Daniel 7:2-14 “Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the GreatSea. (3) And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. (4) The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. (5) "And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: 'Arise, devour much flesh!' (6) "After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. (7) "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. (8) I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. (9) "I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; (10) A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. (11) "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. (12) As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. (13) "I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. (14) Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.”
In this section we want to discuss Daniel’s first vision of the anti-Christ and the kingdom from which he will emerge. God gave the prophet Daniel several visions and dreams relating to the end times. Our Lord would not have done that if He did not want us to understand end time events as they unfold, and in fact in teaching us on end time events our Lord Jesus Himself referred to one of Daniels’ visions (Mark 13:14). The above quoted passage of scripture is a record of one of the end time visions shown to Daniel. In his vision Daniel was shown four great beasts, which represented four dominant kingdoms which will arise in the earth. The great sea in this passage represents the various nations of the earth over which these four kingdoms will exercise dominion. From this passage it is very clear that each of these kingdoms will be present on the earth when the Lord Jesus returns; for the vision directly links the four beasts to the day of judgement, when the Son of Man comes with the clouds of heaven having being given dominion over all peoples, nations and languages. This passage also reveals to us what will happen to each of those kingdoms when the Lord does return. We learn from this passage that three of the kingdoms will continue to exist after the Lord returns, for the scripture says that their lives will be prolonged for a season and a time. Nevertheless we learn that although these three kingdoms will continue to exist, their dominion will be taken away. In other words even though these kingdoms will remain on the earth after our Lord returns they will no longer govern their own affairs. The reason for that is because they will become subject to the government of Christ during His millennial reign on the earth (Revelation 20:4). We will not discuss the three kingdoms any further here however, because the subject of this series is the anti-Christ and his kingdom. And so we will now turn our attention to the fourth kingdom mentioned in this passage, for it is from this kingdom that the anti-Christ will emerge. We know that, because the little horn mentioned in this passage emerges from the fourth beast, and the little horn with eyes like a man and a mouth speaking pompous words, represents the person of the anti-Christ. Of the four kingdoms revealed in Daniel’s vision, we see that it is the fourth kingdom which will be destroyed by our Lord Jesus at His coming, for Daniel says that he watched till this beast was slain and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. So whereas the other three kingdoms will remain on the earth when our Lord returns, the kingdom of the fourth beast will be destroyed. The reason that the fourth kingdom will be destroyed is because this is the kingdom over which the anti-Christ will reign.
Daniel 7:15-26 “I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. (16) I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So, he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: (17) 'Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. (18) But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.' (19) "Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; (20) and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. (21) "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, (22) until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favour of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. (23) "Thus, he said: 'The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces. (24) The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. (25) He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. (26) 'But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever.”
The above quoted passage of scripture is the angel’s explanation of Daniel’s vision described in the previous passage. There are several things revealed to us in this passage which help us to better understand both the anti-Christ and the fourth kingdom from which he will arise. From the angel’s explanation we understand that there are ten kings that will arise to reign over the fourth kingdom; three of which will be subdued by the anti-Christ when he emerges to take full control of that kingdom. Clearly the three kings that are subdued will oppose the anti-Christ’s bid to reign over the fourth kingdom. The previous passage tells us that these three horns will be plucked out by the roots, thus indicating that the anti-Christ will orchestrate the violent overthrow of these three leaders, replacing them with leaders who will be submissive to his reign. The angel gives us further insight into the person of the anti-Christ by telling us that he will be different from the ten kings. That difference will be made clearer when we discuss who the anti-Christ is in a later section. The angel also tells us in this passage that the anti-Christ will blaspheme the Most High. The apostle Paul taught us that the anti-Christ will do that by opposing and exalting himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (2 Thessalonians 2:4) . We also see from this passage that the anti-Christ will persecute the saints during his reign, for the scripture says that he will make war against the saints and prevail against them. We see that the saints will be subjected to his reign for a period of three-and-a-half years, for the scripture says that the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. This account agrees with the book of Revelation which states that the anti-Christ will reign for a period of forty-two months (Revelation 13:5). The angel tells us that the anti-Christ will attempt to change both the calendar and the law. This point will become clearer when we identify the fourth kingdom in a later section. The angel also tells us that the fourth kingdom will be different to all other kingdoms. I want you to notice that this kingdom will not only be different to the other three kingdoms that will be on the earth at that time, but this kingdom will be different from all kingdoms that came before it as well. We will understand this truth more clearly when we identify the fourth kingdom in a later section. This passage goes on to tell us that heaven will ultimately judge the anti-Christ and his kingdom by destroying it forever, when the time comes for the saints to possess the kingdom i.e. when Jesus returns. An obvious observation that we can make from this passage is that because the ten kings and the anti-Christ will emerge out of the fourth kingdom, clearly that kingdom must be in place before they can be manifested. And so it becomes important for us to identify the fourth kingdom, for in doing so it helps us to identify both the ten kings and the anti-Christ. As we examine scripture further in this series we shall see that the fourth kingdom is already in the earth today.
Michael E.B. Maher
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