The Time of the End
A comprehensive account of world history from the time of Egypt to our crisis shattered century with unmistakable indications to the immanent catastrophic end of the world can be found in the Prophecies of Daniel as well as in the Apocalypse of John.
All previous historical interpretations of Daniel have only been patchwork and frequently missed the right point from the beginning because the biblical prophecy «was locked and sealed until the last days» by God’s order and could therefore not be fully understood before the beginning of the end of time. (Dan.12, 4 and 12; 10)
«But you, Daniel, lock all that has been said and seal the book until the end of time; at that time many will examine it and the knowledge will grow. (Dan. 12; 4)
The prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of John
or
The Signs of Time in the light of the biblical Apocalypse.
A Report by
Helmut Seeger
Based on a current analysis of world history (from Egypt to the United Nations) it is proved that the Biblical Prophecies of Daniel as well as the Apocalypse of John have fulfilled themselves in our century and the «Accomplished Antichrist» has openly emerged so that the
«Times of the Nations» are now coming to an end and we for quite some time have been in the vortex of a world that is doomed to destruction. Furthermore a comprehensive study establishes the reliability of Genesis and, on the basis of biblical facts, describes the true structure of our universe.
I N T R O D U C T I O N Heaven and earth will pass away; but my words will never pass away. Nobody knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For as in the days that were before the flood, - they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they respected it not, until the flood came, and took them all away-,so it will be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Matth. 24; 35-39
The
eschatological character of the gospel was first discovered around the turn of
the century, in the course of which the civil sense of security did not want to
hear about the acute significance of this doomsday destiny. Therefore only by
the uncanny events that reveal an extinction do we become aware of the
coincidence with this eschatological gospel. The extinction takes place in the
modern world and imposes a particular task for the proclamation. We should not
avoid this duty (...); because the destruction should become a door to the
eschatological gospel, thereby becoming simultaneous... Theologians and
Christians (...) are not among those to envision the terrible disaster in which
we are now... Dying church life by itself would have been reason enough for
them to face the threatening destruction. The reason for this is on the one
hand the unclear and conflicting relationship between Protestantism and the
modern world, and on the other hand more important the ineradicable urge of the
clergy to withdraw itself in such times from the destruction. Even the gospel
is abused for these rescue attempts... The world that is
heading towards destruction before our eyes is the world of the European
civilisation... With the victory of the papacy over the imperial rule, the
development of the church has exceeded its peak. Rigidity and dissolution begin
already at this point. The Reformation has not been able to overcome this
decline, so the unity of the church broke...
Under the guidance
of natural science developed a purely inner worldly atmosphere and a never
before noticed development of soulless energies that created a dazzling
illusory world of the large cities and industries and subjected themselves to
the power of the capital. This modern world will come to an end in a process
that initially appears like self-destruction and it can also be understood as
such. The deeper reason for this disaster of the modern world lies in an
apostasy by which it received its inner worldly character. It was not formed
and arranged by Christian religion. This European civilisation expanded its
controlling and simultaneously destructive influence on the entire earth.- Lic.
Georg Noth (Theological Liturgical Paper No.1/48)
The history
concerning the interpretation of the book of Daniel is more exciting than any
other interpretation history of any biblical book - except the Book of
Revelation. However, the interpretation involved unusual difficulties. Daniel
is one of the „most difficult books“ of the Bible. There is an immense
literature and the interpreters present the most different and contradictory
explanations...
The Qumran society
was probably the first one to use and interpreted Daniel. They inhabited the
settlement of Qumran near the north-west bank of the Dead Sea from approx. 150
BC to 68 AD. Altogether 7 fragments of the Book of Daniel were found hidden
inside neighbouring caves...One of the fragments even dates back to the 2nd
century BC...
According to the gospels, Jesus studied and used the book of Daniel and continued Daniel’s art of prophecy. Also Paul in the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians and in the 2nd Epistle to the Thessalonians and Jude made use of Daniel's book. For the N.T. the emphasis lies clearly on the Prophecy of Daniel which will be totally fulfilled only in the future. Just as clearly the Son of Man of Daniel 7 is referred to Jesus as the Messiah...
The author of the book is (also) Daniel himself. Since the book is so old it was possible to show it to Alexander the Great in the year 332 BC when he also passed through Palestine during his conquest. Alexander recognised himself as the „King of Greece“ according to Daniel 8,21.(Source: Gerhard Maier „The Prophet Daniel“ Wuppertaler Studienbibel, R Brockhaus Verlag Wuppertal, Page 22 ff)
The Revelation of
John is the most abused book of the Bible: Violated by the enthusiasts and
despised by the intellectuals. This fact should draw our attention as this book
obviously gives an account of the fate of the message of the crucified Christ
that is offensive for the Jews and a folly for the Greeks. Conclusion: Why
all former historical interpretations are only patchwork and frequently missed
the right point from the beginning is chiefly due to the fact that the biblical
prophecy was «locked and sealed until the last period» by the order of God and could
therefore not be fully understood before the endtime period had commenced
«But you Daniel keep what has been said locked and seal the book until the end of time; many will then examine it and the knowledge will grow. (Daniel 12; 4)
Many will be selected, purified and chastened, but the godless will act ungodly; and the ungodly will not understand this but the wise will understand it». (Dan. 12; 10)
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Signs of the end 4
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«But the THE DAY OF THE LORD will come like a thief in the night at which the heavens will dissolve with great thunder; the elements will melt in the heat and the earth and the works on it will burn.». (2.Peter 3; 10).
The Apostle John who had envisioned the „DAY OF THE LORD“ mentioned by Peter - the time of the end - reports:
«I was in the spirit on the Day of the Lord and heard behind me a great voice like from a trombone that spoke: what you see, that write into a book...» (Rev.1; 10-11)
«And I saw a large white chair and him who sat on it, before his face fled the earth and the heaven and there was found no place for them...» (Rev.20; 11)
Obviously we have
to, if we want to follow the biblical prophecy, expect a total destruction of
heaven and earth at the end of the world, a cosmic catastrophe of unimaginable
extent.
But this disaster
will not - as generally feared - be started by a Third World War but its
enormous dimension rather points out to the fact that this event will more
likely strike us from the outside - that is from the cosmos itself. For example
our sun could swell into a red giant and „burn the earth and the works on it“;
but also comets and projectiles from space could cause this catastrophe.
The physicist and astronomer Hermann Michael Hahn writes:“This can happen at any time: An asteroid as long as one kilometre strikes the earth. The energy that is released is so strong that an atom bomb would appear like fireworks next to it. Nearly all life will be destroyed by it. For seconds heaven would be illumined with a glaring light, even brighter than a thousand suns. The earth trembles and a terrible thunder rocks the air. A huge scorching shock wave sweeps over the country, bends trees like matches and burns all plants in the extensive vicinity. But this is only the beginning of the apocalypse.”(bild der wissenschaft / picture of science, April 1993).
