DANIEL OUTLINES FUTURE EVENTS

A broad outline of the future was revealed by the prophet Daniel when he interpreted a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. This event is recorded in Daniel 2. In summary, the king dreamed of a great statue.

Daniel 2:32–35 “This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.”

Daniel went on to identify King Nebuchadnezzar as the head of gold. History concurs with other chapters in Daniel in identifying the Medes and Persians as the kingdom of silver and the Greeks led by Alexander the Great as the kingdom of brass. The fourth kingdom emerged in the form of the mighty Roman Empire that eventually divided into two parts as indicated by the two legs. This fourth kingdom was never conquered, but just eventually gave way to other world powers until the time that it will reemerge as a ten-member confederacy. Some parts of this confederacy will be stronger than others.

Some may ask why Daniel only mentioned four kingdoms, since we know that there have been other great empires such as the Ottoman Empire. I believe it is because the Bible is focused on revealing history in relationship with the nation of Israel, the nation through whom God chose to reveal Himself to the world and through whom He would send the Messiah. Scripture is silent regarding history during the time that Israel ceased to exist as an independent nation. The prophetic record resumes once Israel is rebirthed as an independent nation.

Jesus came and sacrificed Himself for our sins during the days of the mighty Roman Empire. After pronouncing judgment on that generation of Jews for rejecting Him as their Messiah and after resurrecting from the dead, He commissioned a new body of believers with a new covenant, the body of believers known as the “church,” to pick up where Israel had failed in declaring His truth throughout the world.

Luke 11:50–51 “That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.”

Mark 14:23–24 “And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.”

Matthew 28:19–20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

The new covenant established by Jesus did not negate the unconditional everlasting covenants that God had made with Abraham and David. The new covenant was given in light of the nation of Israel’s rejection of the conditional covenant that God had made with the people of Israel through Moses—a covenant that served to reveal man’s sinfulness and his inability to keep that covenant without complete dependence upon God.

Ephesians 2:11–16 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby….”

The seven years of “Jacob’s trouble” that will precede the establishment of Messiah’s Kingdom on earth will be the means by which the nation of Israel is reestablished under the new covenant in relationship with the LORD.

Jeremiah 30:6–7 “Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”

This time of refinement of the nation of Israel is the culmination of the purpose of the 70 weeks declared against Israel through the prophet Daniel. A more detailed verse by verse breakdown of this prophecy can be found on my website, www.momsbiblejournal.com.

Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

This time will occur during the time that the fourth kingdom identified by Daniel will exist in the form of a ten-member confederation as pictured by the ten toes. This ten-member confederation is confirmed in another vision in which Daniel saw this kingdom pictured as a great beast with ten horns.

Daniel 7:7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.”

In keeping with the biblical perspective, this kingdom will reemerge some time after Israel’s rebirth as a nation, which occurred in May 1948. I believe that today the pieces from which that confederacy will be formed are positioning themselves. Either the United Nations or the European Union could provide the framework from which such a ten-member confederacy will emerge. It will, however, have its roots in the nations that were once part of the Roman Empire.

I think it is important to understand that God’s promise to Israel is to reestablish her in her own land, the land given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It doesn’t matter what the nations of the world think regarding the right of Israel to exist. The LORD has declared His purpose, and it will happen according to His plan.

Ezekiel 36:23–28 “And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.”