Four Kingdoms

The theme of the visions of Daniel is the description of four kingdoms that would arise and rule over the earth. These four kingdoms are described three separate times.

1. In his first vision (Daniel chapter 2) they are described as various parts of a metal image; a head of gold,  chest of silver, thighs of brass and legs of iron.
2. In the second vision (Daniel chapter 7) they are identified as different beasts that arise out of the sea, a winged lion, a bear, a winged leopard and a dragon.
3. In his third vision (Daniel chapter 8 ) they are described as a ram, a goat, and two phases of a little horn.

The very fact the prophecy is repeated and the manner of repetition suggests that the kingdoms repeat three times throughout history. The bible specifically states:

That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. Ecc 3:15

If this is correct then we should expect to be able to identify the repeating fulfillment of these four kingdoms throughout history and meet the prophetic specification in each case. Consider the kingdoms shown in the following table. PLEASE CLICK ON THIS CHART FOR A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF HOW THESE KINGDOMS REPEAT IN HISTORY.

Cycle	Kingdom	Dates
First – Was (past)	1. Sumer / Babel 2. Gutians / Elam 3. Egypt 4. Neo-Assyria	2500 – 2000 BC 2000 – 1800 BC 1800 – 1200 BC 1200 BC – 609 BC
Second – And is (present)	1. Babylon 2. Medo-Persia 3. Greece 4. Rome	606 – 539 BC 539 – 331 BC 331 – 168 BC 168 BC – 476 AD
Third – is to come (future)	1. Holy Roman Empire 2. Early Modern Europe 3. Modern Secular Europe 4. United States Empire	538 – 1530 AD 1530 – 1798 AD 1798 – 1989 AD 1989 – 20xx
One hour	Babylon’s Beast + 10 kings	Coming Soon

What is most interesting is that each of these respective kingdoms fulfills its corresponding prophetic description as given in Daniel precisely as well as sharing many other characteristics not specified in the prophecy.

A summary of these characteristics are given in the following chart. CLICK HERE FOR A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE DETAILS IN THIS CHART.

The discussion of the details contained in this table above have been moved to a separate, more details post “The Genesis of History” here.

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Evidence for  Repeating Cycle

Unlike Revelation the book of Daniel does not give any specific indication that its prophetic four kingdoms have application to in the past, present and future. What we do see, is the repetition of the same basic prophecy four times over. In this context, the symbolism of the number four in the scriptures is interesting, as it represents the totality of all things earthly. For example, the entire earth is described as encompassing the four compass points: north, south, east and west; there are four seasons in a year; and there are four classical elements: earth, air, fire, and water. According to the scriptures, there are four books in heaven that record all that transpires on earth: the book of life, the book of remembrance, the book of the law, and the record of our sins. The number four also numbers all the powers of man: thought, action, speech, and feeling. The repetition of the kingdoms four times confirms that these kingdoms describes the complete history of the entire history of the world.

We have noted that the number four in Hebrew represents the totality of all things earthly. The number three in the scriptures represents perfect or divine confirmation.  The number twelve then combines both of these ideas and implies the completion or totality of all earthly authority. Specifically, the number twelve in the scriptures signifies perfection or completeness of government. It occurs as a multiple of everything that has to do with governance. The twelve months of the year are ruled over by the moon and the stars and these complete a yearly cycle ruled over by the sun. There were twelve patriarchs after the flood from Shem to Jacob after which the government of Jacob’s decedents, until the coming of the Messiah, was organised into twelve tribes. When Israel was finished, Christ called twelve apostles to govern over His church.

