NEBACHUDNEZZAR'S COLOSSUS, DANIEL'S FOUR BEASTS and JOHN'S ONE BEAST

Updated July 29, 2001

One can be forgiven wondering what the connection between these foretellings might be. Daniel's vision comes 48 years after Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the "Colossus", and John's revelation is many years after both. Nebuchadnezzar was the first and greatest King of Babylon who foresaw a succession of 4 great world empires beginning with his own. He was unable to interpret his dream which Daniel, the prophet, deciphered for him. It is interesting to note as Clarence Larkin points out, man views these great empires (seen through Nebuchadnezzar's dream) in terms of power, strength and wealth. God views them (seen through Daniel's vision) as wild, rapacious beasts greedily devouring each other. With each successive empire, comes the loss of both wealth and stature. The Colossus' first body part is the Golden Head. Working down to the bottom of the image, the Feet, are a mixture of clay and iron. In the same vein, Daniel's beast begins as a mighty lion and degenerates into a terrible monster. John's single beast is a composite of the preceding 4 great world kingdoms which is why it doesn't address each beast separately.

To help tie symbology together, the same colors have been used to indicate the same country, empire or person, or to show similar features between Daniel's and John's beasts. For example, Nebuchadnezzar's golden head of the Colossus is the same as Daniel's First Beast who is like a lion, both of which designate the Babylonian Empire. For John, this element is represented by the mouth of the lion as part of his "composite" Beast of the Sea. In our times, this becomes the Revived Roman Empire and the Antichrist. Another example of similarities between beasts is Daniel's Third Beast who looks like a leopard and John's composite beast whose body was like a leopard.


Lest you think Stan and I are "mighty thinkers", we want to dispel those thoughts; we are simply ongoing students. In addition to many hours studying Revelation, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel and the Gospels, we have also sifted through the commentaries of Clarence Larken, Henry Morris and Tim LaHaye. We are in awe of their interpretive skills and pioneering efforts and have factored in some of their data. Many have put their hand to this task, but these gentlemen do it with a clarity second to none. Ooops, can't forget Unger's Bible Dictionary! All of these works help to interpret "these times".

Stan and I are not dogmatic as you will see in the Tribulation Timeline we've put together evidenced by two possible locations for the Rapture. However, we lean strongest toward pre-Trib Rapture. It is more than wishful thinking; it's based on scriptural clues.

Unfortunately, scripture is not 100% clear cut on some of this issue. Most of us would like concrete answers and where they are not possible, we remain open to other viewpoints. Though we have made every effort to be correct and support positions scripturally, we are reserve the right to be wrong. <g>

NEBACHUD-
NEZZAR'S DREAM
(Dan 2:31-45)
DANIEL'S
VISION

(Dan 7 and 8)
DESCRIBES
JOHN'S
REVELATION

(Rev 13:1-7)
DESCRIBES
Colossus/
Great Image
4 Great Beasts
From The Sea
.
The Beast-
Latter Days
.
Golden Head

(Dan 2:37-38)

First Beast

like a lion with eagle's wings, standing on feet as a man, with a man's heart

(Dan 7:4)

Babylonian
Empire
BC 606 - BC 538
Seen as a part of
Beast From the Sea
below
Silver Breast & Arms

(Dan 2:39, 5:28, 8:20)

Second Beast

like a bear raised on one arm, has 3 ribs (Lydia, Babylon, Egypt) in its mouth, told "Arise, devour much flesh".

(Dan 7:5)

Medo-Persian Empire

BC 538 - 530
Seen as a part of
Beast From the Sea
below
Brass Belly & Thighs

(Dan 2:39)

Third Beast

like a leopard, with 4 wings of a fowl and 4 heads (Thrace, Syria, Egypt, Macedonia)

(Dan 7:6)

Grecian Empire

BC 530 - BC 323

In 10 years Greece through off all Persian rule and subdued the "civilized" world and sub-sequently divided into Thrace, Syria, Egypt, Macedonia
Seen as a part of
Beast From the Sea
below
Legs of Iron

(Dan 2:40)





Feet of iron and clay

(Dan 2:41-43)


Ten Toes

(Dan 2:44)


Fourth Beast

comes from the sea, unlike anything else, dreadful, terrible, exceedingly strong, iron teeth, brass nails. It devoured, broke in pieces, "stamped the residue" of the other 3 beasts. Has 10 horns, and a little horn rises and plucks 3 horns out by the roots. Wears out the Saints, has mouth speaking great words against God, think to (tries to) change the times (calendar) and the law, has power 3-1/2 years.

