October 05th, 2019

Daniel 7:6-7 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. 7 After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast — terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.”
 
THE leopard-like beast in is prophetic of Greece. History notes Alexander the Great’s army moved with leopard-like speed to conquer parts of Asia, Asia Minor, the Near East and India. The four wings and the four heads represent the four generals who led the Greek armies. Each had authority over sections of Greek’s empire. When Alexander died, the one empire became smaller, competing nations.  would exist until the Romans would conquer this territory.
    Those who led the area of Judea and Jerusalem would do great harm to Israel, to even removed all worship form the temple. This is one reason the Pharisees were formed and the synagogue system established. Jewish leaders desired to maintain the teaching of God’s Word to the Jews.
    Rome is considered most often as the fourth beast. Its image is too terrible to compare to any animal. Rome was by far the most violent of the empires represented in the visions.
    Let’s return again to Daniel 2. The metal statue’s legs in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream were iron. And the 10 toes were of clay, indicating Rome and 10 lesser nations. The horns are the same. We will look at these images of the fourth beast as we continue. God is repeating to Daniel what Nebuchadnezzar has seen. The prophecy is told twice now and will be given a third time. This is a sure and true prophecy of the earth’s future.
    You might say, “Why be concerned with God’s prophecies of events that have happened? Isn’t the future all we need to know?” Our first response is to know it is essential we understand God’s sovereignty to move events to his purpose. As we look into the future, we can only have hope when we know God has acted in the past to realize his promises. Second, these historic prophecies, as we will see, do relate to the future as well. As described in the Bible’s many prophecies, God is at work to show himself to the kingdom of this world to prepare us for the kingdom of our Lord.
 
Psalms 119:89 Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. 90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures.