Panorama of Prophecy
Part One

Prophecy may be defined as history written, or spoken, in advance under divine inspiration.
It may also be defined as God's warning message given in advance to people or nations of what He intends to do.

The purpose of prophecy is twofold: First, it is given in love to encourage people to repent of their evil ways so as they can escape punishment. Second, it is given for those who don't repent at first, so that when their punishment comes, they will then acknowledge their sins and repent toward the God who will then deliver and rescue them (Deut 4-25-31)

When ancient Israel trampled on God's warnings, they were carried away into captivity by the Assyrians (721-718 B.C.).  When ancient Judah likewise rebelled, they , too were deported to Babylon (around 604 B.C.) .   Shortly thereafter, certain well-educated Jewish youths were forcibly taken into exile in Babylon.  Among them a young man called Daniel.

One night the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, had a dream that greatly troubled him. By morning he had forgotten the exact nature of the dream, so he called his astrologers and sorcerers and demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed and what it had meant. Unable to answer the King, and in desperation for their lives, they brought before  Nebuchadnezzar the young Jewish captive, Daniel to whom God had given understanding of visions and dreams (Dan.1-7).   Daniel disclaimed having any human ability to interpret dreams than the Chilean magicians but he did inform Nebuchadnezzar that "there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days" (Dan2-28).  Then Daniel, through God's inspiration, interpreted the dream for the king.  Nebuchadnezzar's dream was given to him to reveal what was to happen from then on into the "latter days", reaching all the way down to our 21st century.  Let us now consider the amazing portent of these visions and what thy mean for all of us today!

The Great Image
As a picture of the future, from Daniel's day forward, God caused King Nebuchadnezzar to dream of a huge four - sectioned image.  These four sections of the image represented four consecutive world ruling kingdoms.  Let us understand Nebuchadnezzar's dream as God inspired Daniel to explain it.

1. What did the "terrible image" with its four connecting sections look like? Dan. 2-31:33

Comment - This great image was in the form of a man to show that it represented man's government (verses 34:35, 44)

2. Which kingdom did the head of gold represent? verses 36-38.

Comment - The first kingdom here symbolically described as the "head of gold" was Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian Empire.  Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom - the Chaldean Empire with its capital at Babylon ruled from 625 to 539 B.C.    Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian Empire had been represented as a head of GOLD (verse 38) - not only because it was first, but because it was superior in many ways to those which were to follow. Also, like a human "head" it was in a position to set the intellectual and moral course for the whole "body" - the empires which were to follow it on the world's stage.

3. How was the second great world ruling empire represented in  Nebuchadnezzar's dream? Dan 2-32.  Would this second empire be inferior to  Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian empire? Verse 39.

Comment - We know from history that the following, second kingdom was the PERSIAN EMPIRE (539-330 B.C.) often called the Medo-Persian Empire because it was composed of the Medes and Persians. This duel monarchy composed of two nations was represented in Nebuchadnezzar's dream image by the two arms and breast of SILVER. It did not have the excellence of the "head" as did Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, just as silver is inferior to gold, but it was stronger militarily as silver is stronger than gold.

4. After the fall of the Medo-Persian Empire a third world empire arose. How was this third world-ruling empire portrayed?  Dan. 2-32, 39.

Comment - The third kingdom was a "kingdom of brass (bronze)".  In some ways it was inferior to both the Chaldean and the Medo-Persian empires, but stronger militarily than both, just as brass or bronze is much stronger than gold or silver. This third world empire was the GREEK kingdom (334-31 B.C.) of Alexander the Great who conquered the Persian Empire. This third world empire was depicted by the belly and hips of Nebuchadnezzar's image.

5. How was the fourth kingdom represented? Verse 33. Was this fourth empire to be the strongest of them all, yet have the least value? Verse 40.

Comment - The fourth empire was the ROMAN EMPIRE.  This empire was stronger militarily with the technical capability to destroy it's enemies but with regard to spiritual and moral issues it was more degenerate than preceding kingdoms. Thus this forth empire is depicted by the legs of Nebuchadnezzar's image.  Eventually this fourth empire under Diocletian was divided into two parts - East and West.

