In chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar is burdened by a strange dream. It is so mysterious that no one could interpret this dream, not even his most accomplished magicians. The king, incensed, threatened to kill all of the wise men of Babylon if he didn't receive a suitable interpretation of his dream. This was deeply concerning to Daniel, so he interceded to God, so God graciously answered his prayer. Meanwhile, Daniel praises God and thanks him for giving him this supernatural wisdom. He then goes to the king's palace and boldly states, "No wise man, enchanter, magician, or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in Heaven who reveals mysteries" (2:27-28). This powerful confrontation implies that there is a limit to Satan's knowledge and power, while God's mysteries are everlasting. Anyways, Nebuchadnezzar's dream consisted of a great statue which was majestic in appearance. The head was made of gold, the chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, and its legs and toes were made of iron and clay. After that, a rock struck the statue, preparing the way for a mountain that filled the entire earth. Daniel proceeded to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The Babylonian empire was symbolized by the head of gold. The chest and arms of silver would be fulfilled by an inferior empire to Babylon. This occurred in 539 B.C. when King Cyrus of Persia overthrew Babylon without a battle. Next, the bronze belly and thighs represent the Grecian Empire. The initial three empires are very straightforward, but the fourth empire, symbolized by the legs and toes made of iron and clay, is much more complex. While Rome appears to fulfill the fourth empire, we need to look at the entire context. In Daniel 2:44, it states, "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people." Did God set up His eternal kingdom during the time of the Roman Empire?
This lies part of the mystery. While God did not set up His literal eternal kingdom during the reign of the Roman Empire, he was crucified and resurrected during that time. See, the Roman Empire, just like the Kingdom of God, is both a literal empire and an idea. For instance, believers in Jesus Christ are part of his eternal kingdom even though the literal fulfillment won't occur until we die and go to Heaven. The Roman Empire, just like Daniel says, would be divided, symbolized by the iron and clay. This literal, original division occurred around 453 A.D. when the Roman Empire was divided between west and east. This eastern leg, with its capital in Constantinople (modern day Istanbul, Turkey) was also known as the Byzantine Empire. The eastern leg continued a thousand years after Rome fell to moral decay and Germanic tribes. Did all vestiges of the Roman Empire literally fall in 1453 when the Ottoman Turks overthrew the Byzantine Empire? Yes, but the idea lived on. Many attempts were made to revive the Roman Empire, most notably the notion of the "Holy Roman Empire", which began when Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor in 800 A.D. The "Holy Roman Empire" attempted to regain the glory and prestige of the Roman Empire, but it was not nearly as unified or powerful. Despite dissolving in 1806, the "Holy Roman Empire", I believe, has paved the way for the ultimate fulfillment of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. For instance, the Catholic Church system became one of the most powerful entities on earth during this period. Catholicism was made the state religion of the empire and popes were given tremendous authority over kings and political affairs. As it says in Revelation 17, which talks about Mystery Babylon, "With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries" (2). If you read my "Mystery Babylon" post, you will see strong evidence linking the Roman Catholic Church system to end times "Mystery Babylon". While kings and dynasties such as Charlemagne, the Carolingian's, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, etc. have, in essence, tried to revive a Roman Empire, the antichrist, whom we will see in Daniel 7, will be able to accomplish this goal.
I believe that the legs and toes made of iron and clay won't necessarily be a revived Roman Empire, but this empire will have similar characteristics. Ultimately, it seems likely that this fourth empire will be a world government system or popularly called a "New World Order". While the Roman Empire conquered more territory in world history than any other empire, this empire will be worldwide under the leadership of one man, similar to ancient Babel under the leadership of Nimrod. Revelation 17 gives us some insight on how to interpret Daniel 2. "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while" (9-10). In John's day, the major empires that had fallen were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. While Daniel focuses on the empires succeeding Babylon, John lists all of the major Biblical empires including Egypt and Assyria. Anyways, the empire that "is" represents Rome since Rome was the major empire ruling during John's day. The seventh empire in Revelation is the same as the fourth empire in Daniel 2. Since Revelation mentions that this empire will remain a little while, I believe that the first half of the seven-year tribulation will be controlled by this world government.
