Dennis D. Chamberlain, The Biblical Evidence of the Restoration (2004)
The
Stone Became a Great Mountain
An amazing prophecy in the second
chapter of the book of Daniel foretells the time when God would set up a
kingdom on earth. Like a stone, this kingdom would start small and grow until
it became a great mountain. “And the stone that smote the image became a great
mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Dan. 2:35)
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of
a great and terrible image and called on Daniel to explain the meaning of his
dream. God revealed to Daniel that this image represented a succession of
empire that would rise over a period of more than 2,600 years from 605 B.C.
until the end of all worldly kingdoms and the messianic reign of Jesus Christ.
Hippolytus, who lived from A.D.
160 to 236, recorded the earliest known interpretation of Daniel’s prophecy.
This ancient scholar named four world kingdoms that he believed corresponded to
parts of the image. The head of gold was Babylon. The beast and arms of silver
were the Persians and Meads. The belly and thighs of brass represented Greece.
He thought the legs of iron represented the Roman Empire, which was the
sovereignty of his own day. HE concluded that the feet and toes, which were
part iron and part clay, were emblems of kingdoms that were yet to rise. [1]
Most modern Bible scholars agree
with this assessment of Daniel’s prophecy. Yet even today, scholars express
frustration that an explanation of the feet and toes of the image remains elusive.
Though a number of solutions have been proposed, none of them seem completely
satisfactory. [2]
Why is this part of the prophecy
so difficult?
The ear of kings symbolized by the
feet and toes of iron mixed with potters clay is the most important part of the
prophecy. It makes known to us the time when God would set up his kingdom on
the earth. Do students of Bible prophecy expect to wake up one morning and read
these headlines?
GOD
SETS UP KINGDOM
Strange phenomena observed today
as a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands.
While this would satisfy the
prophecy, this king of news flash is not likely. Daniel’s revelation, like the
start of Bethlehem, is a guide to help students of the Scriptures recognize a
monumental event which, in its early states, would either be unnoticed or
unrecognized by the world.
In a search to understand the
predicted establishment of God’s kingdom, a historical analysis of
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream will be presented in this chapter. Hopefully, this
information can help resolve the mystery of the feet of clay and iron. The
historical record provides a fascinating validation of the entire prophecy and
is another witness of the divine origin of the Bible.
When he organized his church,
Jesus Christ set up the kingdom of God on the earth. The leaders of this church
were apostles who held the keys of the kingdom and were guided by revelation
from God. (Matt. 16:17-19) How then is the kingdom spoken of by Daniel related
to the church that Jesus established? And why would God set up a kingdom if it
were already upon the earth?
. . .
“What
shall be in the latter days”
Nebuchadnezzar, in his second year
of reign as king of Babylonia (604 B.C.), dreamed a dream that was very
troubling to him. He called in the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and the
Chaldeans to find someone who would tell him its meaning. The Chaldeans said to
Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we
will shew the interpretation.” (Dan. 2:14) The wise and rather cynical king
realized that if he told the dream, anyone could make up an interpretation. His
answer to the Chaldeans was, “The thing is gone from me. If ye will not make
known unto me the dream, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be
made a dunghill!” It was little comfort to the Chaldeans that they were offered
“gifts, rewards, and great honor” for making the dream and its interpretation
known. (Dan. 2:5-6)
The Chaldeans complained that no
man on earth could do such a thing and this was a rare thing for a king to
require of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. This response made the king
so furious that he put out a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be
slain. (Dan. 2:10-12)
Daniel and his followers were
among the wise and were therefore under the king’s decree of death. A Captain
of the king told this to Daniel, who immediately sought the mercies of God so
that he and his fellows should not perish with the wise men of Babylon. (Dan.
2:15-18)
God revealed the secret to Daniel,
who rejoiced and gave praise and thanks to God. He then told Arioch to spare
the wise men of the kingdom. Arioch brought Daniel before the king, saying, “I
have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king
the interpretation.” (Dan. 2:19-25)
Daniel told the king that wise
men, astrologers, magicians, and soothsayers could not show him what he wanted
to know. “But there is a god in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known
to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and
visions of thy head upon thy bed are these.” (Dan. 2:27-28)
“Behold
a great image”
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a
great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before
thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold,
his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs
of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
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. 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 because a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
This is the dream; and we will tall the interpretation thereof before the king.