*** What the "toes" of this image represent is explained in Lesson 2 of this series of studies ***

Nebuchadnezzar's Madness
So proud was  Nebuchadnezzar of the fact that he and his kingdom was the HEAD of the image of his dream that he erected in Babylon in honour of himself an image of gold, and commanded all the people to worship it or face the penalty of a fiery death (Dan. 3). However,  Nebuchadnezzar's pride and vanity was soon to be cut down by God.  Let us see how God brought  Nebuchadnezzar down from his self-exalted position of haughty grandeur -

1. - Did  Nebuchadnezzar have a second dream which troubled him greatly?  Dan 4-4:5.  Could the astrologers and magicians interpret this dream? Verses 6:7.

2. - What was the dream? Dan 4-10:18. Who was the dream about? Verses 20:22. What was going to happen to King  Nebuchadnezzar? Verses 24:26. What did Daniel urge  Nebuchadnezzar to do to avoid the dream from coming to pass? Verse 27.

Comment - As God is always faithful to give a person the chance to repent before He punishes the dream was given to  Nebuchadnezzar to give him the chance to repent and escape the punishment as given in the dream.    "Seven times," in prophetic language, means seven years according to the principle given in Numbers 14-34 and Ezekiel 4-4:6 which show that each symbolic day represents an actual year in fulfilment.  But, TAKE NOTE!  Since much of Biblical prophecy is DUAL, the seven years of  Nebuchadnezzar's personal punishment became a type of the duration of this world's human governments.  In the antitypical fulfilment in the succession of human empires, each one of the "seven times" becomes not a literal year, but a symbolic or prophetic year of 360 days, and each such "day" itself stands for a literal year.  And so the "times" of God's punishment on the Gentile nations would last for a period of 2520 years (7 x 360).  During this time the nations would act like "wild beasts" until they learn that God rules in the affairs of men.

The Handwriting on the Wall
Nebuchadnezzar had suffered punishment for "seven times [years]" after which he resumed his rule until his death.  Following this several other kings reigned and died (Jer. 27-6:7).

1. Did the time finally come for this first phase (Babylonian) of world government to end, and for the kingdom to be transferred to the Medes and Persians? Dan. 5-30:31.  Did the still unsuspecting King Belshazzar that very night make a great feast for his lords and ladies?  Verses 1:4   Then what happened?  Verses 5:6.

2. Could the kings astrologers and wise men explain the strange writing on the wall?
 Verses 7:8  But could Daniel explain the writing to Belshazzar?  Verse 17. Be sure to read all of Daniel chapter 5.

3. What was the writing and its meaning?  Verses 25:28

Comment - God inspired Daniel to reveal that the strange writing "mene,mene,tekel,upharsin" was a sentence - a judgement!  Mene was a word which meant "numbered" (verse 26. Tekel meant "weighed" (verse 27).  And Peres (the root of the word upharsin) meant "divided" (verse 28).
So Daniel interpreted these words to mean that Belshazzer's Chaldean Empire had received a divine sentence.  It's days were "numbered."  It had been "weighed" in the balances" by God. And it was soon to be "divided" up among its enemies, the Medes and Persians!
This prophecy, however, is DUAL. It not only refers to Bellshazzar's kingdom and its impending doom; it also refers to the entire Babylonish system and its final destruction at Christ's return! (Dan 2-34,44).

The fact the word mene is used twice in the strange message suggests the duel nature of the prophecy. To understand its meaning and significance for today, we must do as the words them selves instruct us - we must "number," "weigh" and "divide."  Here is how it may be done.
Each of these words is a Hebrew measurement of weight.  According to the message we first "number" (add up or count) these units of weight and "divide" (meaning of the word peres) them into gerahs -  the smallest unit used by the Hebrews. A mene is the well known maneh, which equalled 50 shekels. Tekel was simply the Babylonian spelling of the Hebrew shekel.  Pares in Hebrew usage meant half a maneh, or 25 shekels. And each "shekel of the sanctuary" was itself equal to and many be "divided" into 20 gerahs (Ex 30-13), the smallest unit of weight among the Hebrews.  Thus:

Adding them all up, the number of gerahs is 2520 - the number of years of Gods sentence on this Babylonian system!