In view of this terrible scenario the question arises whether Apostle John had predicted a catastrophe of such immense extent when he wrote the following in the apocalypse:During the pouring out of the seventh bowl of wrath there was lightning, roaring and thunder; and a mighty earthquake arose, like there has been never been before, since mankind exists on earth
And a mighty hailstorm with hundred pound pieces falling from heaven onto mankind but mankind cursed God despite of it because of the plague of the hail; because its plague is most terrible. (Rev. 16; 17-21
What kind of disastrous consequences we have to expect after the pouring out of the seventh bowl of wrath, with which God’s wrath will come to an end and how mankind will respond in view of the inevitable catastrophe and how they will be consumed by fear is described in a very realistic way by the physicist Paul Davies in his book „The Last Three Minutes“ (1994 by Basic Books, New York):
«High in the sky, a huge shaft of light is etched into the fabric of the heavens. What begun as a slender pencil of softly radiating nebulosity has swollen day by day to form a maelstrom of gas boiling into the vacuum of space. At the apex of a vapor trail lies a dark, misshapen, menacing lump. The diminutive head of the comet belies its enormous destructive power. It is closing on planet Earth at a staggering 40,000 miles per hour, 10 miles every second - a trillion tons of ice and rock, destined to strike at seventy times the speed of sound. Mankind can only watch and wait. The scientists, who have long since abandoned their telescopes in the face of the inevitable, quietly shut down the computers. The endless simulations of disaster are still too uncertain, and their conclusions are too alarming to release to the public anyway. Some scientists have prepared elaborate survival strategies, using their technical knowledge to gain advantage over their fellow citizens. Others plan to observe the cataclysm as carefully as possible, maintaining their role as true scientists to the very end, transmitting data to time capsules buried deep in the Earth. For posterity....
The moment of impact approaches. All over the world, millions of people nervously check their watches. The last three minutes.
Directly above ground zero, the sky splits open. A thousand cubic miles of air are blasted aside. A finger of searing flame wider than a city arcs groundward and fifteen seconds later lances the Earth. The planet shudders with the force of ten thousand earthquakes. A shock wave of displaced air sweeps over the surface of the globe, flattening all structures, pulverizing everything in its path. The flat terrain around the impact site rises in a ring of liquid mountains several miles high, exposing the bowels of the Earth in a crater a hundred miles across. The wall of molten rock ripples outward, tossing the landscape about like a blanket flicked in slow motion...
Within the crater itself, trillions of tons of rock are vaporized. Much more is splashed aloft, some of it flung out into space. Still more is pitched across half a continent to rain down hundreds or even thousands of miles away, wreaking massive destruction on all beneath. Some of the molten ejecta falls into the ocean, raising huge tsunamis that add to the spreading turmoil. A vast column of dusty debris fans out into the atmosphere, blotting out the sun across the whole planet. Now the sunlight is replaced by the sinister, flickering glare of a billion meteors, roasting the ground below with their searing heat, as displaced material plunges back from space into the atmosphere.»
Naturally the above prediction does not apply only to the Swift-Tuttle-Comet, but to any comparable other comet or asteroid impact that can occur at any time.
How
realistically we have to meanwhile expect endtime events mentioned in the
apocalypse, how deadly serious the threat out of space has become and how close
we have already been to the end of the world, is impressively established by
the following reports that have been spread via the media:
The great impact in Siberia: On the 30th June 1908 at seven o’clock in the morning an enormous explosion shattered the forests in the Rocky Tunguska, a tributary of the Jenissei in Central Siberia. Only years later the extent of the damage was discovered: In an area of the size of the Saarland (Germany) all trees were burnt or had fallen. Today it is certain that a meteorite with approximately 100 m diameter with the power of several atom bombs exploded in small height.“
(magazine, Edition 10/28.2.97)1937 the near to earth asteroid Hermes missed the earth by less than seven hours.
On 23rd March 1989 an asteroid of one kilometre diameter missed the earth by six hours, that is 640 000 km in space.
On 17th January 1991 the asteroid 1991BA (diameter: nine metres) raced past the earth only 170 000 km away from our planet - less than half the distance to the moon. (PM magazine, Aug,1998).
On 19th May 1996 the world nearly came to an end: On this Sunday a 500 km thick asteroid raced past the earth in only 450 629 km distance (Moon: average 384 000 km). Never before have astronomers observed such a large object so close to the earth which according to them is just a hair's breadth. (magazine, Edition, 1996, 06.28).
If this rocky mass from space (Name: 1996JA1) that sped towards the earth at almost 100 000 km per hour had hit the earth, it would have caused an explosion of unimaginable extent. „The impact would have been so strong“, said the US-Astronomer Eugene Shoemaker, „as if one had gathered all American and Russian atomic bombs and made one heap and ignited them simultaneously.“... If the asteroid had crossed the orbit of the earth only four hours earlier on 19th May our world have indeed been destroyed.
In addition to this, according to Russian scientist, «The Asteroid Toutatis», which could erase all of humanity at one blow rushed past the earth «very closely» on 96.11.30
«According to Russian scientist, the distance between Toutatis and the earth was only 5,3 million km, which according to astronomical measurements, is not much, says the institute for theoretical astronomy. By comparison, the distance between the earth and the sun is 150 million KMs. Toutatis pass the earth every four years. In 1992 it passed the earth in only 3,5 million KMs» (ARD-TV/Germany, 96.12.01).
In September 2004 the six kilometre large asteroid „Toutatis“ was supposed to have raced past the earth in only 1.6 million kilometres distance - but it could happen quite differently, for example if the rocky mass would be diverted only slightly by the gravity of other planets (for example Jupiter) on its way to the earth. But experts cannot compute this yet. (magazine, Nr. 10 / 97.02.28.).
Recently the British scientist Mark Baily and the Russian Watscheslaw Emel-Janenko discovered approximately 50 so-called „dead comets“ until the size of 9.5 kilometres (they lack substances that form a luminous tail when they are close to the sun) speeding towards the earth.
Until a few years ago one assumed that "world destroying rocky masses“ were only rare and could hit the earth only every few dozen million years, scientists nowadays know that at least 100 000 of such giant rocky masses are on collision course with us.
Until now nobody can with certainty predict when one of these „giant rocky masses“ will seal the fate of the earth. For this reason it is so difficult to calculate the exact time for the end of the world. Even Jesus was not able to tell his disciples a concrete date. He explained to them: «Heaven and earth will pass away ....» but of the day and of the hour nobody knows, also not the angels in heaven, but only my Father.“ - Matth. 24; 35
Answering their question about the «the signs of his reappearance and the end of the world», he specifically indicated and emphasised that beforehand the gospel of the Realm of God would have to be preached to a testimony over all peoples in the whole world. Only when this has been fulfilled, the end of this world will have come. (Mt. 24; 14).
This endtime prophecy which is one of the most important and revealing biblical prophecies besides the Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation of John and which clearly informs us of the course of events in world history gives us not only access to the formerly apparently quite problematic appearing, and except for «the last period» hidden and sealed, endtime prophecy (Daniel 12; 4), but above all shows us that the end of the world is not left to a blind coincidence but is connected to the fulfilment of definite historical events (Daniel 8; 19).