Further evidence is obtained from the fact that every Hebrew letter in the alphabet represents a number as well as having its own intrinsic meaning. The twelfth letter ‘Lamed’, in its original form, was a pictogram of a shepherd’s rod. This letter is taller than the others; figuratively standing head and shoulders, over the entire alphabet. It represents the complete authority of the shepherd over his sheep. We confirm this by considering the significance of the number thirteen. In Genesis 14:4, we find that the thirteenth year was the year when the kings of the Jordan valley rebelled against the rule of Chedorlaomer. In twelve successive kingdoms we have the complete authority of man exercised over his fellow men. We can consider further that Richard Amiel McGough tells us in his book, The Bible Wheel on pg 374, that the “name of the thirteenth Letter is based on the word mayim, meaning water. In the ancient Hebrew script, the pictograph for Mem was drawn as a wavy line – indicating waves of water and is still seen in the Latin M… God used four [key words all] derived from Mem to describe the Flood of Noah, the greatest hydrological event in the history of the world (Gen 7:4ff)… It is a precursor (type) of the Universal Judgment that awaits till the End of Time.” If twelve means the completion of all earthly government, then thirteen means the end of earthly government.

If we consider the four repetitions of Daniel’s prophecy in more detail we see that they can also be considered as two sets of two. Chapters two and seven make up the first set which describes the complete history from Babylon to the close of time and consists of four human kingdoms, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome; an intermediary period before the final, everlasting kingdom. The intermediate period is somewhat ambiguously described as the feet and toes of mixed material of the image in chapter two and as the ten horns of the dreadful beast in chapter seven. The second set, made up of chapters eight and eleven, omits Babylon and does not present any clear demarcation between the Roman Empire and the intermediary period, neither does it present the final everlasting kingdom. Chapter eight is in fact a summary of chapter eleven, just as chapter two is a summary of chapter seven.

So where does all this leave us? In chapter two we have an intermediate period after Rome in the feet where we are told that the various nations would not cleave to each other and in chapter seven we are told that after the kingdom of the little horn:

As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. Dan 7:12

What we are not specifically told is what occurs between this time and the establishment of Christ’s kingdom. It is during this period there is a repeat final fulfilment of the four kingdoms as described in  chapters eight and eleven. We must remember that in the final fulfilment, unlike the others, there is no single civil world government. Instead, each kingdom represents a system of government subscribed to by individual national governments.

For the Latter Days

When we consider the four times that Daniel’s vision of the four kingdoms is repeated in chapters two, seven, eight and eleven we notice a curious contrast. Daniel was told two times in chapter eight that the prophecy was for the “latter days” (Dan 8:17; 10:14) and two times in chapter eleven that it was for the “time of the end” (Dan 11:27,29,35). This stands out because no similar direction was given to Daniel that the prophecies of chapter two or seven applied to the last days or the time of the end.

I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. Dan 8:17

The reference to the “time of the end” is very clear. Since antiquity there has never been a time that can be more faithfully characterised in this way than the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Since the industrial revolution, started by the development of the steam engine and steam locomotion in 1784 by James Watt, there has been constant advancement in methods of transport. The amount of scientific knowledge available to us since then has also exploded exponentially leading to the information revolution.

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Dan 12:4

The other consideration in understanding this ‘time of the end” or literally the “extremity of time” is in reference to the only time period specified in this prophecy, being the 3½ times (Dan 7:25; 12:7-9) that the little horn would prosper. This corresponds to the rise of the Holy Roman Empire in 538 AD. Starting here the period of 1260 years (3½ x 360) extends to the year 1798. The end of that time period therefore marks the beginning of the time of the end.

Daniel was also told the prophecy of chapter eight was for the “the last end of the indignation” This is specifically refers to the 2520-year prophecy foretold by Moses.

And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. Dan 8:19

Moses warned Israel four times that if they disobeyed God, He would punish them by destroying and scattering them seven times:

And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. Lev 26:27- 28

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book: And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day. Deu 29:28

Seven times is literally seven years, which is 7 x 360 = 2520 days = 2 x 1260. Following the day for year principle we noted before gives us 2520 years that began in 722 BC when Israel was taken into captivity by Assyria. Adding 1260 years comes to 538 AD and another 1260 years brings us again to 1798 completing the last half of the indignation and fulfilling the seven times. In telling us that the last two visions were for the last end of the indignation this can only mean that their fulfillment would commence about or sometime before 1798.

Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days. Dan 10:14

Daniel was also told that the fulfillment would be in the “latter days” which would be far in the future (many days). To understand what this means we must consider that Daniel must have understood the prophecy of the seventy weeks (Dan 9:25) to have been four hundred and ninety years rather than days (sixteen months) since it would be fanciful to expect both the temple and the walls of Jerusalem to be rebuilt in sixteen months given that Solomon’s temple alone was seven years in the building (1 Ki 6:38). Daniel had already received three previous visions revealing that four kingdoms would rise and fall before what could be considered to be the ‘latter days’. It is hard to conceive that he did not realise that the time appointed was not just a few hundred of years into the future but at least two thousand three hundred (Dan 8:14) if not 2520 years into the future. This explains why he mourned for three full weeks after understanding the vision in chapter eleven.

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. Dan 10:1-2

In the vision of chapter eleven we find two more specific comments that the vision was for “the time appointed” (Dan 11:27,29, 35) that is equated with the time of the end (Dan 11:40)

And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. Dan 11:35

Unlike the “time of the end,” the expression the “time appointed” or “appointed time” does not necessarily imply a single specific point in time but can refer to any predetermined point in time. The time of the end in 1798 is the most identifiable predetermined (or appointed) occasion marking the end of the old European order and the rise of modern Europe but the beginning of this period in 538 AD is also an “appointed” occasion.

Daniel informs us the vision was for the time of the end and we should most properly understand this to mean that the primary purpose of the prophecy in chapter eleven was not to describe the history of the Medo-Persian and Greek Empire beginning 100 years after Daniel wrote but to describe the history of nations during the latter days or the time of the end. That is the primary fulfillment of the vision would occur after 1798 rather than that its fulfillment would be complete by the time of the end. We shall see that the vision of Daniel eleven, after a brief mention of the Medo-Persian Empire almost by way of introduction, the rest of the vision has its primary a application after the year 1798 in describing the series of events leading to the great apostasy of the last days and the rise of the man of sin that features so prominently in the new testament.

The second verse of chapter eleven introduces the start time of that vision. This has traditionally been understood to mean that there would be four more kings in Persia after Cyrus.

And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. Dan 11:2

The problem is that there were a total of thirteen kings before the Persian empire was overthrown by Greece, including Cambyses II, Smerdis, Darius I, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I, Xerxes II, Sogdianus, Darius II, Artaxerxes II, Artaxerxes III, Artaxerxes IV, Arses and finally Darius III. The traditional and, quite valid explanation is that the prophecy does not intend to give a full delineation of the history of Persia but just those kings most relevant to the history of Israel. Another way to look at verse two is to consider that the word “in” in the expression translated as “yet three kings in Persia” is a supplied word not occurring in the original Hebrew. It is literally “beside three kings Persia” and could also be correctly translated as “three kings beside Persia.” These four kings are four kingdoms as Daniel had earlier stated:

These great beasts, which are four, are four kings. Dan 7:17

Since the four kingdoms complete a full historical cycle, adding four brings us to Persia in the third cycle representing reformation Europe. The verse said that its riches would stir up the realm of Grecia, literally ‘Javan’. The land of Javan however is not just limited to Greece but includes most of the Mediterranean coast and its islands all being to the west of Persia.

And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. Gen 10:4 – 5

It was the riches of the European aristocracy and the poverty of the masses in the seventeenth century that led to the French Revolution. Who can forget the infamous Mary Antoinette who, on hearing that the peasants had no bread is reported to have exclaimed, “Let them eat cake.”? Significantly, it was under the Corsican born Napoleon that the states of Europe would give way to his Empire. Both this interpretation that sets the start of the vision of the eleventh chapter to the year 1798 and the traditional one are valid ways to understand this text and accurately fulfill the second verse of the vision in chapter eleven. While the traditional interpretation sets the context for the past fulfillment of the vision this interpretation sets the context for the current fulfillment of the vision.