As already mentioned before, the prophet Daniel saw various events in symbols and pictures which pertain to the end time. He testified before the king with these words, “But there is a God in heaven who revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, what shall be in the latter days” (Dan. 2: 28). God’s people are now as always very much informed about what He does and what happens. What the Lord said in Mt. 23: 34 still proves true today, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes…” Politicians and other great men are just presuming, but those who recognise the time and the signs according to the Word of God know what is going on. They also comprehend that we are now living in a prophetic period, this means to say, that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled now. There are some on earth who have an insight and understanding of what the prophets and apostles saw in visions and wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They also know how to rightly place it. The Word of God always came to the prophets, never to the theologians, because they are the ones who give their own interpretations.

Every true prophet and apostle or any servant of God will do like Daniel and confess, “But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living…” (Dan. 2: 30). In his prayer, Daniel praised the Lord and said, “He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to those who know understanding; he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him” (verse 21–22).

Firstly, the prophet Daniel saw the statue as it was shown in front of the king Nebuchadnezzar in a dream. He gives the following description, “This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, and the form of it was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet part of iron and part of clay” (verses 31–33). Obviously this statue represented a person, as we find reference to the head, the breast, the arms, the body right down to the legs and the toes. At the same time it represented the four world empires who would succeed one another.

In verses 37–45, he gives the explanation and the meaning of the four world empires which are historically known: The Babylonian Empire, as shown in this image as the head of gold, extended from 606–538 B.C. and was controlling the world at that time. The kingdom of the Medes and Persians, as shown forth in the breast of silver and the arms, is known to have been from 538–330 B.C. The Greek Empire under Alexander the Great is shown by the hips and also the lower body, described with the copper and extended from 330–30 B.C. From that time on right to the end the Roman Empire is ruling. This is of greatest importance to know.

The same prophet saw in chapter 7 how the four winds of heaven stirred the great sea of people, out of which came four mighty beasts. The first one looked like a lion, the second like a bear, the third like a panther and the fourth one is not named, but is described as follows, “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 broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns” ( Dan. 7: 7).

These four beasts, who came out of the masses of people of this world, symbolise the four empires, but also the rulers and the heads of the same. We don’t need to take time and speak of the first three, as they don’t have any significance for us. We wish to know about the fourth beast which is now in existence (verse 19). Daniel received the following information, “The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces” (verse 23). The fourth beast, which is the Roman Empire, swallows according to Bible prophecy, the whole world and treads it under foot. That is THUS SAITH THE LORD in His Word.

John also saw the same beast with the ten horns coming out of the sea. It had even seven heads and on the seven heads blasphemous names. On the horns were ten crowns (Rev. 13: 1). This agrees totally and coincides with Dan. 7, “And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise” (verse 24). The first three beasts, known as the three empires as Daniel saw them, are also found again in Rev. 13: 2 and are integrated into the fourth beast, “And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion…”

It’s very important to notice that Satan gives his throne and his might to a man at the end of this last world empire, “…and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as though it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world wondered after the beast” (Rev. 13: 2–3). Who the dragon is, which gives this last world power, his might and his throne, we are told about in Rev. 12: 9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan…” The last world empire will be under the direct influence of Satan. Out of this comes, as we shall soon see, the Antichrist.

As already mentioned before, the prophet Daniel saw various events in symbols and pictures which pertain to the end time. He testified before the king with these words, “But there is a God in heaven who revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king, Nebuchadnezzar, what shall be in the latter days” (Dan. 2: 28). God’s people are now as always very much informed about what He does and what happens. What the Lord said in Mt. 23: 34 still proves true today, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes…” Politicians and other great men are just presuming, but those who recognise the time and the signs according to the Word of God know what is going on. They also comprehend that we are now living in a prophetic period, this means to say, that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled now. There are some on earth who have an insight and understanding of what the prophets and apostles saw in visions and wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They also know how to rightly place it. The Word of God always came to the prophets, never to the theologians, because they are the ones who give their own interpretations.

Every true prophet and apostle or any servant of God will do like Daniel and confess, “But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living…” (Dan. 2: 30). In his prayer, Daniel praised the Lord and said, “He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to those who know understanding; he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him” (verse 21–22).

Firstly, the prophet Daniel saw the statue as it was shown in front of the king Nebuchadnezzar in a dream. He gives the following description, “This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, and the form of it was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet part of iron and part of clay” (verses 31–33). Obviously this statue represented a person, as we find reference to the head, the breast, the arms, the body right down to the legs and the toes. At the same time it represented the four world empires who would succeed one another.

In verses 37–45, he gives the explanation and the meaning of the four world empires which are historically known: The Babylonian Empire, as shown in this image as the head of gold, extended from 606–538 B.C. and was controlling the world at that time. The kingdom of the Medes and Persians, as shown forth in the breast of silver and the arms, is known to have been from 538–330 B.C. The Greek Empire under Alexander the Great is shown by the hips and also the lower body, described with the copper and extended from 330–30 B.C. From that time on right to the end the Roman Empire is ruling. This is of greatest importance to know.

The same prophet saw in chapter 7 how the four winds of heaven stirred the great sea of people, out of which came four mighty beasts. The first one looked like a lion, the second like a bear, the third like a panther and the fourth one is not named, but is described as follows, “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 broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns” ( Dan. 7: 7).

These four beasts, who came out of the masses of people of this world, symbolise the four empires, but also the rulers and the heads of the same. We don’t need to take time and speak of the first three, as they don’t have any significance for us. We wish to know about the fourth beast which is now in existence (verse 19). Daniel received the following information, “The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces” (verse 23). The fourth beast, which is the Roman Empire, swallows according to Bible prophecy, the whole world and treads it under foot. That is THUS SAITH THE LORD in His Word.

John also saw the same beast with the ten horns coming out of the sea. It had even seven heads and on the seven heads blasphemous names. On the horns were ten crowns (Rev. 13: 1). This agrees totally and coincides with Dan. 7, “And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise” (verse 24). The first three beasts, known as the three empires as Daniel saw them, are also found again in Rev. 13: 2 and are integrated into the fourth beast, “And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion…”

It’s very important to notice that Satan gives his throne and his might to a man at the end of this last world empire, “…and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as though it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world wondered after the beast” (Rev. 13: 2–3). Who the dragon is, which gives this last world power, his might and his throne, we are told about in Rev. 12: 9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan…” The last world empire will be under the direct influence of Satan. Out of this comes, as we shall soon see, the Antichrist.