(Dan. 2:31-36)
After Daniel told the king his
dream, as the Lord had revealed it, he gave its interpretation. When he
concluded he confidently proclaimed, “the dream is certain, and the interpretation
thereof sure.” (Dan. 2:45)
Thou, O king, art a king of kings;
for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and
glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and
the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler
over them all.
Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior
to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over the
earth. 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. (Dan. 2:37-40)
Our historical analysis begins with
Nabopolassar, who became the first king of the New Babylonian Empire in 626
B.C. With help from his Median allies, he ended the Assyrian empire n 612 B.C.
His son, Nebuchadnezzar, became king of Babylonia in 605 B.C.
Babylon was at its height of
splendor under Nebuchadnezzar. During his reign the city of Babylon was rebuilt
on a grand scale. Walls around the city were built 85 feet think. Huge inner
walls and a moat surrounded and protected the inner city. Eight bronze gates
provided access to the city. The grandest of these was the Ishtar Gate, which
stood on a paved avenue and was decorated with black glazed figures of dragons,
lions, and bulls. Between this gate and the Euphrates River was the palace of King
Nebuchadnezzar and the Hanging Garden of Babylon which the ancient Greeks
describes as one of the seven wonders of the world. [3] Referring to the New
Babylonian Empire (626-539 B.C.), Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar, “Thou art this
head of Gold.” (Dan. 2:38)
The second kingdom, the image’s
breast and arms of silver, was the Persian Empire (539-331 B.C.) Cyrus captured
Babylon in 539 B.C. by diverting the flow of the Euphrates River and going
under the outer wall through the dry river channel. He then entered the inner
city through brass gates left open by the overconfident Babylonians. [4] This
fulfilled a prophecy of Isaiah that said Cyrus would enter the city through “two
leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut.” (Isa. 45:1-2)
The Persians were a nomadic
people. The kings lived in stone palaces, but most of the common people lived
in mud huts. [5] When the Persian invades captured Babylon, Babylonia became
the wealthiest area in the Persian Empire. Daniel saw a second kingdom that
would be inferior to Babylonia. But how could the Persian Empire that conquered
Babylon and which extended from the Aegean Sea to the River Indus be inferior?
Not in power or size, for it was a more extensive kingdom. However, Persia was
notably inferior to Babylon in wealth, luxury, and magnificence. [6] “And after
three shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee.” (Dan. 2:39)
The third kingdom was the image’s
belly and thighs of brass. This was the Macedonian-Greek empire of Alexander
the Great (331-146 B.C.). Alexander the Great was king of the Macedonians and
is considered one of the greatest generals in history. After he conquered Persia,
his empire extended from the Mediterranean Sea to India and formed much of what
was then considered the civilized world. [7] “And another third kingdom of
brass, which shall bear rule over the earth.” (Dan. 2:39)
Alexander became seriously ill
with a fever brought on from exhaustion and the effects of battle wounds. In
323 B.C. he died at the age of 32 in Babylon, the capital city of his empire.
No one succeeded him as ruler. His leading generals became governors of various
areas and fought among themselves for control of the vast empire.
The fourth kingdom, seen in the
vision as the image’s legs of iron was the Roman Empire (146 B.C.-A.D. 476).
The Roman Empire conquered Macedonia, Greece, and Syria in a series of Macedonian
wars, which ended in 146 B.C.
Rome had a republican form of
government and was considered a world power by 264 B.C. Internal conflicts
began in 133 B.C. when the aristocratic ruling class became selfish, arrogant,
and addicted to luxury. The politician and military leader Julius Caesar
overthrew this government in 45 B.C. After his victory, Caesar made reforms in
an attempt to overcome corruption and restore prosperity.
Rome’s height of power was reached
in 27 B.C. when Augustus Caesar became the first emperor of the Roman Empire.