Wars, famines, earthquakes, epidemics, visitations and persecutions however do not indicate to the end of the world, as we can learn from the words of Jesus; „this has to“, he says, «happen first; but the end has not yet come». But when the „Times of the Nations“ are fulfilled (Daniel 2 and 7), the spreading of Christianity has exceeded its peak, the Christian world mission has fulfilled its biblical commission: «Go and teach all people», and «the dying of church life» (G. Noth) has risen dramatically, then the time has arrived, that this world will come to an end.
The world-wide expansion of Christianity began with the missionary journeys of Apostle Paul that brought him from Asia Minor and Greece to Rome:
Until the end of the 2nd century it had spread chiefly in the eastern part of the Roman Empire but also in the West: in Rome, several Italian cities and Gaul. And around the year 300 it extended from Spain to Persia and India..
Also philosophically and politically it gained certain power. Constantine the Great recognised the political gravity of the Christian church and tried to use it as a grip to rescue the unity of the Roman Empire (Tolerance Edict of Milan, 313)..
The expansion of Christianity was accelerated by the interference of governmental power. With growing severity action was taken against the pagan cults. By means of outer obligations and in bloody battles the Christian religion was brought to victory by the goverment and became state religion in the year 380..
The missionary work of Non-European nations commenced following individual endeavours in the middle ages (China, Mongolia) in the period of discoveries. Initially it was supported by the Catholic Church together with the Spanish and Portuguese colonial governments and strictly centralised by the founding of the Propaganda-Congregation (1622). Therefore the missionary work had significant results in Asia, Africa and South America, however, only on the surface and temporarily..
In the 19th Century a new rise started that was interrupted with lasting effect only by the Second World War.
The Evangelical mission started in England in the 17th century and experienced a solid climb under the influence of Revivalism (Pietism, A. H. Francke, Brother Municipality) that also led to an Evangelical World Mission in the 19th century. Its leadership shifted to the United States that since then is responsible for the main part of the mission work..
Also here the effect of the two World Wars was so severe that today, especially after the events in China, we have to speak of the termination of a 150-year-long period of the Evangelical Mission." (Der Neue Brockhaus, 3rd Edition).
Until the end of the 19th century, it was natural for Christians to participate in church life - whoever did not go to church committed a serious sin and was branded an outsider..
Nowadays, in our century, in which theology and metaphysics are replaced by experimental knowledge won by scientific methods and atheistic ideologies are on the advance churches suffer from an growing apostasy from Christian faith and an increasing escape. On common Sundays - according to Bishop Edward Lohse - only 2.5 to 6 percent of the Evangelical Christians visit the Sunday Divine Sermon. Meaning that in the country of Martin Luther more than 90 percent of the "church tax payers" are not very interested in the church. As so-called "name Christians" they merely participate in baptism, wedding ceremony and the church funeral. But otherwise they let the dear God be a good man and live for the day..
Christian theologians are becoming increasingly aware of the crisis that is due to the triumph of progress. One of them, the German Jesuit Karl Rahner, has once described new Christianity, that is liberated or relieved from the great cultural responsibility, as the church of the Diaspora. With this he is following a thought that was developed by some of his Protestant contemporaries. Rahner is of the opinion that the idea of a Christian world is forever lost. Convinced Christians have become a minority even in the West and in the near future there will be only a "Remnant". But, as he added, this fact should not lead to dismay. For the believer (...) it is something he has to expect." (Religion without Future? - Toynbee / Cogley, P. 148)..
Obviously the biblical command: «Go and teach all nations!» (Matth. 28; 19), as the history of the world mission unmistakably reveals, has been fulfilled in the 20th century; because the persistent efforts of the established churches to revive their world mission after the two World Wars, finally failed because of the totally changed circumstances of the 20th century in which not only the Christian faith but also religion as such has become doubtful in its significance for the making of the world.
Naturally the Antichrist and the many false prophets whose effectiveness has been predicted by Christ will also in the future have great success with their pseudo-Christian religion and the atheistic doctrines; as the world listens to them.
But not only the unstoppable decline of the world mission and the quick dying of church life are clear signs for an imminent end of the world but also the global environmental catastrophes that at the end of the last century affected the "mental Sodom and Egypt" (Revelation 11; 8) causing immeasurable damage. John reports:
«And I saw another angel appearing from the rising sun who had the seal of the living God. And he announced with a loud voice to the four angels who had been told to cause havoc to the earth and on the sea the words: Cause no damage to the EARTH, nor to the SEA, nor to the TREES until we have marked with a seal the servants of our God on their foreheads!» - Rev.7; 2-3
Until a few years ago it was hardly possible to interpret the words of the apostle correctly; as nobody quite knew whether this prediction was meant literally or figuratively, and what one was supposed to imagine by «damage to the EARTH, the SEA and the TREES».
Today on the contrary these words have become plain and clear and the bad news has meanwhile spread around the globe about «dying forests = Waldsterben, about the "pollution of the earth-ground» 77by industry and agriculture and of the «contamination of the seas» by polluted rivers. Hardly any other political task has gained more importance in the previous years than environmental protection.
Expectations concerning the future are not optimistic: For 66% the destruction of the environment is worsening, for 12% mankind is heading towards extinction, 15% on the contrary are of the opinion that life will adjust, for 7% everything is not so bad. The majority of the population however think differently (TV-Report of 12.7.88).
The imminent climate catastrophe, on the other hand, through over warming of the earth is just gradually becoming clear to the population. According to the commission of inquiry “Precautions for protecting the earth’s atmosphere” a rise in temperature from between 1.5 to 4.5 degree Celsius can be expected if carbon dioxide continues to develop unchecked; if other gases in small amounts are involved they consider an average rise in temperature from between three to nine degree Celsius possible. Disastrous effects on humanity must be feared from the warming up of the Earth’s atmosphere and the reduction of the protective ozone layer at the same time. “The measures taken up to now, are in no way Sufficient to stop this dramatic development. ( FS - Globus from 13.11.88 ).
According to media reports, for example ,the years 1998/1999 were record disaster years: Rarely have so many nature catastrophes occurred on earth as in these years. World-wide more than 50.000 people died in 1998 from earthquakes, floods and hurricanes.
In the previous year there were "only" 13.000. The damages cost approx. 150 billion DM according to the Munich reinsurance company. The insurance companies counted more than 700 catastrophes. (Sat. 1 TEXT 30.12.98). Moreover the years 1998/1999 were the warmest since 600 years..
Nature-disasters. The director of the UN Environmental Organisation UNEP, Klaus Toepfer, also expects a dramatic rise in environmental disasters caused by human beings. (SAT.1)
22 years ago the former UN-General Secretary U Thant said:
«I do not want to dramatize the circumstances but according to my information the members of the United Nations have approximately only one decade to forget their old quarrels and to begin a global co-operation. If such a partnership does not materialise within the next ten years I fear the problems will have reached such an extent that their solution exceeds mankind's possibilities».
