THE FOUNDATION THE FOUNDATION OF PROPHECYOF PROPHECY

DANIEL 2

A REVIVAL OF TRUE GODLINESS A REVIVAL OF TRUE GODLINESS AMONG US IS THE GREATEST AMONG US IS THE GREATEST AND MOST URGENT OF ALL AND MOST URGENT OF ALL OUR NEEDS. TO SEEK THIS OUR NEEDS. TO SEEK THIS SHOULD BE OUR FIRST WORK.--SHOULD BE OUR FIRST WORK.--Review and Herald, March 22, Review and Herald, March 22, 1887. {ChS 41.4}1887. {ChS 41.4}

1Ch 12:32 Of the 1Ch 12:32 Of the children of Issachar, men children of Issachar, men who had understanding who had understanding of the times, to know of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were the heads of them were two hundred; and all two hundred; and all their brothers were at their brothers were at their commandment.their commandment.

THE FOUNDATION THE FOUNDATION OF PROPHECYOF PROPHECYDANIEL 2

THE DREAM

OVERVIEW Using a great image with four metal sections God foretold the rise and fall of the four great consecutive kingdoms which have especially affected His people - Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece & Rome. Romeʼs division into the nations of Europe is represented by the feet & toes of iron and clay. The last superpower will be Christʼs Everlasting Kingdom. 

CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING ANY BIBLE TRUTHThere are four prophetic outlines given in Daniel-chapters 2, 7, 8 to 9 and 10 to 12. William Miller and James White took pains to emphasize that the four lines of prophecy cover the same ground and enforce the same truth. They were right! The prophecies of Daniel are a unit. Not only are the four lines of prophecy parallel, but they have one great theme. Ellen G. White wrote: "Consider the circumstances of the Jewish nation when the prophecies of Daniel were given:" TM, p. 113. The armies of Nebuchadnezzar had descended upon the kingdom of Judah. Kingdom, King, Sanctuary and People were swept away by the Babylonians. Daniel was among those forlorn captives who hung up their harps beside the river of Babylon and refused to sing the songs of Zion. Along with every true-blooded Hebrew, he longed for the restoration.

Daniel's four lines of prophecy (chapters 2, 7, 8, 11) all commenced in Daniel's time. Palestine was then the home of God's people, and the great nations of prophecy surrounded "the glorious land." The two great centers of world civilization were along the rivers in Mesopotamia and along the river Nile in Egypt. Palestine lay between these two great powers as a sort of buffer state. For centuries Israel witnessed repeated struggles between the power of the North and the power of the South. As each line of prophecy comes down to the Christian dispensation, it swings away from the geographical setting of Palestine and assumes a world-wide scope. Instead of the Jews in Palestine being threatened by powers along the borders of their national homeland, the prophecies describe the conflict of the true Church with the great anti-Christ. This side of the cross, national Israel has ceased to be the object of God's supreme regard. The Middle East is not the locale of the final conflict. Yet it is not surprising that the prophecy of the Church's final conflict is couched in the Palestinian terminology of the Old Testament.

All the prophecies of the Old Testament are clothed in the language of Palestine. It is impossible to interpret Old Testament prophecies without the clear light of the book of Revelation. The Revelation is a mosaic of the Old Testament. It cites the prophecies of the Old Testament and shows how to understand their peculiar expressions. For example, Babylon now symbolizes the apostate religious world; Egypt, the atheistic world; and Israel, the believers in the three angels' messages. (See Revelation 17; 11:8; 7; 14). Since the Revelation unseals the book of Daniel (Revelation 10; Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 112-115), one must expect that important features of Daniel 11:40-45 are covered and clarified in the book of Revelation. Scripture, rather than the newspaper, must be used to interpret prophecy.

KNOW THE FUTURE BEFORE IT HAPPENSThis prophecy is so incredible that some claim that it must have been written long after most of the events described had happened by someone who pretended to live before the events happened. However several facts show that this idea is incorrect. Daniel was written about 600BC.