The Vision of Four Beasts
Another revealing prophecy concerning world governments was given to Daniel. It is found in chapter seven.

1. What was the description of the four "beasts" God showed Daniel in vision? Dan.7-3:7.  Did these four beasts clearly represent four consecutive bestial-minded world ruling kingdoms that were to arise?  Verses 17, 23.

Comment -  The word "king" is synonymous with kingdom, as is clearly shown in verses 17 and 23 . There fore Daniel 7 reveals that these "beasts" symbolize consecutive world governments or empires.

2. Was the first beast (kingdom or empire) like a lion and like an eagle? Verse 4. Did it have a man's heart (mind)? Same verse.

Comment - This beast corresponds to the "head of gold" of the figure Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream - the Chaldean Empire.  However his kingdom did not continue.  Some years later, inn the days of his grandson Belshazzer, the Chaldean kingdom was overthrown and replaced by the Medo-Persian Empire, as we already learned

3. What manner of beast symbolised the Medo-Persian Empire?  Dan 7-5.

Comment - The bear is notorious for its ponderous and unpredictable action, for crushing and devouring its prey. This bear devoured three kingdoms - Babylon, Lydia and Egypt - represented by the "three ribs".

4. The leopard is swift. This one was even swifter than usual, being pictured with four wings with which it skimmed over the ground. Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire in a lightning-like advance across Asia the slow moving Persians could not counter.  But Alexander lived only a short time after completing his swift conquest. Four of his generals divided his vast empire into four regions: Macedonia and Greece, Thrace and Western Asia, Syria and territory east of the Indus River and Egypt.  Therefore the beast is pictured as having four heads, each of which perpetuated Greek culture.

5. Was the fourth beast - the Roman Empire - "dreadful and terrible and strong exceedingly; and diverse [different] from all the beasts that were before it"? Dan. 7-7, 23. Notice the words "devour the whole earth" in Dan. 7-23.  Compare these verses with Dan. 2-40.

Comment - The Roman Empire, which the fourth beast represents, began at Rome, then spread out gradually and absorbed - "devoured and broke in pieces" - the four heads (divisions) of the preceding Grecian kingdom, occupied most of their territory, and conquered large additional areas in Africa and Europe. (The significance of the "ten horns" of the fourth beast will be covered in the Lesson 2 of this series).

The Ram and the He-Goat
Another amazing prophecy was revealed to Daniel in a vision (Dan. 8-1) in which he saw the rise of the Medo-Persian Empire and its destruction by the king of Greece.

1. What symbol did God use to portray for Daniel the duel monarchy of the Medo-Persian Empire?  Dan.8-3:4, 20

Comment - The ram was a common Persian symbol. Ancient Persian coins picture the head of a ram on one side, and a ram reclining on the other.  In the vision, the horns and "pushiness" of the ram illustrated a characteristic feature of the Persian regime.
The horn which came up first represented the Medes, who had a major part in the destruction of Nineveh and Assyria a century earlier. The second horn which came up highest, represented the Persians who later became more important than the Medes and dominated the empire.

2. Who attacked the ram as Daniel watched?  Verses 5-7, 21

Comment -  This goat, representing the attack of Alexander the Great (verse 21), moved so fast he seemed not to touch the ground (verse 5). He broke the two horns of the ram (Medo-Persian monarchy) and stamped it into the ground.

3. When the he-goat became very great, what happened to its one horn (Alexander)?  Verse 8.  How many horns took its place?  Verses 8, 22

Comment - These four horns were the governments of Macadonia, Thrace, Egypt and Syria under Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy and Seleucus, respectively.  This fourfold division of Alexander's empire was not finalised until 301 B.C., over 200 years after Daniels death.
Later, in 281 B.C., Seleucus overthrew Lysimachus and completely controlled the North. Thereafter the two dominant areas of the empire were the Kingdom of the South under Ptolemies, and the Kingdom of the North under the Seleucidae (Dan. 11).  The Roman Empire later swallowed up, took the place of, and for the purposes of this prophecy, became the "kingdom of the north".

4. Did the vision of Daniel 8 also extend to the second coming of Christ?  Verses 23-25.  The expression "Prince of princes" in verse 25 refers to Christ.