The ten years are since long over and the situation has further deteriorated. «The time is coming to an end» according to the Club of Rome in the year 1991: "We are living in the first period of the first global revolution on a small planet that we have obviously decided to destroy." (stern, magazine 2/92)
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A
“Newsweek”- poll found out that 40% of Americans believe in an end of the world
as described in Biblical Apocalypse. 45% of the Christians say that a war between Jesus and the “Antichrist”
will be the cause of the end of the world. About 50% are convinced that the
“antichrist” is already here. The majority of the Protestants is convinced, that the recent disasters and diseases like AIDS or Ebola-Virus are signs for an imminent end. (SAT1 Info-Teletext from 1999-10-26) |
The Prophet Daniel and the Apocalypse of John.
A comprehensive account of the course of world history from Egypt to our crisis shattered century, clearly indicating the approaching disastrous end of the world, can be found in the Prophecies of Daniel as well as in the apocalypse. John writes:.
«I saw a beast arising from the sea with ten horns and seven heads and on his horns ten crowns and on his heads names of blasphemy. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard with feet like those of a bear, and a throat like that of a lion. And the dragon gave it his throne and great power.» - ( Rev. 13; 1-2 ).
In the previous two thousand years this seven-headed beast that arises from the "Sea of Nations" at the end of the world according to the apocalypse has repeatedly stirred the imagination of mankind giving rise to fantastic speculations. As it was too early in time, the mystery could not be solved..
Today, on the contrary, in the «time of the end of the world» in which the biblical prophecy is no longer «locked and sealed» (Dan. 12; 4), and the «Times of the Nations» are fulfilled, it should not be too difficult to lift the veil of the mystery.
First of all it is obvious that the seven-headed beast consists of four great beasts that in the night vision of Daniel play a part in world history. In the vision they embody the four world powers that have arisen also from the «Sea of the People». The Prophet reports::
«I had a vision in the night, and behold, the four winds under the sky raged each other on the sea. And four great beasts arose from the sea and every single one different from the other..
The first was like a lion and had wings like an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn out of him; and it was picked up from the earth and it stood on two feet like a man and a human heart was given to it.
And behold, another one after it was like a bear and stood on one side and had in its mouth under its teeth, three big, long teeth. And it was said to him: Stand up and devour much flesh! X )
After this one I saw, and behold, another beast like a leopard, it had four wings like a bird on its back, and the beast had four heads; and it was given power.
After this one, I saw in this night vision, and behold, the fourth beast was terrible and fearful and extraordinary strong and had great iron teeth, devouring what was around it and crushed and the rest it trampled with its feet; it was very different from the previous ones and had ten horns... And (an angel) talked to me and showed me its importance: These four great beasts are four realms that will come onto earth. But the saints of the highest will seize the realm and will possess it for ever and ever.»
(Dan. 7)
X ) Here we intentionally chose the absolutely meaningful interpretation of Martin Luther (BIBLIA GERMANIA 1545,C VII) instead of the less meaningful one that has recently frequently been used according to which the three big, long teeth in the mouth of the bear are supposed to be «ribs».
Comparing the Revelation with the Prophecy of Daniel it becomes evident that the «seven-headed beast» has:
From the fourth beast «the ten horns» Dan.7;
7From the third beast the form of a «leopard» Dan.7; 6
From the second beast the «feet of a bear » Dan.7;
5 From the first beast «the mouth of a lion» Dan.7; 4
The number of heads also agrees with the heads of the «four great beasts» in the night vision of Daniel: The leopard has four heads and the three other beasts have a head each - therefore a total of «seven heads.»
It is also interesting that the «four great beasts» in the night vision of Daniel were named in reverse order in the Revelation which certainly is not unintentionally and undoubtedly is an indication to the historical lineage of the seven-headed beast. For this reason it appears to be appropriate to begin with the Prophecy of Daniel.
These «four great beasts», that Daniel saw arising one after the other from the «sea of peoples» represent according to the interpretation of the angel «four Realms that will come on earth. »
Basing on a vision of Nebuchadnezzar, it has been previously erroneously assumed that, like in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar, the sequence of the four (world) realms would also start with Babylon in the night vision of Daniel; an interpretation that does not correspond at all with historical facts.
In the second chapter of the Book of Daniel it is reported: Nebuchadnezzar one night had a vision of the statue of a man that consisted of gold, silver, copper, iron and clay.
A rock - without any interference of a human being - came loose from the mountain and hit the statue at its iron and clay feet and destroyed it. In one blow the iron and the clay, the copper, the silver and the gold were destroyed and reduced to dust like the chaff in the summer on the threshing floors, and the wind blew it away so that no trace was left of it. The rock however that had destroyed the mighty statue became a huge mountain that filled the whole earth.
According to Daniel's interpretation this «mighty statue of a man» illustrates world history from Babylon to the coming of the Realm of God; whereby Babylon is depicted by «the golden head» and the «Realm of God» by the rock that destroyed the statue and became a huge mountain.
While Nebuchadnezzar had his vision at the very beginning of his rule, the night vision of Daniel falls into the period of Belshazzar's rule, the last king of the Babylonian dynasty. For this reason it would be inaccurate to assume that Daniel had received a prediction «at the end» of the Babylonian period, that is however still to announce this Babylon..
Therefore the «four great beasts which will appear on earth» can only indicate to those world realms that followed Babylon one after the other.
Dr. Gerhard Maier advocates the same idea in his book «The Prophet Daniel»:
«Who is this first beast? Most scientists say: Babylon...To interpret it as Babylon is substantiated by the observation that Nebuchadnezzar respectively the Babylonians are frequently referred to as lions or eagles in the Bible. But another observation says on the contrary that the lion can just as well be symbolic for Assyria, Egypt or the Medo-Persians. It also has to be considered that Daniel at the end of the Babylonian period (we are in the year 548 BC, that is only nine years before the destruction of the Babylonian realm!) would barely have perceived a prediction that is to still announce this Babylon. In this respect the situation is quite different as in Chapter 2, that can be dated back to 603/602 BC and coincides with the beginning of the heydays under Nebuchadnezzar. Therefore, the first beast from Dan. 7 is preferably interpreted as Medo-Persia. That the latter is depicted in Chapter 8 under the statue of a ram does not interfere. Because the Greek realm is also represented in Chapter 8 under a different image than in Chapter 7.» (c 1982 R. Brockhaus Verlag Wuppertal).
The History of Babylon:
The Babylonians expelled under Nabopolassar the Assyrians from Babylon and together with the Medes conquered Asshur in 614 BC. In July/August 612 BC Nineveh, as predicted by Nahum and Zephaniah, was defeated by them. Assyria ceased to exist and its territory fell to the Babylonians.
Due to clever diplomacy the son and successor to the throne of Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC), during his 42 year long leadership had been always successful in keeping the Medes at a distance whose power was continuously increasing.