The period from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180 was known as Pax Romana (Roman
Peace) because no country was strong enough to threaten the empire. [8] “And
the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron.” (Dan. 2:40)
The writings of Christian scholar
Hippolytus, who lived to see the Roman Empire begin its decline in A.D. 193,
gives us an ancient perspective on Daniel’s prophecy: “Already the iron rules;
already it subdues and break all in pieces; already it brings all the unwilling
into subjection; already we see these things ourselves.” [9]
Christianity endured years of
severe persecution under various emperors. However, Constantine I, who became
emperor in 312, made Christianity the official religion of the empire. The
Roman Empire was split into the Eastern and Western empires in 395.
During the late 3002 and 400s,
Germanic tribes migrated into the empire from the north. The Vandals moved in
to what is now Spain; the Visigoths invaded the Italian Peninsula and then
moved westward. The Angles, Jutes, and Saxons invaded Britain, and the Franks
conquered the area now known as France. These and other Germanic tribes overran
and divided the empire, until the last emperor of the West Roman Empire was
overthrown in 476. [10] “And as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in
pieces and bruise.” (Dan. 2:40)
“Iron
mixed with miry clay”
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. 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. And
whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves
with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave ont to another, even as iron
and it not mixed with clay. (Dan. 2;41-43)
After the fall of the Roman Empire
in 476, the Roman Catholic Church became the most powerful force on the
continent. European trade that had developed under the Roman Empire collapsed,
and the economy became more dependent on local farming. Serfs on manors owned
by wealthy lords worked the land. This gradually developed into a military and
political system known as feudalism where the lords became very powerful.
Eventually, town started to spring up along developing trade routes, creating middle-class
merchants who supported the kings against the feudal lords.
Daniel’s vision of the images’
feet and toes of iron and clay described powerful monarchies, which had the
strength of iron such as the once held by the Roman Empire. These kings, who
believed it was their divine right to rule in all secular matters, began to
become a powerful force in Europe in the 1300s and continued to gain strength into
the 1600s. The religious turmoil of the 1500s and 1600s weakened the Catholic Church
ad led the kings to increase their power in order to maintain peace among the
people. [11] “The kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the
strength of the iron.” (Dan. 2:41)
During the Reformation some of the
kings broke away from the pope. Protestant kings were considered God’s representative,
not only in secular matters but in religious matters as well. Protestant beliefs
spread rapidly through northern Europe during the 1500s. The individual’s
religion was the choice of their king. The subjects took the religion of their
king, but divisions and contentions between Protestant and Catholic kings eventually
erupted into war. Speaking of these kings, Daniel prophesied: “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.” (Dan. 2:43)
The Thirty Year’s War raged
through Europe from 1618 to 1648. This devasting war between Protestants and
Catholics was centered in Germany, where it is estimated that more than one
-third of the population perished. When the war ended, a treaty called the
Peace of Westphalia was signed in 1648 that had a profound influence on the subsequent
history of Europe. “The treaty permanently and gravely weakened the Holy Roman
Empire and the Hapsburgs, ensured the emergence of France as the chief power on
the Continent, and disastrously retarded the political unification of Germany.”
[12] “The kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.” (Dan. 2:42)
“In
the days of these kings”
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. (Dan. 2:44)
In Daniel’s vision of the image’s
feet and toes made part of iron and part of clay, he saw three distinct
conditions of Europe at the time when God would set up his kingdom on earth.
1. The rise of powerful kingdoms.
2. Great divisions between
kingdoms, resulting from the Reformation.
3. Religious and political wars
that would leave Europe partly strong and partly broken.
These three conditions were
present in Europe by the early 1600s and continued about 300 years, as the
monarchy remained an influential form of government. Under these circumstances,
history places “the days of these kings” in a window of time from about 1600 to
about 1900. The following events took place during the days of these European
kings:
In the days of these kings,
1620-1900, thousands left Europe seeking a home in a new land where they could
worship according to their own conscience rather than the dictates of the king
they served. They brought with them a book, even the Holy Bible that many righteous
and valiant individuals had given their lives to preserve.
In the days of these kings,
1776-1789, thirteen colonies in Great Britain, declared their independence from
their king, and for the purpose that man might be free, God established a
Constitution by the hand of men who Latter-day Saints believe, were raised for
this very purpose.