These world empires are clearly important to understanding end time prophecy because Nebuchadnezzar has another dream about these empires,this time in Daniel 7. Daniel 7 presents a terrifying picture of four great beasts. The first beast was like a lion and it had wings that were broken off. Then, it stood on two feet like man. This represents Babylon and the wings being torn off symbolize Nebuchadnezzar's fall from grace. The feet represent Nebuchadnezzar's redemption after realizing the sovereign power of God. After the first beast, a second beast emerges, representing Medo-Persia. This beast resembles a bear and three ribs are in its mouth. After that, a leopard emerges, representing the Grecian Empire under Alexander the Great. This leopard has four wings, which represent Alexander's four generals who divided up his kingdom after his early death. Finally, the fourth beast, as I have mentioned in Daniel 2 and Revelation 17, comes on the scene. This beast, different than the others, is non-descriptive. No animal can accurately symbolize the sheer destructiveness and power of this dreaded beast. There are ten horns on this beast, paralleling the seven heads and ten horns mentioned in Revelation. These ten horns are referred to in Daniel 2 as "partly iron and partly clay", meaning that they are partly strong and partly weak. Then, a little horn will emerge, which we know as the antichrist. These ten horns are described in Revelation 17:12-13. "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast." Just like Rome was divided between east and west, I believe that these "ten toes" or ten kings will be a mixture of rulers between western powers and eastern powers. In Daniel 7:8, the antichrist "uproots" three of these kings. In Daniel 11, we read that the antichrist will take control of Egypt, Libya, and the Nubians (modern day Sudan), which are very likely are the "three horns" that he uproots.
We have to remember that God's eternal kingdom will trample the antichrist's beast kingdom and will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. Also, the antichrist will not be known until these ten kings are established. It doesn't say that he won't appear until these kings are on the scene, but his ultimate goals won't be realized until these ten kings emerge. Many people believe that these ten kings will emerge during the first half of the tribulation period. The problem with this interpretation is that these kings won't be connected to a kingdom, which is mentioned in Revelation 17:12. It is important to realize that the antichrist forms this world government during the first half of the tribulation or Daniel's 70th week. Sometime after he "confirms a covenant with many for one week", this seventh empire will be established. While the first 3 and a half years of this time period will be chaotic, the antichrist's true intentions won't be known until he commits the abomination of desolation mid-way through the tribulation. Keep in mind, these ten kings get their authority from the antichrist and they will rule "one hour with the beast". In Revelation 17:11, it states, "The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction." I believe the antichrist will be involved in the world government system for the first half of the tribulation, but will eventually take control of this system to form his own empire, which would be the eighth empire and would be established the last half of the tribulation period. This eighth kingdom is still connected to the previous seven, though. There are definite signs that a world government will happen in the near future. In our age of globalization and the global elite's ambitions for a world government, the handwriting is on the wall. In George H.W. Bush's famous speech in 1992, he outlined a desire to see a New World Order. Many other politicians and world leaders including Henry Kissinger, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Pope Francis have also expressed the need for global governance. Don't be fooled by suave politicians. Not if, but when a global governance does happen, freedom will be lost and you will be required to have a mark on your head or forehead, which will control buying or selling. Only when Jesus Christ establishes His eternal throne will true leadership, peace, and justice be established. In Matthew 4:8, it states, "Again, the devil took Him on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give you if you bow down and worship me." Since Satan is called the "Prince of the power of the air", he is the ultimate ruler of these earthly kingdoms, along with principalities and demonic spirits. After the final earthly kingdom is destroyed, God's kingdom will be firmly established and will never be destroyed.
Sources
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Empire
2. http://www.gotquestions.org/Holy-Roman-Empire.html
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