According to the chronicle, Nabonid when he was King of Babel (555-539 BC) entrusted his son Belshazzar - obviously a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar II (Daniel 5) - with «the army and the rule». While Nabonid had to undertake a move to Central Arabia where he remained for ten years, Belshazzar took care of the government business in Babylon. 2
Several years later, according to the Bible, «Belshazzar, King of the Chaldeans, was killed. And Darius from Median seized the Empire at the age of sixty-two». (Daniel 5 and 6
During a feast Belshazzar reined the news about Babylon's fall by a writing on the wall. It read: «Mene, mene, tekel upharsim». The interpretation of Daniel is as follows:
«Mene = God has counted the days of your realm and has brought it to an end;
Tekel = you were weighed on the scale and found to be too light;
Peres = your realm will be divided and given to the Medes and Persians.»
After the defeat of Assyria the «winged Median lion» ruled over a mighty realm. But the Medes were not able to maintain their supremacy forever. In the far away Ansam the subordinate king of the country of Persis (=province Fars), Cyrus, from the House of the Achaemenids had raised himself above the power of the Medes. He «pulled the wings out of the Median lion» and in 550 BC threw off the supremacy of the Medes and headed victoriously towards the North West. After having also conquered Babylon he founded the Realm of the Medes and Persians, a double world realm, that was formed by two state bearing nations, so that according to biblical interpretation the Medo-Persian lion from now on «stood on two feet like a man».
«In the time thereafter the MEDES and PERSIANS melted together and experienced the same fate». 4
In the book of Daniel (8; 3) the change in power within the mighty Realm of MEDES that led to the founding of the Medeo-Persian is described as follows:
«I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram stood before the river, it had two horns but one is higher than the other and the higher one had grown later.» (Dan.8; 3)
According to the interpretation of the angel «the ram with his two differently high horns» illustrates «the kings of Medes and Persia». The smaller horn of the ram illustrates the initially alone ruling kings of Media. After their power was broken and the Persians had gained power in the Realm the ram grew the second higher horn so that the ram from now on with his two differently high horns illustrates the kings of Media as well as the Persian kings. (Dan. 8; 20
5«The Persian Great Kings who surrounded themselves with oriental splendour in their residencies enjoyed an almost divine veneration and were restrained rulers. They allowed the defeated nations to follow their religion, their language and their customs even their inner administration: They merely demanded gradated tribute payments depending on the wealth,and the erection of troops in the case of war.»
For example the Jews were allowed to return to their homeland after 70 years of Babylonian imprisonment (Jer. 25; 11-12) after Cyrus had read in the "Book of Prophecies" the two hundred and ten years earlier written Prophecy of Isaihah (44; 28; 45; 1-8). He allowed them to re-erect their temple (2. Chr. 36; 22-23). The Jewish historian Flavious Josephus (born 37 AD) reports:
«Thus speaks King Cyrus: Since the Almighty God has made me ruler over all the earth, I believe he is the one that the people of the Israelite worship, through their prophets he foresaw my name and announced that I would rebuild his temple in Jerusalem in the country of Judea....»
6
This is probably the main reason why the Medeo-Persian lion
The Greek bear had wrathfully raised itself on the one side - undoubtedly facing the East from where the Persian attacks came - and saved Europe due to its fierce resistance from Persian access.
«In the further course of the war Persia was forced into the defensive and had to give up the coast of Asia Minor. Throne controversies additionally gave rise to revolts in the western parts of the realm and could be repressed only with great effort. Ancient Persia received its death blow when Alexander 334 BC exceeded the Dardanelles. Within 7 years the Persian realm was conquered; the last Great King, Darius III, was murdered by one of his satraps.» 8
«In the year 323 BC Alexander died following a short but immensely successful life. His generals divided the great realm and around 275 BC three great Diadochus states - all under Hellenistic rule - were created.» 9
Alexander who had "devoured" in seven years the whole of Persia is embodied by the Greek «bear». The «teeth» in the mouth of the bear illustrate the Greek army with whose aid he was able to engulf the great "Persian colossus" respectively «devour the immense amount of flesh».»
And the «three big, long teeth» in the mouth of the bear indicate undoubtedly the generals of Alexander who divided the mighty realm after his death:
«After the death of Alexander the realm fell apart. His generals, the Diadochs, fought for decades for the inheritance. Finally in the region of the Realm of Alexander first of all three larger states developed: The Seleucid Realm in Syria, the Ptolemaean Realm in Egypt and the Antigonic Realm of Antigonos in Macedonia and Greece.» 10.
With its «four wings» the leopard had extended its sphere of influence enormously in all four directions and Rome had become a world power, unchallenged.
While the East Roman Realm continued existing as Byzantine Realm until 1453 the West Roman Realm was conquered by the ancient Germans in the year 476. Soon they established on Roman territory independent realms. Most of these quickly collapsed or were destroyed by East Roman Emperors. Again others still exist today, like the Realm of the Angles and Saxons in England.
The Roman province Gaul was flooded by Germanic tribes. Around 450 only the nucleus of the province remained firm, the land around the Seine with the capital of Paris as independent outpost of the West Roman Realm.
The East and the West of the Roman Empire,
that had developed into independent and competing Roman realms after the division of the empire are perfectly illustrated in the Prophecy of Daniel by two of the four heads of the leopard.
On the territory of the perished West Roman Imperium in 476 the Holy Roman Imperium of the Ancient German Nation was created in the year 962 that is illustrated by the third head of the leopard: The Germanic tribe of the Franconians that was originally residing at the Lower Rhine gradually moved to the south-west into the Roman province of Gaul. "Karl the Great" (Charles the Great, or Charlemagne) King of the Franconians. He united under his sceptre a large part of the former West Roman Realm. For this reason he adopted the title Roman Emperor during Christmas in the year 800. And the West Roman Realm was passed on to the Franconians.
«The first German King to wear the Roman Emperor Crown was Otto I whom history gave the title the Great.
Under his rule Germany came into the inheritance of Karl the Great and took over for many centuries the rule in the mediaeval occident.» 11
«Otto I let himself be crowned emperor on the 2.2.962 in Rome. ...971 his imperial status was recognized by Byzantium.» 12
By the coronation of Otto I and the recognition of the realm by Byzantine, the perished Roman Empire was united with German Royalty. In competition to the East Roman Byzantine the Holy Roman Realm that in the 15th century received the supplement "German Nation" succeeded the West Roman Realm.
Holy Roman empire of the German nation
(Sacrum Imperium Romanum Nationis Germanicae) is the official name of the German empire since Otto 1. was crowned emperor in February 962.Already since the transfer of Roman Royalty to Karl the Great (25. Dec. 800) the idea of a succession in the destroyed West Roman Realm in 476 arose. Owing to the constant unification of the crown of the Roman Empire with German Royalty under Otto I, this idea of continuation of the Roman Empire by German kings was named: Holy Roman Realm of the German Nation. 13
Holy Roman Realm
official name for the dominion of the occidental Roman Emperor as well as his territories of the realm from the middle ages until 1806. Created in succession of the ancient Roman Realm and in competition to the East Roman Byzantine Realm, as a new edition of a re-established West Roman Realm under Karl the Great. 14In the year 1806 when Napoleon formed the Rhine Federation out of the German states along the Rhine ,thereby dissolving the Holy Roman Realm, Franz II removed the Roman crown from his head saying: "We, Franz II, consider the bond that has tied us to this day to the state body of the German Realm as nullified and consider the imperial realm office by the unification of the Rhine statusses as dissolved.
