Before you read: This article is part of a larger series that builds upon itself from the foundation up, with each study building on the last. If something in this article does not make sense to you or if you believe it to be incorrect, please ensure you have read the entire series before passing final judgment. Also, be sure to visit this page’s FAQ And Objections Page
In the last few studies, we have explored the prophecies in Daniel concerning the progression of world empires. We have discussed three of the four world empires so far, the last being Greece. Now we are preparing to examine the fourth and final world empire before Jesus establishes His kingdom on earth.
It is important to remember that Daniel never witnessed Greece, and he certainly never witnessed Rome. Yet the prophecies he recorded are so detailed that many scholars have claimed he must have written the book after the events occurred. I have already shown why that claim is not true.
So let us begin our study as usual. As a reference to the symbolic prophecies given in Daniel chapters two, seven, and eight, the relevant passages are listed again below:
The Dream of Nebuchadnezzar
Daniel 2:32-35
32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
The Dream of Four Great Beasts
Daniel 7:3-14
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. 5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. 9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
The Vision of the Ram and the Goat
Daniel 8:3-12
3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. 5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. 7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. 9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. 10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. 11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down. 12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
The Rise of Rome
After Greece, which we examined in the last study, Daniel tells us that a fourth world empire would rise. But this one would not be like the ones before it. And indeed, the next world empire to arise after Greece was Rome.
Daniel 2:40-44
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Daniel 7:23-26
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
Daniel 8:22-25
22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. 23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
Rome is represented in Daniel 2 by the iron legs and feet of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. In Daniel 7, it is represented as the dreadful and terrible beast with ten horns. But you may have noticed that the fourth kingdom appears to be absent in Daniel 8. What happened?
Daniel 8:21-23
21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. 23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
Daniel does not explicitly describe the fourth kingdom here. Instead, he tells us that in the latter time of the kingdoms that came out of Greece (the third world empire and the last one we studied), one whom we later come to know as the Antichrist will arise. So where did the fourth kingdom go?
This is where many people become confused. The key is understanding how Rome operated. Daniel repeatedly emphasized that Rome would be different from the other empires—and it most certainly was.
At first, Rome was united and strong. It absorbed both the northern and southern kingdoms that came from Greece. Its strength was so overwhelming that no one could stand against it.
But Rome was a different kind of empire. It became a combination of the lands, cultures, and empires that came before it. Rome did not rule by replacing the cultures and identities of the nations it conquered. Instead, Rome ruled by exercising authority over them.
This means that while the world empire of Greece gave way to Rome, the nations themselves did not vanish. They remained, even while Rome ruled over them. In fact, Greece was not the only empire Rome treated this way.
In reality, Rome marked the true beginning of our modern political world. While the former northern and southern Greek kingdoms became part of Rome in name, they retained their national identities and cultures. This is similar to how modern nations—such as the United States—have states and territories. They govern themselves but remain under a larger authority.
In other words, the northern and southern kingdoms—Syria and Egypt—still existed even though they were both under Roman authority. Later in prophecy, we see this same fourth empire (Rome) no longer unified, but dissolved into multiple nations.
Daniel 2:41-43
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
This is a picture of our modern world—the world that exists after the centralized rule of Rome. It is a world of many nations, all attempting to cooperate, yet never fully able to unite. Some nations are strong, others are weak. Within every nation, there are people of mixed ethnicity and even dual citizenship. It is a world of cooperation and tension.
Rome was the beginning of this system. Though it crumbled in name, its way of life and influence spread throughout the world. Rome still exists by proxy. It is no longer contained within one nation, under one name, with defined borders. Instead, it is mixed into all nations—iron and clay together.
The fourth world empire ended in name, but not in practice. It became the soul of the nations that followed. It became a worldwide way of life. It now has many names, many kings, and many lands. Rome was not merely a boundary on a map—it was an idea.
Daniel presents no fifth earthly empire after Rome, but shows the fourth kingdom continuing until God establishes His eternal kingdom. Rome did not end in influence when it ended in name; its governing structure and authority were absorbed into the nations that followed. This is why the iron and clay imagery fits the modern world—divided, mixed, and unable to fully unite. Rome did not disappear; it was mixed into all other nations.
The Horns of Rome and Greece
Remember, Rome ruled over the northern and southern kingdoms that came out of Greece, but it did not replace them. The nations of Syria and Egypt (north and south) remain to this day as distinct cultures with their own national identities.
Because of this, Daniel could tell us there would be a fourth world empire, yet the end would come while nations from the third world empire still remained. They existed within Rome but continued as separate nations. They lost their status as a world empire to Rome, but they did not disappear.
This is also why the horns—which represent kings—in the prophecies of both Rome and Greece intersect.
Daniel 7:24-25
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Daniel 8:8-12
8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. 9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. 10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. 11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of the sanctuary was cast down. 12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
In Daniel 7, the fourth beast—Rome—is shown with ten horns, representing kings that arise from that empire. The ten toes of the statue in Daniel 2 are also representations of these ten kings. Yet in Daniel 8, the little horn is said to arise out of one of the four divisions of Greece. This is not a contradiction. It is a connection.
Daniel 8 identifies the geographic origin of the Antichrist. He comes from one of the four Greek divisions. Daniel 7 identifies the political system under which he ultimately gains power. He rises among the kings in the latter days of the fourth beast—Rome—which continues into our modern world of many nations.
This gives us a complete overview of the world empires from the time of Daniel to today and beyond. It is a complete and accurate depiction of history foretold before it came to pass.
The prophetic order of progression given by Daniel is:
- Babylon marks the beginning of the timeline. It is the head of gold in Daniel 2, and the lion with eagle’s wings in Daniel 7.
- Medo-Persia is the silver chest and arms of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue in Daniel 2. In Daniel 7, it is the bear raised up on one side. In Daniel 8, it is the ram with two horns, one higher than the other (Persia rising above Media).
- Greece is the belly and thighs of bronze in Daniel 2. It is the leopard with four wings and four heads in Daniel 7. In Daniel 8, it is the goat with a prominent horn. It stops becoming a world empire but never goes away.
- Rome is the legs of iron and the feet of iron and clay in Daniel 2. In Daniel 7, it is the terrifying fourth beast with iron teeth. It dissolves mixing into the nations of the entire world. It exists today as a multitude of nations.
These four world empires are repeated across multiple prophecies, each time with additional detail. In hindsight, it is easy to see what each symbol represented. The speed with which Greece conquered the world is captured in the leopard. The three ribs in the mouth of the bear represent Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt—nations conquered by Medo-Persia.
Today, we live in what remains of the Roman Empire. It has been unable to stay united, yet there is a constant effort to bring the world together. There is no fifth world empire after Rome—only the coming reign of Jesus. We are living in the last days of this empire.
Daniel 12:8-10
8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
Even after all the writing and explaining, Daniel himself did not fully understand these things. But we are living in the time of the end, when these prophecies have come to pass and are continuing to unfold. The book has now been unsealed to us.
At the time of this writing we are expecting ten kings to join forces and lend their support to another king that will come after them. That king will subdue three of the first ten.
This overview shows us where we stand in history, but it only sets the stage. Much more detail remains to be explored. In the studies ahead, we will step back and examine those details more closely. Before we go verse by verse through Daniel 11 and see how history was written in advance, we must first look at why these empires matter. Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks answers that question—and it is the focus of our next study.
Continue To Unit 7:10 – Daniel’s Seventy Weeks: Where the Timeline Paused OR
Return To Christianity 101 Unit 7 – The Latter Days – A Detailed Look