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Email: <lelgee@voicenet.com>Copyright © L. L. Griffith, 1971, 1996. ISBN 0-929554-06-X. This document may be reproduced in whole or in part provided that this copyright notice is reproduced on each copy made.
10. In Cyrus's third year, a truth is revealed to Daniel, who understands now with skill, that the appearance of the kingdom is a long way distant yet.
To repeat, in Chapter Ten of this prophecy the angelic spirit from heaven begins to set the stage for the fullest revelation of the matter and for the appearance of the things to come in those final years.
"In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans," Daniel 9:1-2, i.e., in 539-38 B.C., Daniel understood the word of the LORD by Jeremiah the prophet, that the LORD would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. This restoration was imminent. (Ezra had just begun his ministry of prophecy in the first year of Cyrus, the Persian, 541-40 B.C., per Ezra 1:1 and 2 Chronicles 36:22).
But Daniel had not been skilful in understanding the final end (kalah; the concluding end). He had not expected the "latter days" to be so far, far distant.
Although the books of Jeremiah and of Ezekiel (whose prophecy of the pattern of the LORD's sanctuary and its temple, and of the manner in which the land is to be partitioned to the tribes; a prophecy received in 572 B.C.) were available to him, he could not yet have available to him the later prophecies of Nehemiah, of Zechariah or Haggai, concerning the temple's imminent rebuilding and the construction of the city walls for Jerusalem. There is a lengthy time to wait, of about 20 years, until those immediate prophecies are fulfilled.
The prophecy of Ezra was received two years before the third year of Cyrus's dominion of Babylon, which capture had happened in the first year of Cyrus's rule. Darius, the Mede, 'received' the dominion on his behalf because Cyrus was still attending to his military affairs in other parts of the whole dominion that once had belonged to king Nebuchadnezzar.
The reader could read Zechariah and Haggai for information pertaining to the first end of "the matter," (7:20, i.e., the Word).
Zechariah and Haggai's prophecy came during the second year of Darius, the Persian, in the 6th to 8th months, 515-14 B.C. The prophecy of Daniel Ten came years earlier: "in the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia," 539-8 B.C. Consequently, Daniel here learns (per 10:1) that "the time appointed (is) long." He will not live to see that extremity, the final end: (hence, the angel's reassurance of 12:13). He does return, apparently (Nehemiah 10:6) to Jerusalem, with Zerubbabel's company to see the second temple completed - when many men shouted for joy, but many "old men wept..." because of their understanding concerning the final end of the matter (per 7:20). Of later dates and chronology, Daniel would have had no real use to know, except as applicable to his own time and expectation. Therefore he is consoled that he will stand in his place "at the end of the days," Daniel 12:13.
Now, it is for our learning and instruction to search out 'the truth' of the matter, too, and to watch for the appearance of these events in our own times. Therefore, the finish of the matter is fleshed out with much greater detail in the concluding chapters of Daniel's book. These details should be sufficient for the unsleeping, studious seeker of "the Truth" to enable him/her to recognize both the what and the what things as daily the events and their dramatic details - "Good news, indeed!" - are unfolded within this last generation in which it soon shall be announced by an angel from heaven, "There is no more time."
It may be coincidental, but the walls of Jerusalem were finished in the year 490 B.C. Refer to 9:25, "the street shall be built again and the wall even in disturbing times." This event appears to be covered under the "seventy years" prophecy. But here in Daniel Ten, the date is approximately 540 B.C., fifty years before that expected work was finished. Since Daniel was misunderstanding the instruction of Chapter Nine regarding "the latter days," per 10:14, so too, it is likely that many (not having Daniel's mental capacity or his discipline of holiness) will misunderstand its application to "the latter days" in the generation of "the latter days."
For, the former and latter "days" of the nation's captivities are past. They revealed little about how the heavenly powers will fulfil all prophecy concerning Israel at the finish of the end of the "latter days."
Now, a strange twist is made - in many commentaries which follow the philosophy of the "continuous historical" interpretation of prophecy - which interprets the identities of the four beasts of Daniel 2:36-45 as Babylon; Medo-Persia; Greece; and Rome. When examined closely, the text of Daniel Ten through Eleven itself does not uphold this arrangement of the nations for the last days. Footnotes in numerous Bibles uphold the publisher's traditional understanding of Daniel's text. Many unwary Bible readers accept these notes as the 'Gospel Truth,' despite the fact that the continuous historical view did not originate with, nor is peculiar to Christadelphia. The view was exported by "another Gospel's" spokesman, Lord Bacon.
