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Posted on 10/15/2001 9:41:18 AM PDT by FresnoDA

IS AMERICA IN HER LAST WAR?

Part I of a Series

WORLD EMPIRES IN REVIEW

Daniel identifies the first world empire, “You, O king (Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon), are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory; and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all.  YOU ARE THE HEAD OF GOLD.” (Daniel 2:37-38)  In this, Daniel interprets the first part of the prophetic allegory of the giant multi-metal statue that the Babylonian king saw in a dream.

Then Daniel adds, “And after you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, WHICH WILL RULE OVER ALL THE EARTH. “Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces.” (Daniel 2:39-40) 

THE KEY TO THE SYMBOLS 

Daniel clearly interprets which kingdoms he is predicting.  They are four kingdoms that “will rule over all the earth” from God’s perspective.  We are told that the first empire is Babylon in verses 37-38.  

The fourth kingdom of iron has a second phase.  It is in the form of the feet and the ten toes that are part iron and part clay.  It is not a new kingdom, but an extension of the fourth kingdom symbolized by the legs of iron.

The fifth kingdom will be the one the Messiah sets up.  He will destroy all of the kingdoms of man when he sets up His promised kingdom on earth.  Daniel predicts, “And in the days of those kings (signified by the ten toes) the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever…” (Daniel 2:44) 

About three decades later, Daniel received another prophetic revelation about the same four world empires.  This time each kingdom is represented by various animal symbols.  This reveals how God sees the nature of these world empires.  They are like voracious wild animals in His estimation. 

More information is given about the fourth kingdom in this vision recorded in chapter 7.  Daniel was personally overwhelmed with this prophetic revelation.  Daniel testifies, “I approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the exact meaning of all this.  So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:  ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, ARE FOUR KINGDOMS which will arise from the earth.  But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come.’” 

Daniel was especially intrigued about the meaning of the fourth kingdom and its rise in another form just before the Messiah sets up His kingdom.  He also wanted to know about the powerful leader who appears and sets up the fourth kingdom’s final form of power. 

But let’s first identify who is the second and third empire.  Three years after Daniel received the prophetic vision of chapter 7, he was given the prophetic explanation in chapter 8.  

In this amazing revelation, he is told that an empire symbolized by a ram with two horns would suddenly destroy the first empire, Babylon.  He is shown that the ram would expand on the empire of Babylon and become a mighty power. 

Then he is shown that the ram would be suddenly destroyed by a male goat that would come from the west with great fury.  It would be empowered by a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 

Then God reveals the following, “The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of MEDIA and PERSIA.  And the shaggy goat represents the kingdom of GREECE, and the large horn that is between his eyes is THE FIRST KING.  And the broken horn and THE FOUR HORNS that arose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation, although not with his power.” (Daniel 8:20-22) 

The time that Daniel received each one of these prophetic revelations is carefully recorded at the beginning of each one of these chapters in which they are recorded.  He received chapter two in the second year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign.  He received chapter seven in the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, Belshazzar’s reign.  He received chapter eight in the third year of Belshazzar’s reign.  The sudden, catastrophic fall of Babylon, recorded in chapter 5, occurred shortly after Daniel received chapter 8. 

THE REAL WONDER OF THE ANCIENT WORLD 

These prophecies have to be the real wonder of the ancient world.  Just consider that Daniel received all of these prophecies before Babylon was conquered.  When God showed him that the Media Persian Empire would conquer Babylon, they were considered the world’s most invincible power. 

The Greek historian Herodotus recorded the phenomenon of the city of Babylon.  It is still considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  It was believed to be absolutely impregnable.  It had a wall around it that was 150 feet high.  It was so thick that five chariots could ride abreast around the top of the wall.  The Euphrates River flowed through the city, giving it an endless supply of water to withstand any siege.  It had great bronze grates that were lowered into the river so that no army could swim under the wall.  It had its own agriculture within the walls for emergency food in time of siege.

HOW SUDDENLY THE MIGHTY FALLS

It is no wonder that Belshazzar felt so confident that he threw a great party to celebrate Babylon’s invincibility (see Daniel chapter 5).  He mocked the armies of the Medes and Persians that had been camped outside Babylon’s walls for several weeks.  In his arrogance, he called for the vessels taken from Jerusalem’s Temple so they could drink toasts to their gods from them.  

