as predicted by Daniel, were not worldwide. But they dominated the part of the world in which Israel existed. The prophecies of the Book of Revelation also seem to describe the whole world. However, it is possible to interpret Revelation as describing the Christian world specifically. For example, when Revelation says that the whole world will worship the Beast (Rev 13:4, 8), that might exclude the Muslim world.
| The Prophecies are Parallel. |
Secondly, the Prophecies are parallel. Daniel chapters 2, 7, 8, and 11 describe the same events, but use different symbols and emphasize different aspects. As an example of how they are parallel, Daniel 2 and 7 both describe the kingdom that “will never be destroyed” (Dan 2:44; 7:14). This principle implies that the visions in the Book of Revelation are also parallel to one another, and that the visions in Revelation are parallel to the visions in the Book of Daniel.
| Mountains symbolize kingdoms. |
Thirdly, mountains symbolize kingdoms. The stone that struck the statue was cut out of a MOUNTAIN and itself became a great MOUNTAIN. Therefore, there are two mountains in Daniel 2, both symbolizing kingdoms (Dan 2:45, 34-5, 44).
| God knows the future. |
Fourthly, God knows the future. Wikipedia’s page on Daniel 2 describes this prophecy as fiction. The academic world does not accept the possibility of miracles, such as knowledge of future events. Therefore, academics argue that Daniel was written AFTER the ‘prophesied’ events that can be verified with history. Specifically, since Daniel mentions the Greek Empire, academics say that Daniel was composed after the Greek Empire already existed.
However, the Book of Daniel accurately foretells events ÁFTER the time academics say the book was written, as is shown by other articles in this series. For example, Daniel 7 accurately predicted HOW the Roman Empire would fall in the fifth century after Christ, namely, while the previous kingdoms fell when conquered by the next great empire, Rome fell by fragmentation (see here). As another example, Daniel 9 accurately predicted the coming of the Messiah in the first century, two centuries after the Critics say Daniel was written (see here). These facts give great assurance that God knows the future.
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Other Articles
Articles in this series
Daniel 2: The foundation of all prophecy – Read
Daniel 7: Four Beasts and Eleven Horns – Read
Daniel 7: The fourth beast is Roman. – Read
Daniel 7: What is the 11th horn? – Read
Daniel 8: What is the evil horn? – Read
Daniel 8: Where the horn comes from – Read
Daniel 11: Who is the vile person? – Read
Antiochus IV does not fit Daniel’s Antichrist. – Read
The Dragon is the Roman Empire. – Read
Revelation’s Beast is Daniel’s 11th Horn.
The Throne of the Beast is Christian Religious Authority.
The Beast’s fatal wound is its sixth head. (Rev 13:3-4)