Nebuchadnezzar's rulership and dominion was represented by the image's head of gold, 2:38. He was followed by an inferior king, of whom nothing much is said, but who as a head was slain according to Daniel's record. Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar's successor, is shown in Daniel to have been a legitimate king of the Chaldean kingdom. His kingdom was "taken" away from him by Cyrus, the Persian in 538 B.C.
And after the battle of Marathon, 490 B.C., the Persian kingdom began to be given over to the power of Greece. This battle 'turned the tide' for the Greek empire's advance to dominion over the world empire of Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The might of Greece grew and expanded under a number of rulers until its full extent under Alexander was suddenly shattered by the hand of God, who rules over the earth and gives its dominions to whomever He pleases.
The kingdoms therefore that are represented in Daniel's prophecy image are:
1. Great Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar's reign; of gold;
2. then the
inferior realm, whose ruler was Belshazzar, a Chaldean king; of silver;
3. Persia, under Cyrus and various Persian rulers; of bronze; and, lastly,
4.
Greece, whose last ruler was Alexander, the Great; ruler of an empire that was
brief, but "strong as iron, which shatters..."
Between Nebuchadnezzar's death and the time when Cyrus conquered the province of Babylon there is none but an inferior period of rulers holding the shrunken dominion's rule. Not much was left of Nebuchadnezzar's once glorious empire. The relative ease through which "Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans," Daniel 9:1-2, proves this secondary point.
From the gist of Nebuchadnezzar's image dream - when Alexander died - it may be deduced that the restoration of the kingdom of God on earth was always being worked for by the angels in the LORD's building program, for Daniel says: "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people..," 2:44.
Nebuchadnezzar was concerned about his eternal welfare and the finish of all things, so naturally his dream was of the days "beyond" him. And so the kingdom of God shall be set up during the last "days" of these kings far, far "beyond" him just as plainly as the angel has described the truth of the matter, (i.e., the truth of the Word) to Daniel.
However, the "continuous historical" interpretation of prophecy absolutely requires that the Roman Empire be identified as the fourth kingdom. The philosophy demands this in order to identify the church of Rome as the successor "church" to the religion of the first Roman Christians and in order to establish the primacy of the pope over the temporal 'kingdom of God.' This is the doctrine of replacement theology; which elevates the Church over the Jewish nation and people. This view is also called "supersession." It is the great lie against the Truth of the Word. The position provides the Vatican a hand with which to interfere with any religious "matter" as it pertains to the "controversy of Zion," toward the Jewish people, and to the restoration of the kingdom to Israel as God has promised to David.
Because of its subtlety, this view is much more deadly to the Truth than the plain "futurist" view of the "continuing Church age."
So, a pseudo "Medo-Persian" identity was established as the second reigning power over Nebuchadnezzar's empire. Persia is pushed upward on the list into the ("inferior") second place, in order to advance Greece as the third place empire, and finally Rome is triumphantly listed in place as the fourth empire to rule over Nebuchadnezzar's first dominion.
That is the length to which determined men will go in order to establish the teaching of a slowly evolving "continuous history" in contradiction to the Holy Scriptures. The U.S.S.R crumbled into bits despite the application of Darwinist and Marxist theories of evolution as revived and applied in these last days. No field of teaching remains unscathed by evolutionary and humanistic thought. The teaching claims the temporal rule over all the land/earth for the truly Babylonish "dragon," its harlot ridden "beasts" and its "false prophets."
Both the Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire have come and gone in the ages of time. World War I and World War II shattered the countries of Europe, of northern Africa, and of the eastern Mediterranean. What has arisen in the places of their destruction since World War II? The Church triumphant, or a people restored to the Land? The present state of Israel is a captivity - but only "a remnant" of its total people - returned to its own promised land. It is not made a kingdom just yet.
Now we ask:
1. Was Persia's 200 years of rule "inferior" to Nebuchadnezzar's nearly 50 years of rule over the same lands?
2. Did the Holy Roman Empire ever under a single head rule over all the lands conquered by Alexander, the Great?
3. Did the Holy Roman Empire ever under a single head rule over all the lands from the Bosphorus to the Ganges, from the northern seas to Ethiopia? And did the Holy Roman Empire ever under a single head rule over all of Arabia as Nebuchadnezzar once had ruled?
The answer to all, is, No.
The truth is that a ruling period between Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus, the Persian, was "inferior" in national constitution and in leadership and of an earthen quality. The Chaldean heirs to Nebuchadnezzar's throne were unable to hold the empire together.