15With this and with the declaration (in connection with the abdication of the Crown of the Roman Empire) in 1806 that the Holy Roman Realm is dissolved, he violated the Law of the Empire but he was able to destroy Napoleon's aspiration for the Crown of the Roman Empire.
16
It was re-established on 18th January 1871 «with the transfer and renewal of the over 60 years dormant German Royalty» and is symbolised by the fourth and last head of the leopard.
The liberation wars from Napoleon started in Prussia with Austria and finally also the troops of the dissolving Rhine Federation participating.
At the Vienna Congress Europe and Germany were reorganized. Emperor and Empire were not renewed like many patriots had dreamed of, but the powerless German Federation was established loosely connecting all the 38 German states. Only when Bismarck in 1862 became Prussian Prime Minister he attained the power to accomplish alone and at times against the wish of the Germans the unification work.
France being against unification was conquered in 1870/71. The mutual victories of all German nations awakened the feeling of solidarity, and the princes, particularly King Ludwig II of Bavaria as well as the population asked King Wilhelm to accept the title German Emperor. The King agreed and on the 18th January 1871 the German Realm that had collapsed in 1806 was re-established
Below is an excerpt of the Proclamation of the Emperor dated 17th January 1871 to be read in the houses of parliament:
«To the German nation. We, Wilhelm, King of Prussia by the Grace of God, after the German princes and free cities have unanimously requested us to renew and accept the 60 years dormant German Royalty by establishing the German Realm. and as the constitution of the German Federation provides the corresponding regulations, hereby announce that we regard it as a duty for the mutual fatherland to agree to the request of the united German princes and cities and to take over the German Royalty...Bismarck.». 17
Hubertus Prinz zu Loewenstein gives the following explanation in his book on German history:
The proclamation of 18th January 1871 mentions, "to renew and assume the Royalty that has been dormant for over 60 years with the establishment of the German Realm". Thereby the lawful succession of the Holy Roman Realm was not only realised but the unbroken continuity of the realm itself was emphasised.» 17a
When the newly fortified German Empire that had developed to the strongest nation on the continent under the leadership of Bismarck, moved on the trail of imperialistic politics and fetched its share when the world was divided (colonies in Africa and in the Pacific Ocean) and strived for leadership not only in Europe but also in the world it attracted England's animosity. The German fleet that had grown in only a few years to the second strongest merchant and war fleet of the world gave England enough reason England to feel uneasy.
When Emperor Wilhelm II rejected England's offer to co-ordinate the building of a fleet, namely in a strength ratio of 16:10, England turned against Germany and allied with France and Russia.
The soon following First World War brought the allied central powers not only a serious defeat and the end of the «Second German Empire», but also sealed the end of the «Roman-German history»
«After this one I saw in this night vision, and behold, the fourth beast was terrible and horrible and very strong and had large iron teeth, devoured everything around him and crushed, and on the rest it trampled with its feet; it was also much different than the ones before and had ten horns.»
After the end of the «Second German Empire» first England assumed the rule in the world to then after the Second World War surrender it to the USA
belonged to the Roman empire until 410 AD., In the 5th and 6th century it was conquered by the Angles and Saxons. In the 9th century it became a united Realm under the King of Wessex. Favoured by its geographical position it advanced to a strong sea and colonial power during the coming centuries.England
In the wars against the French Revolution and Napoleon, England finally defeated France together with its allies on the continent so decisively that Britain only because of it attained exclusive world-, sea- and colonial power
After the First World War and the victory over the central power, England reaches the peak of its political power.
The United States of America
, that since 1783 due to the Peace of Versailles had been founded by 13 Anglo-American colonies and had grown into a world power after the secession war (1861-65) due to its economic heydays initially assumed a neutral position when the First World War broke out, although President Wilson like the great majority of Americans were in favour of the former motherland. 1917 they eventually supported England in war and thereby aided the victory of the allies. Although the victory of the USA had given to them the position of a world power next to England the isolationism grew again under the successors. But still the USA was not able to stay away from world politics totally and instead they participated in international conferences and treaties about disarmament and economy related questions.The interference of the United States in the First World War adversely affected England's world- and sea-power position. The Sea Disarmament Conference in Washington established the equality of the American with the English battle fleet (1921/22) and England from then on began to fall behind the United States as world power.
In the Second World War that was triggered off by the power ambitions of Hitler, the military and political initiative slipped increasingly into the hands of America and the Soviet Union and at the end of the War England had dropped back to the third place.
The economic decline forced England to take up loans from the USA considerably slackening the British Commonwealth of Nations; Ireland withdrew 1948 from the empire, India became independent, Canada, New Zealand and Australia followed the USA. Also in British influenced areas, for example Greece and Turkey, the USA replaced England.
«The fourth beast was also much different from the previous beasts and had ten horns.The ten horns signify ten Kings, who will emanate from this realm.»
«In the 19th century peace organisations as well as liberalists recognized the necessity of a supranational organisation or a universal government for the prevention of warlike controversies. Only the American President Thomas W. Wilson successfully demanded at the end of the First World War an federation of autonomous nations: The last article of his fourteen-point-programme stipulated the formation of a general national organisation by specific arrangements for mutual security for political independence and territorial unviolability of the small as well as the big nations»
«Due to the intensive endeavours of the American President, the other powers agreed to establish this organisation on the Peace Conference in Paris. On the 28th April 1919 the statute of the League of Nations was accepted; it aimed at preserving peace and security and promoting collaboration among the nations. Headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Nations was Geneva where the council of the League of Nations gathered four times a year».
18«Original members were 32 allied war opponents of the central powers as well as 13 neutral states; their number diminished by three: The USA, Ecuador and Hedshas ratified the Paris Suburb Contracts, thereby not the regulations of the League of Nations. Between 1920 and 1937 21 more states became members... Until 1942 20 states withdrew from the League of Nations, also the USSR, the only excluded state (1940 in connection with the Finnish-Soviet-Winter War).».
19«Its duty to maintain peace was only fulfilled in a few insignificant cases by the League of Nations and its support for a general disarmament remained unsuccessful».
«1933 Germany withdrew from the League of Nations. 1937 Italy followed. By the outbreak of the Second World War the effectivity of the organisation was totally paralysed; on the 11th December 1939 it met for the last time...The UN became the inheritors of the League of Nations in 1945».
