The second kingdom described in this passage is the chest and arms of silver. In this passage Daniel tells us that the chest and arms of silver in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream represented a kingdom that arose after the Babylonian Empire. Daniel also tells us that this empire proved to be inferior to the Babylonian Empire. Scripture teaches us that Darius the Mede became King after Nebuchadnezzar’s successor was assassinated in 561 BC (Daniel 5:31)[1]. And so we see that the Median Empire under Darius the Mede succeeded the Babylonian Empire in the year 561 BC. Biblical and historical records reveal to us that the Median Empire began in the year 561 BC and ended in the year 550 BC[2]. This empire had a very short lifespan of only 10 years. It is important to note that the map of the Median Empire shown below incorporates the geographic location of the city of Babylon. At the time that the angel explained the seven kingdoms to John, this was also one of the five which no longer existed. And so we see that the second of the seven kingdoms was the Median Empire.
Map of the Median Empire (561 BC – 550 BC)
Daniel continues in this passage to tell us that the belly and thighs of bronze in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream represented a kingdom that would rule over all the earth. History teaches us that it was the Persian Empire that succeeded the Median Empire in the year 550 BC and ended in the year 330 BC[3]. This empire had a relatively long lifespan of 220 years. It is important to note that the map of the Persian Empire shown below incorporates the geographic location of the city of Babylon. At the time that the angel explained the seven kingdoms to John, this was also one of the five which no longer existed. And so we see that the third of the seven kingdoms was the Persian Empire.
Map of the Persian Empire (550 BC – 330 BC)
Daniel continues in this passage to tell us that the legs of iron in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream represented a kingdom that would be as strong as iron that would break in pieces and crush all the others that preceded it. History teaches us that the Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great succeeded the Persian Empire in the year 330 BC and ended in the year 312 BC[4]. Babylon was a central geographic location of the Grecian Empire, because history teaches us that Alexander conquered the city in 330 BC and that he also died in that city in the year 323 BC. This empire had a relatively short lifespan of only 18 years. It is important to note that the map of the Grecian Empire shown below incorporates the geographic location of the city of Babylon. At the time that the angel explained the seven kingdoms to John, this was also one of the five which no longer existed. And so we see that the fourth of the seven kingdoms was the Grecian Empire.
Map of the Grecian Empire (330 BC – 312 BC)
Michael E.B. Maher
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amel-Marduk
[2] https://www.britannica.com/place/Media-ancient-region-Iran
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenid_Empire
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonia_(ancient_kingdom)#Empire
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