Daniel and the global empires.

by Alejandro Roque Glez.

 “And the king said to them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream… The secret which the king has demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, show to the king; but there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets… But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation… his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay… and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”

(Daniel 2:3, 27-45)

Dear reader, the passage quoted here from the Holy Scriptures, in the book of Daniel, is long, so you should read it first; as we have always advised about all the biblical notes we are analyzing.

The prophet Daniel, which in Hebrew his name means ‘God is my judge’ is one of the four so called Major Prophets, a descendant of king David’s family tree (1:3), who was taken captive to Babylon in 600 BC as a young boy; when Jehoiakim, from the Kingdom of Judah in Jerusalem, met his first three years as king. Daniel found favor before the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar and with other young Hebrew they were taught for three years at their universities, becoming for his wisdom and being a prophet, the first minister and personal friend of the king-emperor; subsequently influencing policy and decisions in the Empire.

This immense prophetic image that famous king Nebuchadnezzar dreamed (v.3) was a vision brought about by God, so that no one on earth (v.27) could decipher this enigma (v.28-29), only a true prophet of God (v.30) like Daniel, a man to whom Yahweh God granted––considering his extraordinary human qualities (6:3-4, 10)––a unique wisdom (Ez 14:14-20, 28:3) known to all who lived in his days (5:11-17); and preserved by the Jews to this day.

This dream of a great image or statue was a prophecy announcing, at that time, the empires that would arise in the course of centuries later on, and generally until the End Times, when Adonai (Jesus Christ) shall come to reign with his people (Mt 24:30-31).

The head in the image was made of fine gold, its breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass (bronze), legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay (v.32-33). Daniel first prophesies in general terms, without elaborating––usual descriptive form of the time––emphasizing about this statue would be totally removed at the End of the Ages; that is, the prophecy covered in some way to the end of human history apart from God; till today. The image would be wounded with a stone cut without hands––meaning from God––who will crumble it completely, not finding place for it ever again.

“The stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (v.34-35). This augurs what began at Pentecost the days following the resurrection and departure of Jesus and when the Church began its missionary activity; outlining to us this stone: Jesus Christ, who with his redemptive sacrifice on the cross of Calvary has redeemed all Christians from every tribe and language, people and nation, in order to rule over the nations of the earth, making this planet a world consisting about one people of God for all eternity (Rev 5:8-13); once established that kingdom, which is the stone that breaks down the image.

Nebuchadnezzar was at that time the most powerful king on earth, head of the Babylonian Empire, the absolute master of the world supremacy (v.36-38). This Babylonian Empire (606-538 BC) was represented in this prophetic vision and image as the ‘head of gold’ (v.38). Then would arise another kingdom or Medo-Persian Empire (538-336 BC) represented here as ‘breasts and arms of silver’ (v.32), slightly lower than the Babylonian (v.39), not in size but in cohesion. This would follow the Greek Empire founded by Alexander the Great (336-146 BC), depicted as the ‘belly and thighs of brass’ (v.32), or ‘Kingdom of brass’ (v.39).

To all these kingdoms would follow a more fearsome and powerful one, represented as ‘iron’: is the Roman Empire (146 BC-476 A.D) which actually turned out to be powerful and strong as iron, subduing the world of that time, and reaching its peak from 46 BC to 180 AD, when it extended from the Atlantic Ocean boldly unto the Euphrates River, and from the North Sea to the African desert. In 391 AD it was divided (v.41) in the Western Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire; until the first one in 476 AD and in 1453 AD the other, both ceased to exist in appearances. The prophet Daniel amazingly flashes into the future foretelling it with exquisite accuracy.

As for the description about the iron would be mixed with clay (v.41-43) and it would be partly broken, partly strong, refers to the reality that it never will go away, but resurfacing at the End Times; embryo of which is today the European Union which under the Maastricht Treaty signed on February 7, 1992; and made its attendants to even exclaim the phrase: ‘we feel today as in the days of the Roman Empire.’

This mixture of iron and clay––contrary to what others think––means it will never go away, because from the ruins of the Western Roman Empire arose the Papal Empire, which with strength at times––deciding over kings and princes––and weaker on other occasions, continued to dominate the world another thousand years in what has been known and called in history as ‘the darkness of the Middle Ages.’

Daniel prophesies about this iron empire would continue making an appearance in one way or another––as we have discussed––until the End of Time. From Rome-Vatican (after disposing of its elders), and in league with the European Union, it will suddenly resurface the New Western Roman Empire, led by the Antichrist (2 Thess 2:3-4), who will try to economically take over the whole financial system in the nations of the planet (that process has already begun), and therefore the global political power (11:39); via a domain which will soon dazzle many, due to the impressive development of science and technology (Rev 13:13, 2 Thess 2:9-12). Citizens do not know while entertained in last minute whispers, that on them is exerted a sophisticated and complete control, as history has never known, even by the most despotic governments in the annals of such history.

The prophet affirms: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (v.44). This is the Kingdom of God, led by Jesus Christ, the divine Son of the Almighty (Rev 1:7-8).

Then we remember the prophecy of the apostle Saint John when he wrote: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15).

(Also read the author's book entitled: 'The Great Peacemaker from Hell,' which recreates in a narrative form the final events, now very close, and the writing entitled: 'Prophet Daniel: The Last Four Empires of Mankind').

[These and other Old Testament prophecies are explicatively compiled in the author's book entitled: 'Major Prophets of the Old Testament;' in print and digital editions]

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