In the days of these kings, 1805-1820,
God raised up a prophet. Not a learned man steeped in the false doctrine of the
day, but a young boy with a simple question, “Which church should I join?” . .
. In the days of these kings, 1847, the infant kingdom was established in the
midst of the Rocky Mountains, where it could be nurtured away from the world.
From this location, the gospel of Jesus Christ, like a stone cut out of the mountain
without hands, could roll forth until it became a great mountain and filled the
earth. “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom
which shall never be destroyed.” (Dan 2:44) . . . [concerning D&C 65:1-2, 5]
Keys are not always comfortable, but the keys of the kingdom of God had been committed
to man on earth on the earth. This group of saints, living in a frontier town
in Ohio, had been given the charge to spread the gospel to all nations and to
call on the Lord that the inhabitants of the earth would receive it. (Dennis D.
Chamberlain, The Biblical Evidence of the Restoration [Millennial Mind
Publishing, 2004], 61-63, 67-76, 77, 79)
Notes for the Above
[1] Hippolytus, “Treatise on
Christ and Antichrist,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, V:210, in The Prophecies
of Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith (Nashville: Southern Publishing
Association, 1944), 65-67. This interpretation of Daniel’s prophecy is also
presented in the writings of LDS apostle Parley P. Pratt, A Voice of Warning,
which was first published in New York in 1837.
[2] Timothy J. Dailey, Ph.D. and
David M. Howard Jr., PhD., consultant, Amazing Prophecies of the Bible (Lincolnwood,
Illinois: Publications International, Lrd., 1998), 135.
[3] The World Book Encyclopedia,
“Babylon” (Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2002), 2:12.
[4] Uriah Smith, The Prophecies
of Daniel and the Revelation (Nashville: Southern Publishing Association,
1994], 47.
[5] The World Book Encyclopedia,
“Persia, Ancient” (Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2002), 15:296-297.
[6] Uriah Smith, The Prophecies
of Daniel and the Revelation (Nashville: Southern Publishing Association,
1944), 51.
[7] The World Book Encyclopedia,
“Alexander the Great” (Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2002), 1:342.
[8] Ibid. “Europe,” 6:409.
[9] Hippolytus, “Treatise on
Christ and Antichrist,” Ante-Nicene Fathers, V:210
[10] The World book
Encyclopedia, “Europe” (Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2002),6:409.
[11] Ibid. 412.
[12] Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia,
“Thirty Years’ War” (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, Inc., 1979), 23:131-132.
Keith Donovan, “Reflections
on Daniel 2”
The
Book of Daniel contains many complex visions of the future. Because of
their complexity and often vague symbolism, the various churches of the world
are unable to come to an agreement about their interpretations. Even the
simplest of the visions, recorded in Daniel Chapter 2, elicits scores of
interpretations from various sources. I believe that this particular
chapter is a key to the other chapters. It is simple yet it covers a
broad span of history, and is the basis upon which all the other visions in
Daniel are to be understood. This page is an effort to establish an
interpretation for this vision which is consistent with itself.
Many
modern critics explain Daniel's visions in terms of events occurring locally in
respect to both location and time to Daniel. They are forced to these
conclusions based on the assumption that prophets do not exist and that there
can be no prediction of future events beyond an obvious extrapolation from
current events. My assumptions are quite different. For many
reasons which are far beyond the scope of this essay, I assume that Daniel was
a prophet. Along with most Christian religionists of today, I assume that
Daniel actually saw the visions he claimed to see, that they came to him from
God, and that they are prophecies which cover vast periods of time. This
analysis takes for granted the standard Christian interpretations of the
chapter, up to the same point were most the commentaries seem to diverge.
Summary
of Daniel 2
I
recommend you start by reading Daniel Chapter 2, it is short and
self-contained. This chapter discusses a dream that was originally given
to the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel sees the dream because he
took on the task of interpreting it for the King. In this dream the
King sees "a great image [who's] head was of fine gold, his breast and his
arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet
part of iron and part of clay". Then "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". Then "the stone that smote the image
became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." Daniel then
interprets the dream and tells Nebuchadnezzar that each section of the image
represents a succession of kingdoms which "bear rule over all the
earth". He specifically tells us that the head is the kingdom of
Nebuchadnezzar, but then another kingdom will replace that one. He gives
some characteristics of each kingdom without specifically identifying
them. Then he tells us the stone is a kingdom set up by God which
"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
also tells us that "the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof
sure."