«At the end of 1944 the basic points of the Charter of the United Nations were elaborated - based on the experiences of the League of Nations - in Dumbarton Oaks USA». 20
«In summer 1945 even before the war against Japan was over, the «Organisation of the United Nations» (UNO) was born in San Francisco. Alone the fact that it was born and located in America it more prestigious than the recent League of Nations. Additionally the UNO was furnished with a powerful directorate, the security council, a kind of world government - an absolute novelty in political history.» (PM-Magazine/1996/4)
This historical background makes apparent that the «ten kings» represent those people or nations that had initially united after the First World War under the leadership of England to form the «League of Nations», and then later, after the Second World War under the leadership of the USA, to establish the «United Nations».
Why Daniel speaks only of «ten kings», although altogether 66 states belonged to the League of Nations and already 185 states have joined the United Nations, can be easily explained. In the parable of the heavenly Realm Jesus compares the Christian community with «five clever and five foolish virgins». Like these ten virgins symbolically represent all of Christianity, the ten kings in the Prophecy of Daniel also represent all members of the League of Nations and the United Nations.
The previous Daniel interpretation is impressively supplemented and substantiated by the before mentioned dream of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar.
The Book of Daniel states that the king one night while lying on his bed pondered about the future of his kingdom had a significant dream that occupied him so much that he could not sleep at all.
The next morning he requested the wise men in his country to tell him his dream and disclose its meaning. Since he was not willing to tell them the dream, they were not able to help the king.
Disappointed and angry about the inability of his advisors, Nebuchadnezzar decided to have all the wise men, fortune-tellers and magicians of his country be killed.
The Prophet Daniel, a distinguished Jewish prisoner, servant of the king and under death penalty, asked to meet the king, and he explained the following to him:
«The mystery, that the king has asked for, cannot be explained by wise men, scholars, seers and fortune-tellers. But there is a God in heaven who can reveal mysteries. He has disclosed the future to the King Nebuchadnezzar.
Your dream and your visions during your sleep have the following meaning: You, King, pondered on your bed what shall happen one day; and he, who reveals mysteries, has revealed the future.
But the mystery has been revealed to me, not that my wisdom is greater than the wisdom of all living beings, but so that the king would be revealed the interpretation and you would learn your heart's thinking:
You, King, had a dream, and behold, a great, high and bright shining statue stood before you, it was terrible to behold.
The head of the statue was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and its loins of copper, its thighs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.
Then you saw, until a rock fell down without the help of the hands of a human being; it hit the statue's iron and clay feet and crushed them... The rock, however, that destroyed the statue, became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. That is the dream.
And now we explain to the king its significance:
You, King, are the King of Kings, who was given by the God of the heavenly kingdom, power, strength and honour... You are the Golden Head.
After you another kingdom will arise, lesser than yours, thereafter the third kingdom is made of copper and will rule over all countries.
And the fourth will be as hard as iron; just like iron crushes and destroys everything, yes, like iron breaks everything, it will also crush and break everything.
But that you saw the feet and the toes partly of clay and partly of iron means that it will be a divided kingdom; but some of the hardness of the iron will remain in it, just like you saw iron mixed with clay.
And that the toes on his feet are partly of iron and partly of clay means that it will be partly a strong and partly a weak kingdom.
And that you saw iron mixed with clay means that they will give into marriage (enter into alliances), but they will not hold on to each other, just like iron cannot be mixed with clay.But in the period of these kings the God of the heavens will erect a Realm that will never be destroyed; and his Realm will not come on any other nation. It will crush and destroy all these Realms; but it itself will stay forever...» -
Dan. 2
The dream vision of Nebuchadnezzar presents several consecutive world realms - like before in the night vision of Daniel. But here they are not fabulous beasts, but materially particularly characterised parts of the body and limbs of the statue of a human being assembled of gold, silver, copper, iron and clay.
Both visions come from the period of the New Babylonian (Chaldean) World Realm: The dream of Nebuchadnezzar from the beginning, the night vision of Daniel from the end of the period. And both visions end with the coming of the Kingdom of God. Accordingly they extend over the same historical time period, with the difference that in Nebuchadnezzars dream vision Babylon is included in the interpretation: «You, King, are the Golden Head». Whereas in the night vision of Daniel, as already explained in detail, the sequence of the subsequent world realms begins with «Medo-Persia».
In a corresponding comparison of both prophecies this assumption is additionally emphasized; because a comparison shows that in-between them there are very particular parallels that clearly point out to the fact which of the mutual pictorial representations belong historically together and embody one and the same world realm.
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Nightvision of Daniel: The first (beast) was like a lion and had wings like an eagle. I saw how the wings were taken away from it. And it was picked up from the earth and placed on two feet like a human, and it was given a human heart. |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: Its breast and its arms were of silver, |
Parallels and corresponding features:
At first it is obvious that the number of limbs in both representations are the same:
The LION stands on t w o f e e t like a human. On the silver breast are t w o arms.
Like in the prophecy of «the ram and the billy goat» the ram with its two unequal high horns represents the the kings of Medes and Persia likewise the two feet of the lion as well as the two arms on the silver chest of the statue embody the Medo-Persian double monarchy.
Even more striking is the parallel to the «human heart»; because this human heart, that was given to the Medo-Persian lion, is - even if it is not explicitly mentioned - if looked at from an anatomical point of view, also present in the silver chest of the statue.
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Nightvision of Daniel: And behold, another beast, the second, was like a bear and was upright on the one side and had in its mouth under its teeth three large, long teeth. And it was said to it: Stand up and devour much flesh! |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: its belly and its loins were of ore, |
Parallels and corresponding features:
The belly of the statue is probably the best example to consume the amount of flesh that the "Greek bear" devoured when it conquered Persia.
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Nightvision of Daniel Thereafter I saw, and behold, another beast, like a leopard, it had four wings like a bird on its back, and the beast had four heads, and it was given great power. |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: Its loins were of iron, |
Parallels and corresponding features:
At first glance it appears that there are no parallels between the leopard and the loins of the statue . But when observing more carefully, we will discover that the thighs of the statue that consist of two upper and two lower thighs absolutely represent an unmistakable and revealing parallel to the «four heads of the leopard». Because just like the four heads of the leopard illustrate the «Roman-German history», the four thighs - are arranged on the legs partly next to each other and partly one after the other - illustrate the four Realms of the «Roman-German history», which partly existed side by side, like «Byzantium» and the «West Roman Empire», and partly one after each other, like the «Holy Roman Realm of the German Nation» and the «Second German Empire».
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Nightvision of Daniel: Then I saw in my night vision suddenly a fourth beast, terrible and horrible and extremely strong; it had large iron teeth; it devoured and crushed, it trampled on everything that was left over; it looked completely different from all the previous beasts and also had ten horns.. |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay. |
Parallels and corresponding features:
Also here the mutual pictorial representations show clear parallels:
The fourth beast has « t e n horns » .
The feet of the statue have « t e n toes ».
In the night vision of Daniel, England and the USA are illustrated by the fourth beast, and in the dream vision of Nebuchadnezzar the two feet of the statue illustrate - as the «divided kingdom» - the two world powers that are historically closely connected and that were united before the Anglo-American colonies separated in the year 1783 from the motherland and established the United States of America.
