Daniel’s prophecies came before any events happened, where some of them happened long times ago, others are still yet to occur to fulfill the End Times. According to the book of Daniel, the four kingdoms were identified as follows; Babylon, this kingdom was represented by a lion with wings of an eagle. King Nebuchadnezzar was referred to represent a lion and an eagle[1]. The lion with eagle wings reflected strength and movement whereby, the strength of Jacob and his offspring were to be drawn from God’s covenant to Abraham and Isaac. The eagle wings were to symbolize the movement of Israelites to the land of Cannan from Egypt. The lion was to stand on two feet without wings to show the two sides of river Jordan, and a human heart in a lion was to signify a soft heart that could turn hard and rebel against God.
The second kingdom was referred to as the medo-Persia, represented by the second beast with a Bear, raised on one of its sides, with tree limbs on its mouth, or fang between its teeth. The raised side of the bear was to represent the house of Israel with the ten tribes aligning behind it and the lower side to represent the house of Judah with no tribes behind it[2]. The limbs or fangs in the bear’s mouth were to show the first three kings of Israel namely Saul, David, and Solomon who ruled Israel when it was still united after which Israel would be divided.
Greece was the third kingdom represented by a leopard with four wings and four heads with authority to rule. After the medo-Persia kingdom, Greece came up under the rule of Alexander the great which later divided into four parts represented by the four heads and wings namely; the Antipater, Thrace, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt.
Rome and modern Europe was the fourth kingdom represented by the fourth beast that was very terrifying, frightening, and powerful with iron teeth that finished everything that came on its way. The beast had ten horns and seven horns and a little horn. The first three horns portrayed Jewish faith and the seven horns signified Christian faith[3]. This last prophecy represented end times which led to the fall of Jerusalem.
The ram was identified to have two horns symbolizing the media and Persia, the two entities joined to form a strong empire that could not be defeated. Due to this strength, the medo-Persia dominated many nations and occupied larger territory than any other empire[4]. With the identification of the bear as the median empire, it signified that the median kingdom followed Babylonian. The goat was identified by Gabriel to represent king Grecia, Alexander the Great who used the Greek military to over-throw the medo-Persia regime.
One like the son of man was identified by Daniel in one of his visionary prophecies King, the Messiah who brought about the messianic kingdom of the righteousness on earth. The son of man was described as not just a normal human being but one with divine powers[5]. This prophecy was different from others because it was not represented by symbols. After all, King Daniel could not compare messiah with anything else. In his night vision, he saw messiah came near him, with divine powers, and that all nations and languages will obey him and his kingdom would reign forever.
References
Gordon, James. Behold the Lamb. New York: Hannibal Books, 2008.
McKenzie, Duncan. The Antichrist and the second coming: A Preterist Examination. Michigan: Xulon Press, 2009.
Pentiuc, Eugen. Jesus the messiah in the Hebrew Bible. New York: Paulist Press, 2006.
Footnotes
- Duncan, McKenzie, The Antichrist and the second coming: A Preterist Examination. Michigan: Xulon Press, 2009.
- Eugen, Pentium. Jesus the Messiah in the Hebrew Bible. New York: Paulist Press, 2006.
- James, Gordon. Behold the Lamb. New York: Hannibal Books, 2008.
- Eugen, Pentium. Jesus the Messiah in the Hebrew Bible. New York: Paulist Press, 2006.
- Duncan, McKenzie. The Antichrist and the second coming: A Preterist Examination. Michigan: Xulon Press, 2009.