5. Out of one of the four divisions, specifically the kingdom of the north, the kingdom which was continued by the Roman Empire was a "little horn" to arise?  Verses 9-11.

Comment - The meaning of the "little horn" will be explained in Lesson 2 of this series.

John's vision of the Roman Empire
Now let us move along to the times of the New Testament. The Apostle John was given a series of visions in which he saw this mighty empire pictured symbolically - it’s future fall, resurrection and final destruction.

So important is the knowledge of this empire to the people of God, that the Bible deals with it in great detail. For this prophetic "beast" is to exist once again in our time!

1. What was the description of the COMPOSITE BEAST John saw in vision? Rev. 13-1:2

Comment - Here, again , is described a very strange and mysterious looking animal! God showed John a symbolic beast which looked as though it were composed of three different animals - a lion, a leopard and a bear. It included the most powerful parts of the very animals by which God had pictured the Chaldean, the Persian and Grecian empires to Daniel. Therefore the beast John saw here represented the characteristics of all these empires in ONE!

When Daniel wrote - about 650 years before Johns vision - three of the four empires pictured by the four beasts had not yet come to power. But by the time of John’s vision - about 96 A.D. - all of these world empires, except one, had existed and fallen. Therefore, the beast John saw represented specifically that FOURTH empire then extant - The Roman Empire which had swallowed up all vestiges of the other three, conquering and occupying all their former territories.
The Roman Empire was the greatest war-making machine the world had ever seen, for it had the strongest part of the "lion," the HEAD and jaws; it had all the massiveness and power of the most powerful part of the "bear," the LEGS; and it possessed the swiftness, the cunning, and the cruelty of Alexander's army, symbolised by the BODY of the "leopard".

Notice further proof of the identity of this mysterious-looking beast:

2. How many heads and horns did this beast have?  Rev 13- 1

Comment - The Roman Empire, represented by the beast John saw in Revelation 13, had absorbed and therefore included the three empires before it which were described in Daniel 7. Thus the beast was seen with all six HEADS of the first three beasts (including the four heads of the third beast), plus its own. So this beast of Revelation 13 has SEVEN HEADS. It was the fourth beast Daniel saw, only, which had ten horns, and the beast John describes had ten horns.
Therefore, if we allow the Bible to interpret the Bible, we must conclude that the beast of Revelation 13 is the ROMAN EMPIRE!

John, like Daniel, pictures the beast - not as a religious institution - but as a powerful government having a tremendous army. For "they worshipped the beast, saying ... Who is able to make war with him? (Rev 13-4).

3. Did one of the heads of this great beast receive a deadly wound? Rev. 13-3. This wound was fatal! The head that was wounded died! But was the "deadly wound" healed? Same verse.

Comment - For administrative convenience, the sprawling Roman Empire was divided after 330 A.D. There were then TWO "Roman" Empires, if effect - the Western Division with its capital at Rome, and the Eastern division with its capital at Constantinople. (This fact is also pictured by the two legs of Nebuchadnezzar’s great image described in Daniel 2.)

The Roman Empire in the west ceased to exist in the fifth century as a result of Germanic invasions. However, Emperor Justinian from the east "revived" the empire in 554 A.D. In what historians call the "Imperial Restoration." From that time on, through successive revivals till the time of Napoleon, that empire continued to exist! (A more detailed explanation of these events will be given in the next lesson.)

4. Was the devil the deadly motivating force which empowered this strange looking "beast"? Rev. 13-2; 12-9

Comment - The Roman Empire was one of the greatest of the political instruments through which the god of this world, Satan the devil (2 Cor. 4-4), has worked in deceiving and dominating mankind. For that reason Satan himself was represented to John as having seven heads and ten horns (Rev. 12-3). And in the near future Satan will once more guide a final revival of this same political system which has its root beginnings in the ancient "Babylon" of Nimrod! (This revival will be the main topic of our next lesson.)

Beast Persecutes God's People
1. After the beasts "deadly wound" was healed how long was it to continue? Rev 13-5. What principle did God reveal which enables us to determine the length of this symbolic period of time? Ezek. 4-4:6 and Num. 14-34.

