The Amazing Prophecy Of World Empires (1)

As we continue the in depth examination of the book of Daniel today, it is important to understand that it is in two parts. The first six chapters deal with history while the last six chapters record prophecies given to Daniel by God. The historical accounts in the first section contain a bit of prophecy and the prophetic section in Chapters seven to twelve also contains a bit of history. In the first section, Daniel interpreted dreams given to the king; in the second section, Daniel himself received revelations through dreams interpreted by angels. The dreams, visions and prophecies in Daniel reach beyond the lives of individuals or the destiny of a single nation. They focus on the Gentile world powers that were to rule for many centuries until the end of time. These prophetic revelations are pre-written history of great kingdoms until they are replaced by Christ’s eternal kingdom, to be set up by the Lord of heaven at the culmination of all things.

In chapters 7 and 8, Daniel gives an accurate portrayal of the history of great world emperors and their empires. The details of the rise and fall of Alexander the Great, Antiochus Epiphanies, leading to revelations on the Antichrist, written before any of these kings was born could only have been received supernaturally. God, who knows the end from the beginning revealed the future events to Daniel (Isaiah 46:9-11; Acts 15:18).

Daniel’s dream and vision came to him in the first year of Belshazzar before the account written in chapter 5. He had this dream much before his experience in the lions’ den (chapter 6). This dream which Daniel “wrote” down was no ordinary dream; it is of great significance. In the first six chapters, Daniel wrote in the third person; in the last six chapters, he wrote in the first person. In his vision, Daniel saw that “the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.” The number, four, refers to the cardinal points of a compass: north, south, east and west. The striving of the four winds has reference to conflicts and commotion from all directions on earth; the unrest and agitation on the sea of humanity. “The multitude of many people, make a noise like the rushing of nations, like the rushing of mighty waters. The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind” (Isaiah 17: 12,13). “Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth” (Jeremiah 25:32).

Through the vision, Daniel saw the revolutions of the governments of the Gentile nations striving for mastery and domination of one another. He saw the contentions of the kings of the nations in violent battles and wars. This world is like a stormy tempestuous sea, tossed and torn. How terrible are its conflicts; how violent its travails. “The wicked are like the troubled sea, it cannot rest. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isaiah 57: 20, 21). Only through Christ and in Christ can we have peace (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2; 14; Luke 1:77-79; John 14:27; 16:33; Philippians 4:7; Colossians 3:15; Isaiah 26:3; 48:18). Daniel “wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.” The Jews in captivity had misunderstood the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. They had hoped that after the Babylonian captivity, there would be an unending period of peace and prosperity, whether they turned to the Lord or not. Daniel’s vision was to show them that such thoughts would bring disappointment.

There were still times of suffering, oppression and tribulation ahead. Only in the kingdom of God will there be eternal, unending peace. Only when Christ establishes the kingdom of grace and godliness and when He comes with the kingdom of glory will there be an eternal, uninterrupted period of peace and tranquility. Daniel both wrote and spoke the prophetic revelation. It is through both the written and the spoken word that God’s people will be encouraged and edified. God’s ministers in their teaching and preaching must tell the sum of the matters that are written “in the Scripture of truth” (Daniel 10:21).

Further Reading: (King James Version): Daniel 7: 1-8; Job 33: 14-16; Isaiah 17:12,13; 5:26-30; Jeremiah 25:31,32; 6:22,23; 50:41-44; 51:40-42; Ezekiel 26: 3; Revelation 17:15; Jeremiah 4:7,13; Habakkuk 1: 6-8; 2:5-10.