(Dan 7:7-8)

Old Roman
Empire

BC 30 - AD 364

Power was lost when it was divided into the Roman and Greek Orthodox churches. Power may have ceased, but never its influence. Roman law is still a control-ling force in our laws.

Beast From The Sea

rises from the sea, has 7 heads and 10 horns (10 kings) and on his horns are 10 crowns and on his heads names of blasphemy. This beast has the body of a leopard, feet of a bear, mouth of a lion. Dragon (Satan) gave him his power, seat (throne) and great authority. Survives "deadly" head wound and counterfeits Christ's resur-rection and which Satan completely indwells him. Has mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power for 42 months. Makes war with the saints, overcomes them and power given to him over all the people.

(Rev 13:1-7)

Now seen as the

Revived Roman Empire
and Antichrist

John's beast is a com-posite of the 4 great World Em-pires. One seeming dis-crepancy is that Daniel's beast has 1 head and John's has 7. This is reconciled when we realize John sees a "later stage" of the same beast. John's beast picks up AFTER Daniel's little horn plucks out 3 horns (kings) which leaves 7 heads (kings) beginning John's revelation.
Destruction of Colossus
The Stone: Colossus is destroyed by a stone cut from a mountain. The stone becomes a mountain and fills the whole Earth. (Dan 2:31-35)

Destruction of Antichrist

He's cast into the Lake of Fire - alive

(Rev 19:20)

NOTES

The "Little Horn" was not revealed to Nebuchadnezzar, but was revealed to Daniel and his people, the Jews.

THE LITTLE HORN When Daniel had the vision of "the Little Horn" he asked for clarification and he received another vision of a Ram and a He-Goat two years after that of the 4 Beasts .In this vision, he was transported to Shushan, the capital of Persia on the banks of the Ulai River. He saw a Ram with two horns push west, north and south unhindered. Then a He-Goat from the West arrived with a "notable horn". The He-Goat charged the Ram, broke its two horns, knocked it down and stomped on it. The He-Goat became strong and its GREAT HORN was broken off and was replaced by four notable horns. Out of on of the four horns sprang a LITTLE HORN waxing great to the South, East and toward "Pleasant Land" (Palestine).

Daniel was still not completely clear so Gabriel told Daniel that the vision belongs to the "Time of the End". Gabriel told him that the Ram stood for the Medo-Persian Empire with its two horns representing two kings: Darius and Cyrus. The He-Goat indicates the Grecian Empire. The GREAT HORN stood for Greece's first king, Alexander the Great. The four notable horns that appeared were the four kingdoms into which Greece was divided: Thrace, Macedonia, Egypt and Syria. The final shock for Daniel came when Gabriel showed him that the little horn he saw come out of the four notable horns is the "King of a Fierce Countenance", the Antichrist. With that, Daniel fainted and was sick for days. (Dan 8:15-27)

In another vision 20 years later ,the land of origin for the Antichrist was revealed more clearly. Until this vision, Daniel only knew he would come from either Macedonia, Syria, Egypt or Thrace. In this vision, Daniel saw two kings at war. One was called the King of the North (Syria), the other the King of the South (Egypt). To fully understand, it should be noted that Paul also had a vision of the Antichrist made known to his as "the wilful king".

What does that tell us about the Antichrist? Both descriptions of "the wilful king" (Dan 11:36) and "the little horn" (Dan 7:8; 8:9-12) show it to be the same person which tells us the Antichrist will likely come from Syria.

The Antichrist is also referred to as The Assyrian (Isa 10:5,12, 24; 30:27-33), the King of Assyria (Isa 10:12), the King of Babylon (Isa 14:4-17) and the King of Tyrus. These all refer to the same person as these territories will be combined in the days of Antichrist in his one-government rule.