Comment - Again, using the biblical day-for-a-year principle, we find that "forty and two months" equal 1260 days (42 x 30), or 1260 years - the length of time God allowed the "healed" beast to continue. Thus the beast continued in existence from its restoration in 554 A.D. To the fall of Napoleon in 1814.

2. During this time (Middle Ages), did the "beast" have a great "mouth" which blasphemed God and everything holy? Rev 13-5:6. Did it also persecute and "make war" on true Christians and kill them! Verses 7-10.

Comment - The early Romans had great reverence for the state. Then, as the empire developed, the concept of emperor worship came to Rome from the eastern Mediterranean region, where deification of rulers had long been the custom. Animal sacrifices were performed to the honour of the emperor. His word became law in religious matters.

Regarding this emperor worship Robinson’s Medieval and Modern Times says:

"The worship of the emperor: The Roman government was not only wonderfully organised but everyone was required to join in the worship of the emperor because he stood for the majesty and glory of the dominion. All were obliged, as good citizens, to join in the official sacrifices to the head of the state, as a god."

The head of state, the Roman Emperor, was worshiped "AS A GOD"! And thus the Roman world actually worshipped SATAN who inspired the emperor and empowered the empire (Rev 13-2, 4).

But the original Roman Empire fell. When it was later revived, it had changed. It had become a union of church and state! The "beast" - the empire - continued on into the Middle Ages actually making war (verse 7) on God’s people - demanding they worship only according to the dictates of the established state religion.

This revived Roman Empire was represented as the "Kingdom of God on the earth." Those who refused to accept or endorse the new state religion were persecuted, systematically hunted down, and killed. Thus the beast’s "mouth as a lion" (verse 2) not only spoke blasphemies (verses 5-6), claiming to be "God’s Kingdom" - but also devoured God’s servants as a figurative "lion" being used of Satan the devil (compare 1 Peter 5-8).

But what of this religion which had allied itself with the "beast"? Was this also prophesied?

Yet Another Beast Appears
1. Did God, in vision, show John another "beast"?  Rev  13-11

Comment - Do not confuse this beast with the first beast of Revelation 13 which represents the civil Roman Empire.

2. What does this second beast appear to be "like"?  Rev. 13-11  What does a "lamb" symbolise in the Bible? John 1-29 and Rev. 17-14.  But is this beast's true character that of the DEVIL?  Rev. 13-11 and Rev. 12-9

Comment - This beast is clearly a religious power masquerading as a lamb, claiming to represent Christ. This beast began to arise IN THE DAYS OF THE APOSTLES (2 Cor. 11-13:15).

3. Was this second beast, this religious power, to utilise all the power of the first beast before it - that is all the power of the civil government of the Roman Empire? Rev. 13-12. Did the second beast also cause the world to continue to worship the first beast? Same verse.

Comment - The second beast, a great religious power, arose after the Roman Empire and dominated the empire, causing the people to continue the same pagan practices as before, but now under the guise of "Christianity" (see 2 Cor. 11-13:15 again). History tells us the emperors became subservient to the "new" religion. And the empire itself continued to be regarded as the "kingdom of God on the earth."

But let’s understand how and when this second beast began to exercise the first beasts power. Turn and read Rev. 13-3. During the days of Emperor Constantine (313-337 A.D.), who first issued an "edict of toleration" which in effect put the emperor’s blessing on "Christianity" the church began to grow in authority and power.. The Council of Nicea (325A.D.) Bolstered that newly won power and millions of pagans began flocking into the ranks of the established church.

Then, following the death of Constantine, Roman imperial authority in the Western Roman Empire - including the city of Rome - began to weaken. But as that authority weakened, the bishop of Rome began to assume temporal power as well as spiritual leadership over the peoples of Italy.

After the first beast - the Roman civil government received a "deadly wound" when the barbarians overran the Western Roman Empire and the city of Rome in the fifth century, this religious government increasingly became the only stable power to which the people of Italy could look. After the "deadly wound" was "healed" by Justinian’s restoration of the Roman government in 554 A.D., this religious government began, step by step, to achieve dominance over the civil empire.

