IDENTIFICATION OF THE 4 KINGDOMS
Now that we know there are 4 kingdoms, we can fast forward in Daniel to identify the first 3. As I said in part 1, the 4th kingdom is not named- so we will save that for later.
In chapter 8, Daniel has a dream of a ram and a goat which will be used to parallel Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and identify the 2nd and 3rd kingdoms (remember the first was identified as Babylon, the head of gold).
We can read about this dream in Daniel 8. To read the entire chapter,
click here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=34&chapter=8&version=31
RAM
Daniel 8
2 In my vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa in the province of Elam; in the vision I was beside the Ulai Canal. 3 I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. 4 I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.
15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision."
...20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.
From a historical perspective, we can see that this “divided kingdom” was initially controlled by the Medes, but later dominated by the Persians (the 2nd horn which grew later and longer). We hardly even think of the Medes anymore! Additionally, we are told that the ram pushed westward (conquering Babylon); northward (Lydia); and southward (Egypt).
GOAT
Next, we are given the description of the second animal, a goat.
5 As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. 6 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. 7 I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his power. 8 The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven.
Once again, we would normally look for an empire which fits this description, but the angel Gabriel interprets this as well in Daniel 8:21-22 as seen below:
21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power.
1. Cassander
2. Lysimachus
3. Ptolemy
4. Seleucus
Man I love the book of Daniel!!!
CONCLUSION
We can now see that:
1. Babylon (head of gold) was conquered by
2. Medo-Persia (chest and arms of silver), which was conquered by
3. Greece (belly and thighs of bronze).
How awesome is that? We have now identified the first 3 kingdoms represented in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue.
In case we have any doubt, we will explore Daniel 7 next. In this chapter, Daniel is given a dream/vision of 4 great beasts that come out of the sea. These 4 great beasts parallel the 4 empires shown on the statue, and will verify their identification.
I promise we will eventually get to the 4th kingdom!
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