England, that belonged to the iron West Roman Realm until 476 is the «iron foot» of the statue. Whereas the USA are represented by the «clay foot». And like the fourth beast is the bearer of the «ten horns» and the two feet of the statue bearer of the «two times five toes», likewise also the iron England initially at first assumed leadership in the «League of Nations» and after the foundation of the «United Nations» surrendered it to the super power USA.
After we have become acquainted with the historical significance of the «four great beasts» of the night vision of Daniel it should be possible to solve the mystery of the seven headed beast.
John saw the beast for the first time when it arose from the «sea of peoples». Thereafter it appeared to him once more in the desert where it disappeared into the «abyss». Astonished about this the angel who had led him in his spirit into the desert asked him:
Why are you so astonished? I want to reveal the mystery of the beast that has seven heads and ten horns to you (...)
The beast that you have seen has (already earlier) been here and is (now) not (there) anymore; but it will again arise out of the abyss and will rush into disaster; then the inhabitants of the earth will be wondered, those, whose name is not written in the book of life since the creation of the world, when they see that the beast that was there and is no longer there, and will be there again.
Here intelligence paired with wisdom is necessary:
The seven heads are seven mountains on which the women sits... and mean (simultaneously) seven kings: five of them have (already) fallen, one (the sixth) is there (now), the other (seventh) has not yet arrived, and when he has arrived, he must only stay a short time.
Furthermore, the beast that has been and is (now) no longer there, is the eighth and nevertheless belongs to the seven and rushes into perdition.
And the ten horns that you have seen are ten kings (Kingdoms) that have not yet reign received power but will receive their royal power at the same hour, at the same time with the beast.
These (ten) have a unanimous aim and place their power and authority in the hands of the beast. These will fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb will be victorious over them - as he is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings - with his combat comrades, the appointed and the chosen ones and the faithful followers. - Rev. 17 (Source Menge Bible).
At first the explanation of the angel appears rather mysterious and confusing. But if we concern ourselves with it more carefully we will - based on the current historical interpretation of Daniel - soon understand the deeper meaning of these dark words.
According to the explanation of the angel, the seven heads of the beast signify seven mountains and (simultaneously) seven kings. The imagery of the Bible uses the «mountain» as symbol for a realm respectively for a Kingdom. For example in the dream vision of Nebuchadnezzar the Realm of God is compared to a rock that became a «huge mountain» (Dan. 2; 35; 2; 44-45)
On the basis of the interpretation of Daniel, we can confidently assume that the «seven heads of the beast, signify the seven mountains», likewise signify world realms, namely seven world realms that arose out of the «Sea of People» one after the other.
Five of them are familiar to us from the Prophecy of Daniel: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome (with the four subsequent realms of Roman-German history) and Anglo-America.
The two remaining world realms already existed before Babylon: Egypt, that came under Assyrian rule in the year 663 BC. And Assyria that was conquered by the Babylonians together with the Medes in 612 BC.
John received the apocalypse in the first century according to our calendar. Five world realms have already come to an end: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece.
The sixth world empire of which the angel says: the one is here, doubtlessly represents the «Roman Realm» (that followed after Greece) and reached the peak of its power in the first Christian century and that can look back on 2000 years of "Roman-German history" with its four realms (East Rome, West Rome, Holy Roman Realm of the German Nation and Second German Realm.
The «Second German Empire» is followed by England and the USA as «divided» seventh world power. England that at first assumed the lead in the world after the First World War was pushed to the second position after the Second World War by the USA.
When in 1949 the USSR closed ranks with the atomic powers, the power between East and West was nearly balanced out by the Equilibrium of the Terror; on one side the NATO states with the super power USA and on the other the Warsaw Pact states with the super power USSR
«Also the beast that (already earlier) had been and is (now) no longer here, is itself the eighth and nevertheless belongs to the seven and rushes into disaster. And the ten horns that you have seen are ten kings those have not yet received the rule; but will receive their royal power at the same hour at the same time with the beast. These (ten) have a mutual aim and give their power and strength to the beast.»
As already the «League of Nations» and the «United Nations» are embodied in the night vision of Daniel by the ten horns of the fourth beast and in the vision of Nebuchadnezzar by the two times five toes of the statue, likewise these two world organisations are also depicted symbolically in the Revelation by the ten horns of the seven-headed beast. (Rev. 17; 12-13 ).
According to history the League of Nations was founded at the end of the First World War by the initiative of the USA and under the leadership of England. But it was not able to fulfil the expectations to preserve the peace of the world, and after 20 countries had withdrawn from the organisation, it disappeared at the outbreak of the Second World War into the «abyss» only to emerge again as the «United Nations» like the bird Phoenix from the ashes at the end of the war.
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Nightvision of Daniel: I observed until the (fourth) beast was killed and his body was wasted and was thrown into the fire and the strength of the other beasts had also come to an end; as the time and hour for how long they shall exist was fixed. |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: This you saw, until a rock fell down without the help of the hands of men; and it hit the statue at its iron and clay feet and crushed them |
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«And John saw the seven-headed beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against rider on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who had made the miraculous signs before him tempting those that had received the mark of the beast and worshipped his image. Both were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning brimstone. - (Rev. 19; 19-20). |
Obviously the USA together with the United Nations that were both embodied in the night vision of Daniel by the fourth beast with the ten horns and in the dream vision of Nebuchadnezzar by the feet and toes of the statue form the last global political guidance power on earth; because Daniel saw how the statue's feet and toes were hit by a rock and completely destroyed.
And like the fourth beast together with its ten horns and the small horn that had grown between the ten horns of the fourth beast is thrown into the fire as «it is determined the time and the hour for how long each one shall live», likewise also Apostle John saw in the apocalypse how the seven-headed beast that at first embodied the League of Nations as the beast out of the «Sea of peoples» and then later symbolised the United Nations as the «beast out of the abyss» is thrown into the Lake of Fire together with the false prophet.
The Erection of the realm of God!
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Nightvision of Daniel: I saw in this night vision, and behold, someone came into the clouds of the heavens like a man's son up to the old man, and was brought before him. He gave him strength, honour and realm that all nations, peoples and languages should follow him. His power is eternal and does not pass away, and his kingdom does not pass away. |
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Nebuchadnezzar's Dream: But the rock that destroyed the statue became a huge mountain filling the whole world. |
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17 1871 Berlin Paris, Reichshauptstadt und Hauptstadt der Welt, S.30, Pierre-Paul Sagave
17a Hubertus Prinz zu Loewenstein, DEUTSCHE GESCHICHTE; Sonderausgabe fuer Gondrom Verlag GmbH & Co. KG,
Bindlach 1990 © 1976 by F.A. Herbig Verlagsbuchhandlung Muenchen Berlin
18 Das Wissen des 20.Jahrhunderts, Bd.6, S.296 s.o.
19 Meyers Enzyklopaedisches Lexikon, Bd.24, S.662
20 Das Wissen des 20.Jahrhunderts, Bd.6, S.296 s.o.
© Helmut Seeger