1. The historian Josephus (c. AD100), records that Danielʼs book was shown to Alexander the Great. This means that Danielʼs book must have been written before 323BC when Alexander died.

“And when the book of Daniel was showed him [Alexander], wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that himself was the person intended; and he was then glad...” Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, XI, 333-338, Loeb Classical Library, page 447.

2. The prophet Ezekiel, who even the critics admit lived about 600BC*, speaks of Daniel as living at the same time. (Eze 14:14, 20). *Encʼ Britannica, Vol. 4, 15th edition, 1988, p643

verses 1-11 -   God in the fleshGod gave the king of Babylon (an image worshipper) a dream of a metal image. When he awoke he could not remember the dream but knew that it was very significant. Upon asking his astrologers etc. to tell him what he had dreamed and what it meant they said that only the gods could do so, and that the gods did not dwell in the flesh.verse 11 -   God with usHeathen gods are far removed from humanity, but not the God of the Bible. He became one of us, “made flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same...” Heb 2:14.By becoming one of us Christ showed us that through faith in Godʼs promises we too may have victory over sin. He Who is fully God became fully man. He connects us with Heaven. He understands our weaknesses and Godʼs holiness and so became the perfect Mediator. We have all sinned and deserve to die but Christ died in our place and offers us His grace and power that we might be made free from sin. This is the essence of the Gospel.verses 12-13 -   Imposters exposedThe king was furious as the magicians astrologers and sorcerers, who claimed to know dreams etc., were exposed as liars.  

verses 1-11 -   God in the fleshGod gave the king of Babylon (an image worshipper) a dream of a metal image. When he awoke he could not remember the dream but knew that it was very significant. Upon asking his astrologers etc. to tell him what he had dreamed and what it meant they said that only the gods could do so, and that the gods did not dwell in the flesh.

verse 11 -   God with usHeathen gods are far removed from humanity, but not the God of the Bible. He became one of us, “made flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same...” Heb 2:14.By becoming one of us Christ showed us that through faith in Godʼs promises we too may have victory over sin. He Who is fully God became fully man. He connects us with Heaven. He understands our weaknesses and Godʼs holiness and so became the perfect Mediator. We have all sinned and deserve to die but Christ died in our place and offers us His grace and power that we might be made free from sin. This is the essence of the Gospel. 

The Dream Explained.  GOLD: BABYLONverses 14-37 -   Revelation and InterpretationGod graciously gave Daniel the same dream and its interpretation. By explaining the dream God made Himself known to the Babylonians, and exposed the worshippers of false gods , the astrologers and magicians etc., as frauds.

verses 36-38 -  Gold – BabylonDaniel told the King of Babylon that he was the head of gold. Under Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon had captured Israel and taken some of the upper class into slavery; among them was Daniel. In two further raids on Jerusalem the city walls and sanctuary were destroyed. However, the kingdom of Babylon was to be replaced by another kingdom and then a third and a fourth kingdom. As “ANOTHER kingdom,” would follow the golden head, the head clearly represented the “kingdom” of Babylon. Note: Daniel uses “king (Aramaic - melek)” & “kingdom (Aramaic - malkuw)” interchangeably. The four metalic sections parallel the four beasts of Daniel 7 which are “kingdoms” - "the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom" (Daniel 7:23).  

SILVER: MEDO-PERSIAverse 39 - Silver - Medo-Persia“Another kingdom inferior to thee.” History shows that Medo-Persia conquered Babylon, and had power over Godʼs people. More importantly the prophetic word identifies the power that was to overthrow Babylon in Daniel 5:28: "PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."  It was larger than Babylon but morally and culturally “inferior” (lit. “earthly”) compared to Babylon.  The ancient Greek historian Herodotus records how the river Euphrates was dried up allowing the Persian king Cyrus to enter the city via the river gates and conquer Babylon (See on Daniel 5). The Ram was a common symbol of Medo Persia. In Daniel 8 a Ram, said to represent Medo Persia, is defeated by a Goat, said to represent Greece. See Dan 8:2-7, 20-22.  