That was the last straw.  Unknown to the Babylonians, the Medes and Persians had been digging a canal to divert the flow of the Euphrates River.  It was completed this very day. The over confident Babylonians didn’t notice as night fell that the river was beginning to recede.  So as they drank a toast to their gods, a hand suddenly appeared and wrote on the wall, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”  Everyone, from the king down, was gripped with terror.  King Belshazzar immediately sent for the court astrologers and court occultists to interpret the writing, but no one was able to.  

When the Queen mother heard of the King’s distress, she came to him and said, “There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God.  And in the days of your [grand] father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your [grand] father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.  Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, who the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”

 So Daniel was summoned by the king.  He was offered a third of the kingdom if he could interpret the miraculous writing on the wall.  [Note: It is important to note the accuracy of Daniel’s writing here.  Inscriptions recently found at Haran show that Belshazzar was co-regent in Babylon while his father Nabonidus was fighting the invading Medes and Persians in another part of the Empire.  So he could only offer Daniel a third of the empire, not half of it.] 

THE PRICE OF DIVINE LIGHT REJECTED 

Daniel refused the offer and replied, “Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, ‘Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 

       ‘O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor.  And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him.  Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down.   But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.   Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling [was] with the wild donkeys.  They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, TILL HE KNEW THAT THE MOST HIGH GOD RULES IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN, AND APPOINTS OVER IT WHOMEVER HE CHOOSES.   But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, ALTHOUGH YOU KNEW ALL THIS.   

     And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven.  They have brought the vessels of HIS HOUSE before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them.  And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who [holds] your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.   

     Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.  And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.   

     This is the interpretation of each word.  MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;  TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting;   PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.   Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and [put] a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. (Daniel 5:17-29 NKJV)

While the interpretation was being given by Daniel, the Euphrates River ran dry.  The soldiers of the Medes and Persians rushed under the brazen gates from both sides of the city.  Great Babylon, the city that was thought to be impregnable, was conquered that very night. Daniel’s prophetic interpretation of God’s hand writing on the wall was fulfilled within the hour it was given. 

The Word of God records, “That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.  And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, [being] about sixty-two years old.”    

LESSONS FOR THE USA TODAY

We can learn much from the fall of the first predicted world empire.  

First, when much light about God is given to a nation, it is held responsible for it—especially its leaders.   Daniel reminded Belshazzar about how his grand-father Nebuchadnezzar was humbled and converted to faith in the God of Israel.  God faced Belshazzar with the fact that he knew all about this and ignored it. 

The United States has been blessed with a heritage of great light from God.  We have been endowed with God’s protection and provision.  Yet in the last 50 years, the USA has willfully pushed the knowledge of God out of the public consciousness.  Instead, we have barred the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God from public acknowledgement in every way.  We have barred Him from our schools, courts and government.  We want even let a harmless manger scene be erected on city property at Christmas time anymore. 

And even after the horrible wake-up call of September 11^th, we still relegate the Lord Jesus to level of Muhammad, Buddha, the Dalai Lama, Lord Krishna, Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Glover Patterson Eddy, et al., ad nauseum. 

Don’t we realize that the God in whose hands is our next breath sees this blasphemous behavior?  Our nation is guilty before God of many sins, but this one He holds as the greatest of all.   Unless there is immediate national repentance, I do not believe we will survive in our present place of power.

Second, note how suddenly Babylon, which seemed invincible, fell.  When God’s patience with a nation is finished, it will fall suddenly, no matter how powerful it is.  No one in the ancient world would have given the Media-Persians a chance of conquering Babylon—but they did.

It should be noted that a group of 19 Muslim terrorists killed more Americans than the combined might of the Japanese Imperial Navy and Naval Air Forces on December 7^th, 1941.  And they did it at a total cost for the operation of about $400,000.  Apart from the horrible tragedy caused by the great loss of life, the attack will—in the final tally—cost the US more than 500 billion dollars.  It has already affected every American family, both emotionally and financially.  Do we not need to immediately return to the God of our fathers?  God did not cause this evil atrocity.  All He had to do was choose not to prevent it.  If our God had not been restraining evil from hitting us, we would have been destroyed long ago.

Third, Daniel and the other true believers were protected and blessed even in the midst of such an enormous upheaval and destruction.  Look what happened to Daniel, “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom;  and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel [was] one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss.   Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit [was] in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.”  (Daniel 6:1-3)

God continued to bless and preserve Daniel with a long and fruitful life, even in the midst of great change and dedicated enemies.  God will do the same for believers today who walk with Him and believe his promises.

As I look at America today, I am continually reminded of a quote from Hegel, “History teaches us that man learns nothing from history.”  That can be fatal when we fail to learn from Divine history.

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