Interpretation
of Daniel 2
Despite
the fact that Daniel gives us an interpretation, we must interpret his
interpretation so we can see the point of it all. Actually, 90% of the
chapter is interpreted the same way by the vast majority of Christian
religionists. The few important arguments that exist are about the fifth
part of the image and the stone at the very end of the dream. I intend to
show that the beginning part of the dream establishes a pattern by which the
end of the dream must also be interpreted.
First
notice that Daniel says that each body section of the image represents a new
kingdom, not simply a new king Looking at world history and knowing the
kingdoms of the world, almost all commentators agree that the various parts of
the dream represent the following kingdoms.
|
Object |
Material
Type |
Kingdom |
|
Head |
Gold |
Babylon |
|
Breast and
Arms |
Silver |
Media/Persia |
|
Belly and
Thighs |
Brass |
Greece |
|
Legs |
Iron |
Roman
Empire |
|
Feet and
Toes |
Iron / Clay |
????? |
|
Stone |
Stone |
Kingdom of
God |
It
is this fifth material that causes all the contention and the various
interpretations. The kingdom that the fifth material represents can be
determined by following the pattern given in the first four. The first 4
kingdoms have these characteristics:
1.
Each new body section / material is a New Kingdom
Each new kingdom is represented by a separately named body section and a new
material from which it is composed. Daniel tells us that the second
kingdom will be "inferior" to the first. This is represented by
the type of material that is used to represent the kingdom. Starting with
the most precious metal, the value of each successive material is inferior to
the previous one. The type of metal can also be used to describe the type
of the kingdom. For example, iron is a good description for the Roman
Empire. Daniel describes very well the nature of ancient Rome when
he said "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". Some commentaries have
long discussions about how each material or each body part represents the
details of the various kingdoms. I am not concerned with all the details
now, just the grand sweep of history.
2.
Each New Kingdom describes "The Dominant World Power" of its
respective time
Each new kingdom is not some minor kingdom taken at random from among many
other kingdoms. Each kingdom was considered "the" most
powerful, most influential kingdom of its time. It describes the dominate
leadership and governmental forces of the world.
3.
Each New Kingdom is the direct successor to the previous kingdom
There are no gaps in time. The vision starts with Babylon which was "The
Dominant World Power". As Babylon declined in power Media/Persia became
"The Dominant World Power". As Media/Persia declined in power Greece
became "The Dominant World Power". As Greece declined in power Rome
became "The Dominant World Power".
4.
Each of these transitions in power were the result of military conflicts
between the two kingdoms
These
transitions of power came as a result of being conquered by "The New
Dominate World Power (DWP). Babylon became The DWP in
approximately 614 BC and remained dominate for 75 years until Cyrus the
Persian captured the capital city of Babylon in 539 BC. Persia (which had
previously been joined with the Medians) therefore replaced Babylon as The
DWP. Persia held this status for 208 years until it was conquered by
Alexander the Great in 331 BC. This is when Persia ceased being The DWP
and Greece began its 185 year reign as The DWP. Meanwhile the Romans were
gaining more and more power and in the year 146 BC at the end of the 3rd Punic
War, the Roman Empire defeated the Greeks and became The DWP. In
all of these cases there were many reasons why one kingdom decreased in power
as another increased in power, but the vision does not go into these
details. There was often several years of fighting and give and
take of dominance between the two powers, but there was one final military
event that caused a transition in power to take place. The transfer of
world domination occurred as each successive kingdom defeated the old kingdom
in battle.
The
Feet and Toes of the Vision
In
interpreting the rest of this vision we must maintain the pattern given, or we
must have a very good reason not to. Preferably there should be a
scriptural reason not to. And not some obscure scripture with some
tenuous tie to Daniel such as something out of the Book of Revelation, which
was written hundreds of years later. The dream was given as a whole to
Daniel, and needs to be interpreted as such. There must be some reason
within this vision to indicate that we should now ignore the established pattern
of events. Since there is no indication that there should be a break in
the pattern, then we need to follow the same pattern.
