In my previous study we came to understand how the saints of the Most High inherited the Kingdom of God, and what that means. In Daniel 7:23, the one who stood by told Daniel that the fourth beast would be a fourth kingdom that would arise upon the earth. It was different from the other three in that it devoured the whole earth. That is, it consumed what was the land of the Jews, treading it down and crushing it, meaning it took all that could be taken and what remained it trampled down as though it was chaff that fell to the ground (Daniel 7:23). Nevertheless, it needs to be asked, how was this done by the fourth beast?
Notice that the one who stood by turned his attention to the ten horns of the beast, and he called them kings or rulers (Daniel 7:24). It is also important to understand that these ten kings or rulers are described as beasts in Daniel 7:12, “the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time” (emphasis mine). Who are these ten kings/rulers? They are the ten Roman procurators/prefects who governed the Jews, while Annas, the high priest responsible for Jesus’ death, or one of his sons officiated the office of high priest.
|
High Priest |
Horns |
Identity of the Horns |
Years of Reign |
|
Annas |
Three |
Coponius; Ambivius; Ananius Rufus |
AD 6 to AD 15 |
|
Eleaszar |
One |
Valerius Gratus |
AD 16 to AD 17 |
|
Caiaphas |
One |
Pontius Pilate |
AD 18 to AD 36 |
|
Jonathan |
(Pontius Pilate, mentioned above) |
AD 36 to AD 37 |
|
|
Two |
Cumanus; Antonias Felix |
AD 52 to AD 58 |
|
|
Theophilus |
Two |
Marcellus; Marullus |
AD 37 to AD 41 |
|
Matthias |
None |
Officiated under King Agrippa, but he isn’t counted among the 10. |
AD 42 to AD 44 |
|
Ananias |
One |
Albinus |
AD 62 |
Everything that the fourth beast did to the Jews was done through these governors, who were sent to Caesarea by Caesar to govern and keep the peace in the Jewish lands.
The one who stood by also mentioned the little horn who stood up, was different from the other horns, and through whom three of the other horns would be “humbled, put down, or subdued” (H8214; Daniel 7:24-25). Pontius Pilate, Antonias Felix and Marullus seem to be the three kings/governors who were replaced or humbled due to the works of the little horn. Both Pilate and Felix were removed from office for complaints of inappropriate behavior and had to report to Caesar. Marullus was the governor reigning when Gaius Caesar was assassinated. Marullus was removed and replaced with a Jew, King Agrippa, by Clausius Caesar, after the whole nation at the direction of Theophilus stood in protest over the things being done against the Jews.
According to the text, the little horn also spoke blasphemy and wore out the saints of the Most High and would seek to change the times and the laws (Daniel 7:25). The only persecuting authority during the first century AD against Christ and his disciples was the high priest. Moreover, persecution arose against the disciples only when one of the sons (or son-in-law) of Annas officiated the high priesthood. It was Annas to whom Jesus spoke, saying he would be alive to see the coming of the Son of Man with the clouds in the glory of the Father (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62). He sought to change the times (viz. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) by killing off Jesus’ disciples in an effort to keep the Old Covenant in force, while keeping the saints from inheriting the Kingdom of God.
Nevertheless, this wasn’t possible, because the Lord intervened and sat in judgment, taking away the dominion of the Jews, represented in the little horn (high priest), and gave it to the saints of the Most High, bringing the Old Covenant to an end and establishing the New Covenant as the only means, whereby the world could communicate with God (Daniel 7:26-27).
|
Daniel 7 |
Matthew 16 |
|
In the days of the Roman Empire |
In the days of the Roman Empire |
|
Persecutor of the saints (v. 21, 25) |
Persecution of the disciples (v.21, 24-25) |
|
Coming of the Ancient of Days (v. 22) |
Coming of the Lord (v. 27-28) |
|
Judgment / Vindication (v. 26-27) |
Judgment / Vindication (v. 27) |
|
Coming of the Kingdom (v. 22) |
Coming of the Kingdom (v. 28) |
|
In the days of the Roman Empire |
Some shall not taste death (v. 28) |
This was the end of the matter and Daniel continued to be greatly troubled. His countenance changed in the understanding of how things would develop in his nation, the Jews, after they would be released, when Jeremiah’s 70 Year Prophecy would be fulfilled. Nevertheless, he kept it all in his heart to consider it (Daniel 7:28).
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9 responses to “The Vision of the 4th Beast Interpreted”
Enjoying your study. Thanks for your work.
I’m liking the idea, however, that the Jews were the 4th kingdom. The Hasmoneans gained independence for Israel (from the Seleucids (one of the 4 kingdoms to arise out of Alexander’s Greece, (the 3rd kingdom (Dan 8:21-22)) and they (the Hasmoneans/Maccabees) ruled over Jerusalem for 100+ years. The Herodian dynasty that followed had Herod married to a Hasmonean princess. I believe Jesus specifically refers to the players in the transfer from the 4th kingdom to the Kingdom of the Saints…
Mat 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Mat 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Mat 21:45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
Josephus referred to the Zealots (of Galilee, where Jesus was from…the people of the Prince that shall come to destroy the temple) as the 4th sect of the Pharisees (Antiquities 18.1.6). In the lead-up to the war with Rome, Josephus lists the 10 generals that were assigned to lead the Jewish revolt (of which Paul noted in 2 Thess 2:3…apostasia, defection from the state). They are listed in Wars 2.20.3-4.
