The Signs of the Times (39): Finale

‘While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth’
Daniel 2:34-35 (NIV)

What’s important is that we start seeing where we are going. That we notice the signs of the times and take advantage of it. We are approaching the finale of this phase of world history. We are nearing the moment when the last world empire will unfold. It will include everything of every empire of man that ever was in the past. The ultimate attempt by the powers of darkness to realize once more an empire of peace and righteousness in the name of man, and now on a worldwide scale. Babylon at its finest. But it will end in rivers of blood.

In history the Assyrian, the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great (which was divided among his four generals), the Roman and the post-Roman Empires succeeded each other. One after another they rose, blossomed and faded away. But in the end they will all appear one more time on the world stage at the same time, each with their own main characteristics that they represent.

The main characteristic of the Babylonian Empire was absolute dictatorship. Nebuchadnezzar as the absolute dictator at the top: the golden head of the statue: Babylon.

The main characteristic of the Empire of the Medes and Persians: iron laws. Absolute ‘laws of the Medes and Persians’. When in that Empire the law was issued that at a certain date all the Jews were to be killed, even the King Ahasuerus or Xerxes could not change that. The only thing he could do to save his queen Esther and her people was to issue another law. And he did, Esther chapter 8-10.

The main characteristic of the Empire of the Greeks were: Greek humanism/ Hellenism with beautiful art and architecture, great philosophies, the principles of science and technology, (Olympic) games and sports, performed in the nude because of the beautiful male body, developing politically the idea democracy: power to the people, and homosexuality as a higher form of love than that between a man and a woman, which was considered to be necessary only for reproduction and continuation of the human race.

The main characteristic of the Roman Empire was absolute military power. Nobody could resist the Roman legions. That war-machine went over the whole then-world. But in a sense the Greeks conquered the Romans. Although militarily beaten, the Greek way of life, the Greek way of thinking, the Greek culture conquered the hearts and minds of the Romans. If you were a rich Roman you tried to buy a well-educated Greek slave to teach and educate your children in the Greek way. Even the Greek gods became the Roman gods as well. The two roots of Europe today are the Judeo-Christian way of thinking as well as the Greek-Roman way of life.

Although these empires each separately displayed different main characteristics, they all had one thing in common. They all hated the Jews. The Babylonian Empire under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and led the Jews into exile. The Medo-Persian Empire had issued laws that would destroy all Jews on a certain date. This was prevented only through the intervention of Esther. The Greek Empire wanted to impose Greek Hellenism/humanism on Israel and the Jews by force, punishable by death. The Jews resisted in the Maccabean wars, and even won against the Greek military forces. Basically it was the clash between the spirit of man who lives by his own ideas, and those who want to serve the God of Israel in the way that He wants to be served. The Feast of Hanukah reminds us of that great victory. And finally the Roman Empire once again destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple and led the Jewish people into worldwide exile.

The entire statue from Daniel 2 that King Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream apparently will stand on its feet once more in the end-times. But then finally the rock will strike the statue on its feet smashing it completely. This statue ultimately is just a giant on clay feet. The head of gold, the chest and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of bronze, the legs of iron, the feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay: all the pieces will become like chaff in the wind, disappearing without a trace.

And the Kingdom of peace and righteousness will fill the earth. Under the leadership of the King of kings and the Lord of lords from Jerusalem peace will fill the entire world. And the nations shall train for war no more.
What a glorious future!