The
feet and the toes are a new kingdom. We know this for several
reasons. Firstly they are separately named body parts, made of a new material.
Now granted they are not made of a completely new material, since there is iron
mixed in with the clay. But any blacksmith in comparing iron with iron
mixed with "miry" clay (or elsewhere translated as
"ceramic", "common", or "brittle" clay) will tell
you that they are not the same material. This new kingdom may be slightly
different from the previous ones because it contains a mixture of the old
kingdom with the new. This only shows that instead of a clean break between
kingdoms of different traditions and locations, this last may be a change in
the kingdom, a mixture of a new material, which created a new thing.
Daniel nevertheless describes it as a separate body section which in every
other case in the vision meant a new kingdom. Secondly, our
knowledge of history tells us that the Roman Empire does not now exist.
Everyone as heard of "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire"
The part of the image represented by the legs fell, as did all the previous
kingdoms. The part of the image represented by the feet and toes must
follow the established pattern and be The New DWP after Rome.
To
contend that the feet and toes are still part of the old Roman Empire, breaks
the pattern given that each new body section, made of a new material,
represents a new kingdom. To contend that the feet and toes are some
kingdom that is to come to pass in the future breaks the established pattern
that each new kingdom immediately follows the old kingdom, and is actually the
cause of it's final loss of dominion through military action. A 2000 year
gap between kingdoms is not in the given pattern – and there is no scriptural
reason to suggest there is a gap.
The
feet and toes must therefore be identified as The New DWP, sequentially after
Rome. They must also be identified as the kingdom which caused the fall
of Rome through military action. This is the only solution which follows
the pattern God gave in the vision. A brief inquiry into the
history of the Fall of the Roman Empire records a long process, but the final
blow - the event that caused the final demise of the Roman Empire as The DWP
and it's replacement by The New DWP, according to the manor of the vision's
previous transitions of power, occurred around 568 AD.
In
180 AD Commodus became the new Emperor, but was very weak and marked the
beginning of the decline of the Roman Empire. In 330 AD Emperor
Constintine re-reorganizes the Empire and begins to rule from Constantinople,
on the border of Europe and Asia. In 378 AD The Visigoths (Germanic
Tribes from the north) defeated a Roman Army at the Battle of Adrianople.
The Emperor Theodosius makes peace but he is the last emperor to control
a united Roman empire. In 410 AD the Visigoths along with their allies of
other Germanic tribes sack the city of Rome, and then conquer Southern
Gaul, Spain, and the North of Africa, taking control of the
Mediterranean. In 476 AD , the leader of the united German tribes,
Odovacar, assumes the title of king of Rome. After this time there are no Roman
Emperors occupying the West. This is the date historians generally give
for the end of the Western Roman Empire. However this date does not fit
the pattern given in Daniel, and so is not the one God is concerned
about. The Eastern Roman Empire was still a major world power, and still
considered to be The DWP of the period. There had been no transition of
power yet, the Germanic leader Theodoric the Great assumes control over
Italy but tries to preserve the Roman civilization, culture, and system of
government. In the 500's Clovis, founder of the Frankish state, conquers
most of France and Belgium, thus taking control of the outlying areas of the
Roman Empire In 527 AD Justinian becomes the Roman Emperor in the East,
and the Eastern Roman Empire reasserts itself. In a series of wars which
lasted until his death in 565 AD, Justinian broke the Visigoth control of the
Western Empire and reestablished Roman control of all the Mediterranean by
retaking the 3 key areas of Italy, northwest Africa, and coastal Spain. Three
years later however in 568 AD, another Germanic Tribe called the Lombards
invade the Western Empire. In the following years, they broke the
strength of the Eastern Empire and retook much of Italy. This war
is the final series of attacks which finally breaks the dominion of Rome.
Although, much of the coast remained under Byzantine rule, Northern and Central
Italy was controlled by the Lomabards, and the city of Rome was kept by the
papacy. This is the time when the status of being The DWP changes from
being the Roman Empire to being the European Barbarian tribes and the Western
Catholic Church. These battles are the cause of the rise of
Medieval Europe as The Dominate World Power.
One
interesting way in which the history validates the vision is the mixture of
iron and clay in the feet. The New DWP was not a single country or power
but was a mix of the power of the European kings and the power of the
Church. From this point in history they dominated the world scene
together for over 1000 years. They also divided into many kingdoms, as
the toes divide off from the foot, and many commentators list just what they
think these 10 European nations are.
So
we see that the pattern that God gave us to interpret the vision can be
maintained by a simple application of the major events of world history.
The
stone cut out of the mountain
That
is the end of the image. There are no more sections of the image to
dissect and figure out. As Daniel begins to tell us about the stone he
has progressed the history of the world into the rise of Medieval Europe.
This gives us a minimum starting date for the formation of the stone of around
568 AD. But that does not mean that it was formed at this
time. Since the vision gives us a sequential history of the Kingdoms of
the world, the image also gives us an upper limit in time. Daniel only
says that in "the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a
kingdom". Since there are no more parts of the statue
discussed by Daniel, we must conclude that this Kingdom of God must be set up
before the European kings cease being The DWP, otherwise the image would have
to show The Next Sequential DWP. The stone is set up between the
time that the the European kings become The DWP and the time they ceased being
The DWP. So when are the days of these kings?
There
are still kings of Europe today in several of the countries so the vision could
mean anytime over the last 1434 years. Now the truth is that although
these kings still exist, all of them have effectively lost governmental
power. The kings of Europe lost the status of being The DWP in the late
18th and early 19th centuries. So it could be argued that this is an
upper limit for the stone to have been created.
However
it is not a very good argument, for several reasons. The pattern of being
supplanted by a new Dominate World Power through invasion and warfare does not
fit for most cases. Often the kings lost power to their own people through
democratic reforms, and the kingdom itself still retains its original power, and
is still considered the same nation, and Europe remained The DWP.
Since Daniel figuratively referred to a "king" as representing a
kingdom, whether or not the leader is actually a king or not, the loss of
the European Royalty's power can not seen as an upper limit.
Europe
held its dominate position for a very long time, but today Europe is not The
DWP. When did Europe loose its status as The DWP? As in all
historical events, it was of course progressive, but most historians agree that
at the close of World War II, the United States of America and the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republic emerged as The DWP's, Super-Powers in fact.
They achieved this through a dominance in warfare and an invasion of The Old
DWP, just like all the other New DWP's did. There is a minor difference
in the fact that some of the European nations were with the Allies, and some
were against them, but this also fulfills the nature of the feet and toes which
Daniel described saying "the kingdom shall be divided" and "they
shall not cleave one to another". Another interesting thought
presents itself however, Rome lost its DWP status to the Germanic tribes when
they invaded and took over Italy. It was the invasion of The DWP
countries of Italy and Germany by the US and USSR (and allies) that brought
about their loss of The DWP status.
It
could be argued that Russia is part of Europe and the US was an offshoot of
Europe so they were actually still part of the European Kingdoms. But,
the USSR had completely separated itself from the rest of the European
countries and set itself up a completely separate kingdom in all ways but
actual location. The roots of the US were from England, Spain, and to a
smaller degree France, however they had developed over the previous century into
their own nation and kingdom. Likewise it can be said that the
Etruscans were descendants of the Babylonians and Greeks. Rome was
certainly heavily influenced by Greek Culture, but it was still a separate
kingdom and grew on it's own to challenge the supremacy of Greece, just as the
US challenged European supremacy.
The
point of this being that the US and USSR are not represented in the image. This
means that the stone had to be set up, at the very latest, before 1945.
Otherwise the vision is incomplete, inaccurate, and again breaks the pattern
God gave. Also since the vision clearly shows that the stone was set up
after the fall of Rome and the emergence of the European nations and before the
rise of the US and USSR, anyone who insists that the toes are some later event
or some future kingdom (such as the EEC or some power to come from it)
must have some very strong scriptural reasons why the clear pattern shown in
the first 4 kingdoms breaks down completely just when it's convenient for their
particular interpretation.
In
summary the stone must start between the years 568 and 1945 AD.