Dan 7:8 says 3 of these 10 horns would be plucked up. Josephus tells us that 3 of these 10 elected leaders (Gorion and Niger of Peres (Wars 4.6.1), and Ananus (Wars 4.5.2)) were killed by the Zealots. That pretty much narrows down the “little horn” to John of Gischala (Wars 4.2) or Eleazar ben Simon (Wars 2.20.3). Wars 4.5.2 also speaks of the 2 witnesses of Rev 11, who were not buried.
My best to you,
Bill
Greetings Bill, good to hear from you again. I caught sight of this late. I’ll reply tomorrow. Lord bless.
Interesting development, but I can’t go along with it. I have the home rule of the Hasmonians interrupting the reigns of the kings of the north and south of Daniel 11. The prophecy breaks with Antiochus Epiphanies and begins again, when Herod slays his Hasmonian sons and their mother. The prophecy seems very accurate this way, as I look at the matter.
As for the Two Witnesses, I have a study on this as well in my study of the Apocalypse. I have the mention of the “two witnesses” as meaning a valid witness for God. That it, it could not have been one witness to make it lawfully valid. In reality he had seven witnesses, when they were slain, the overthrow of the nation occurred.
Lord bless you Bill, and thanks for reading my studies and for your comment.
Hi Eddie. Blessings to you.
In order for us to pursue Rome as the 4th kingdom, we are forced to ignore Jewish independence gained by the Maccabees (in Dan 11:32), as acknowledged by Rome in I Macc 14. Being the entire Bible speaks of Israel, and is not a story about Rome, it seems difficult to overlook.
Josephus cites a letter from Titus, who acknowledge that Israel (and as you’ve noted, the high priests of Annas’ family), not Rome, had been ruling over Judea…”It can therefore be nothing certainly but the kindness of us Romans which hath excited you against us; who, in the first place, have given you this land to possess; and, in the next place, have set over you kings of your own nation; and, in the third place, have preserved the laws of your forefathers to you, and have withal permitted you to live, either by yourselves, or among others, as it should please you: and, what is our chief favor of all we have given you leave to gather up that tribute which is paid to God with such other gifts that are dedicated to him; nor have we called those that carried these donations to account, nor prohibited them; till at length you became richer than we ourselves, even when you were our enemies; and you made preparations for war against us with our own money;” (Wars 6.6.2)
The passing of the torch from Rome to the Saints, too, would ignore that Jerusalem, not Rome, was the object of the wrath warned by Jesus in Matt 23.
Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
It would follow, then, the kings of the north and south of Dan 11:40 onward (at the time of the end of the age) must be speaking of the leaders of the various armies (whether Syrian or Galilean) that laid siege to Jerusalem, coming against the “king” (high priest or priests – Matt 17:25 Jesus refers to the high priests as kings of the earth) of Dan 11:36. This king is of the “God of his fathers,” limiting him to being Jewish. Wars Book 4 Chapter 9, seems to tell the story of the king of the north gaining possession of Jerusalem.
Keep up the great work! Fun!
Greetings Bill, and thanks for the discussion; it serves to keep me sharp (iron sharpens iron, kind of thing). Lord bless you.
I really don’t believe that I’m ignoring the nearly 100 years of Jewish independence. I believe I told you in the last round that the Daniel 11 prophecy was very accurate up to Antiochus Epiphanies, and then nothing seems to fit after his generation. However, it picks up very accurately, when Herod the Great, the “willful king” of verse-36, rises to the throne. The Maccabees are mentioned in the prophecy at verse-32 as “the people who know their God” and they do “exploits.”
The prophecy seems to concern gentile rulership of the Jews, not their independence, which is why Daniel 11 breaks off as soon as they gained their independence. Daniel had thought/hoped that the Jews would regain their independence with the release by Cyrus, but the angel said there would be an additional 70 weeks (of years) of the same thing, referring to Jeremiah’s 70 years prophecy, where the Jews lived under the thumb of Babylon.
Josephus’ quote of Titus’ letter implies the Roman machine did exactly as the three former kingdoms. They appointed Jewish rulers over them. They were the authorities. Although the high priests ruled the Jews, they did so with the permission and the appointment of Rome. The Roman procurators appointed them and took away their authority, until that authority was given to Herod Agrippa and later his son. I don’t believe that Rome’s high priest appointees can be considered “home rule” Both Rome and Agrippa kept the high priest’s royal robes and appointed whomsoever they chose and removed the same.
Perhaps this will become clearer as the study goes forward.
Lord bless you, Bill.