BRASS: GREECEverse 39 - Brass (Bronze) - Greece Grecia, led by Alexander the Great, overthrew the Persian empire at the battle of Arbella, 331BC. The He-Goat of Daniel chapter 8 represents Grecia which attacked and crushed the Ram representing Medo-Persia. At his death his empire was divided into four parts by his four generals and these were eventually reduced to two; the Seleucids in the North, and the Ptolemies in the South - the prophetic Kings of the North & South respectively of Daniel 11.  See Dan 7:6; 8:3-7; 20-21; Dan 11). Incidentally the Greeks wore bronze armour. 

IRON: ROMEverse 40 - Iron – RomeThe third kingdom was to be replaced by a fourth and the metal, Iron, is symbolic of Pagan Rome, the Rome of the Caesars. While not specifically mentioned in Daniel, it is the next world power after the Greeks as noted in Luke Chapter 2:1. "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed."  “...the images of gold, or silver, or brass, that might serve to represent the nations or their kings, were successively broken by the iron monarchy of Rome.” The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, E. Gibbon, chap. 38, Vol. 4.

The iron legs represent the Roman Empire. Rome conquered the Greeks and by the time of Christ it could tax the ʻworldʼ (Luke 2:1). Incidentally Rome had iron weapons. 

In Daniel three of the four kingdoms are specifically named:1. Babylon (Dan 2:36-38)2. Medo-Persia (Dan 8:20)3. Greece (Dan 8:21)4. Rome is not specifically named in Daniel but its identity is clear. Rome is very prominent in the New Testament. The iron legs reached from the Greek kingdom to the  end of the world. Only Rome fits this specification. Rome dominated world affairs in Christʼs time, was divided into various European kingdoms, however, continues today in the form of Papal Rome. Jesus foretold that Jerusalem would be destroyed by the “abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel” (Matt 24:2, 15).  All accept that this power was Rome.

The Roman historian Polybius wrote:“The Romans...possess an empire which is not only immeasurably greater than any which preceded it, but need not fear rivalry in the future.” Polybius the Histories, transl. by W. R. Patton, Loeb Classical Library, Vol 1, p7. 

THE KINGDOM SHALL BE DIVIDED

verse 41-43 -  “The kingdom shall be divided”

The various nations of Europe in what was the territory of the Roman Empire are proof that this part of the prophecy has been fulfilled. In AD330 Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital from Rome in the West to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in the East. Weakened through wealth, luxury, etc., Western Rome was unable to withstand barbarian tribes from northern Europe. By AD476 ten kingdoms had established themselves in what was the territory of the Western Roman Empire. (cf. Dan 7:1-7). 

THE FEET OF IRON & CLAY - A SYMBOL OF PAPAL ROMEThe iron symbolising ROME continues beyond the division of pagan Rome to the very end in the form of IRON mixed with CLAY found in the FEET.

What does this symbolise?  The IRON symbolises ROME, however, there is an interesting addition to the feet in the form of the CLAY. What does CLAY symbolise in scripture?

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand. Jeremiah18:4-6 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it].   Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,   O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay [is] in the potter's hand, so [are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

CLAY in scripture symbolises religion. IRON represents the state power of ROME. The CLAY mixing with it represents the union of  religion, the CHURCH, with the  STATE. Remember the IRON of legs extends into the feet and is still ROME, symbolising the STATE. The CLAY is something that is added to the anatomy of the image. Whenever religion, whatever that might be, combines with the STATE, that religion can then be seen as fulfilling the symbol IRON & CLAY and is a fitting representation of the ROMAN PAPACY, a religio-political power, a union of CHURCH & STATE according to the prophecy. 

The iron and clay are much more than just the divided kingdoms. Whilst looking back through this prophecy, all the metals have been representative of kingdoms/nations/states. But what does the Bible represent clay as?In Jeremiah 18:6 and Isaiah 64:8 we find that God’s people, which are His church, (Acts 7:38) are likened unto clay. But this is miry or dirty clay, which means a dirty or apostate church. Daniel 2 shows to us that there is to be a uniting of church and state during the time frame after the Roman Empire. But God also shows to us that church and state should not be united together for the very fact of that, iron does not mix with clay, it is not God’s system to mix the two together they are to remain separate.