Prior to 554 A.D., Justinian, emperor of the Eastern division of the Roman Empire, had written a letter to the bishop of Rome acknowledging that bishop’s supremacy over the leaders of the church in other regions. Note this statement from the Codex Justinianus - "it having been at all times our great desire to preserve the unity  of your apostolic chair, and the constitution of the holy churches... Therefore we have made no delay in subjecting and uniting to your holiness all the priests of the whole East...We cannot suffer that anything which relates to the state of the church, however manifest and unquestionable, should be moved without the knowledge of your holiness, who is THE HEAD OF ALL THE HOLY CHURCHES: for in all things as we already declared, we are anxious to increase the honour and authority of your apostolic chair".

It should be noted here that the bishop of Rome also received political authority - he became a "king" over a considerable portion of Central Italy which was thereafter known as the Papal States.   This political government was symbolised by one of the beast's "two horns"  (Rev. 13-11).      Now notice the meaning of the two horns.

Religious Government based on Civil Pattern
Did the second beast of Revelation 13 make an "image" of the first beast?  Verse14.  Notice what this "image" of the first beast really is:

Comment - According to the dictionary, an image is a "copy, representation, model, semblance, counterpart".  It is a "likeness."

So here were religious leaders making an image - a model, a copy - of the civil Roman government!  They patterned their ecclesiastical government after the most efficient political government they knew - after the Roman civil government, with its provinces, etc.

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, "The Roma Church as a whole preserves in the spiritual sphere the spirit and much of the organization of the Roman Empire, so also the administration of the Curia carries on the tradition of Roman government. Much the same thing might be said of its college of cardinals who are the "princes and senators of the church".

States Myers Ancient History, page 582: "...the church set up, within the Roman Empire, an ecclesiastical state [or government] which, in its constitution and its administrative system, was shaping itself upon the imperial model."

As prophecy foretold, so history relates that during the days of the Roman Empire, a religious system grew strong, prevailed, and made a government model, a religious counterpart, an "image" of the civil Roman Empire.   Thus the second "horn" of the second beast of Revelation 13 refers to its religious government.

2. What was the second beast prophesied to cause to be done to those who would not "worship" the "image" it had made of the first beast?  Rev. 13-15.

Comment - This was done by condemning religious opponents for "heresy" then turning them over - it was termed "relaxing them" - to the civil authority (that of the emperor) for punishment!

Daniel's "Little Horn"
1. What was prophesied to come up among the ten horns of the fourth beast in Daniel's vision?  Dan. 7-8, 20.  What did it do to God's saints - true Christians? Dan. 7-21.  Was this "horn" somehow different - more durable - than the other ten horns?  Verse 20.

Comment - This extra horn, which was not one of the ten horns but came up among them represents the same religious power or government of the "second beast" described in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation.  The ten horns, as we will see in the next lesson, represented successive revivals of the civil Roman government.

2. While speaking great things against God Almighty, did this "little horn" even claim authority to change God's "times and laws"?  Dan. 7-25.  What is one major "time" and "law" that has been "changed"?  Exodus 20-10 - note the word "seventh".

The "Mark" of the Beast
1. What did the second beast of Revelation 13 cause people to receive in their foreheads and right hands?  Rev. 13-16:17  What was this "mark"?  See comment:

Comment - The original Roman Empire, by the authority of Emperor Constantine, had required empire-wide observance of Sunday - the day of the sun - the first day of the week. 
 It was a requirement of the civil government of the empire, the "beast," and thus became a sign or "mark" of the people of the Roman Empire.

2. Is the seventh day Sabbath called the "sign" of the true people of God?   Ex. 31-13:17. But did the religious government - the second beast of Revelation 13 - accept instead and further the "mark" of the beast - the observance of the day of the sun?  Rev. 13-16:17 once again.

Comment - Thus the "mark" of the beast stands identified as the observance of Sunday as the day of rest and worship!  Sunday observance was imposed on the Roman world by the emperor of the "beast," and it thus became its "mark."   All residents of the empire were forced to conform, whereas previously only the worshippers of Mithra, whose cult was imported into the Roman Empire from the East, and those who professed a counterfeit form of Christianity ( 2 Cor. 11-13:15) observing both Saturday and Sunday, had taken any notice of Sunday observance.

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