IRON & CLAY - UNION of CHURCH & STATE: PAPAL ROME

verse 43 - Not cleave to one anotherMingle themselves with the seed of men - Even though the kingdoms were divided, the monarchies of different countries tried to unite them through marriage and thus gain the supremacy this way. The only thing it resulted in was family feuds between countries. Many have tried to rule the world through military conquest, Charlemagne, Napoleon, and Hitler to name a few. But all efforts have come to naught for the Bible is in opposition to them all, as it is written “they shall not cleave one to another”, for clay does not cleave to iron vis-à-vis

“They shall not cleave (stick) one to another...” Throughout fifteen centuries many powerful men have attempted to reunite Europe but all have failed: Charlemagne; Napoleon; Kaiser Wilhelm; Adolf Hitler.

A partial unity was formed during the Middle Ages with the great ʻMotherʼ Church of Christendom. This political Church- State system was called the Holy Roman Empire. With the rise of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century the nations of Western Europe began to withdraw their support from the church of Rome. In 1798 the French entered Rome, captured the Pope and abolished the Papal state. At that time not one nation came to help the Roman Church. However, Romeʼs deadly wound is healing. As the other prophecies show, the nations are soon to attempt a final union over which the church of Rome will preside. They shall not, however, cleave (stick) one to another and the support of the coming confederacy will dry up just prior to Christʼs return. 

THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

REVELATION 6:6A measure of wheat for a penny] The chaenix here mentioned was a measure of dry things; and although the capacity is not exactly known, yet it is generally agreed that it contained as much as one man could consume in a day; and a penny, the Roman denarius, was the ordinary pay of a labourer. So it appears that in this scarcity each might be able to obtain a bare subsistence by his daily labour; but a man could not, in such cases, provide for a family.

verse 44 - Christʼs Kingdom set upIn the days of these divided nations, in the days of the kings of the earth uniting with the church, the God of heaven is going to set up His kingdom which will never be destroyed but will stand forever. Revelation 17:1 shows the uniting of the kings/leaders of the earth with the church in the end of time; and we can already see this happening around us today, we are living in the days of when Christ is going to come very soon.This kingdom, that God is going to set up, is the everlasting kingdom that the saints will posses at the end of time when Jesus comes (Daniel 7:14, 27) for it is not left to other people but will be possessed by them throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. And just as the stone cut out without hands breaks the image into pieces and consumes it and fills the whole world, so too does God destroy the wicked from off the face of the earth, and His kingdom shall encompass the whole world. For the wicked shall be as chaff to be taken away by the wind for the burning. (Psalms 1:4, Matthew 3:12)The divided nations are from 476 A.D. to the second coming of Christ [the stone cut out without hands, Matthew 21:42, 44; Ephesians 2:20].

In the days of he divided feet God will set up His everlasting Kingdom. Before His Kingdom is set up all earthly kingdoms will be blown away. Papal Rome (Iron & Clay), Pagan Rome (iron), Greece (brass), Medo-Persia (silver), and Babylon (gold) are all described as existing together at the time the stone hits the feet and destroys everything. Though each has already passed away they live on in a sense in the succeeding nation. (cf. Dan 7:12).

verse 45-49 - Without hands

Christʼs kingdom is not to be established by human hands or works. It will be established by God Himself when He comes. 

The coming of the Lord has been in all ages the hope of His true followers. The Saviour's parting promise upon Olivet, that He would come again, lighted up the future for His disciples, filling their hearts with joy and hope that sorrow could not quench nor trials dim. Amid suffering and persecution, the "appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" was the "blessed hope." When the Thessalonian Christians were filled with grief as they buried their loved ones, who had hoped to live to witness the coming of the Lord, Paul, their teacher, pointed them to the resurrection, to take place at the Saviour's advent. Then the dead in Christ should rise, and together with the living be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. "And so," he said, "shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. {GC 302.2}