The fourth ruler of the former dominion is described as "strong as iron" for the purpose of being shattered into pieces at the final end which coincides with the finish of Israel. These beastly nations which ruled the Land in ancient times exist as nations again in the "last days" dominion in the land. Rome however has been reduced to a tiny plot of land known as the Vatican State; the empire has been changed. Always as a "mother" but never the "Bride" under the reign of Jesus Christ. As the "Stone" from heaven the Lord will smite and break apart the last dominion of all these nations at Israel's final end.
Several territories of the kingdom of Greece were later formed together as the Roman province of Achaia (i.e., Asia Minor). Today that land is composed of four nations: Turkey (Anatolia), Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan; with parts disputed by Iraq and Syria. Greece still retains memory of her ancient holdings in this territory. Rome has no hold over these lands except through a meddlesome voice in religion.
With the identity of the four past dominions of the Babylonian realm put in order according to the witness of Scripture, there is also a correction required in order to relate each metal with its own dominion. Babylonia is represented by the gold; the inferior ruling dynasty is the silver part. Persia is required to be identified with the bronze, and Greece, as having the "strength of iron."
In the book of The Revelation this statement is made concerning the "heads," i.e., 17:10, 8, - "the beast which you saw, was and is not, but is going to come up out of the pit, and to go into destruction."
When John saw the the vision of the beast , it "is going to come up" in the Land in the time after he received the revelation. In his day Rome was already in the Land! True, Rome has continuously existed since 753 B.C., but not in the promised Land. The beastly dominion which John saw, once was in the Land but was not yet come until the end, when it will revive from "the pit" just prior to the "last days."
The identity of Rome as a "last days" empire must be discarded. As a "head" of "the beast" Rome too must be discarded as a viable choice for the last days.
Also note the detail in Revelation saying that "the five (heads) are fallen, and the (sixth) one is. The other (seventh) is not yet come; and when he shall come, he must remain 'a little.'" Furthermore, the text speaks of the body of the dragon/beast of the latter days. Of this evil coalition, these "five are fallen" at the time when the prophecy unfolds. The sixth "head" is dominant over the Land. ...The Vatican State is all that is left of the former holy Roman Empire. Does the Treaty of Rome plan for a latter days empire-building eventuality in the Middle East? Another Roman empire is very unlikely to rule over the Land simply due to the speed in which events take place in these last days.
Daniel's prophecy says nothing about any fifth dominion or head, nor about any fifth "head" of "the beast." The Holy Spirit is silent in the Revelation concerning the fallen five heads. Is this not a remarkable omission in the light of all things which are attributed to Greece and to the Roman empire, and to the first three empires? Not very likely "continuous" then, is it?
Why are the prior five heads of Revelation 17 ignored? Have the heads of the beast been mislabeled? Reasoned logically, as it is thought, the "sixth head" would have to be found - as an offshoot - embodied in one of the four divisions of Alexander's empire and situated in the Holy Land in the "last days." Passage of time has proved that logic to be erroneous.
The present day "heads" of the Middle East nations are the modern rulers over the remnant of ancient peoples. Their nations are revived from their stump's root as a direct result of the World Wars, I and II. In what manner then must the fifth head be described as "fallen?"
In the time approaching the Revelation's "1,260 days," the (sixth) one is (dominant). A beastly dominion over Israel exists under the domination of a sixth [draconic] power, whose "head" has gained control over Jerusalem. This is a remarkable disclosure considering that the last four beast-embodied powers are shown in Revelation 13 as they rise up "out of the Sea" - following a strife on the Sea, per Daniel 7:2-3 - onto the land.
The Revelation totally disregards (passes over) the times of the first five heads of the "kings" - "mountains" that have "fallen..." The prior rulers in the beast's power do not receive any mention in the revelation from heaven. I submit that all the time of Gentile rule over Israel included the fifth "head" among the Land's desolators --- until the last captivity of heaven's chosen people was invited to return to the Land in 1947-48. After this, the sixth dominion of the Land appears. Concerning all the previous "heads," the Revelation states only that "the five are fallen" when John was apprised about the state of all the land's beasts.
The first generation of the people's return to the Land has almost passed. A "little horn" has risen to prominence among all the heads there now present. The sixth "head" of the Land's dominion surely is present with it.
At the end of World War II and since 1948, the state of Israel has been the objective of attacks from the other nations in the Land. The parts which Greece (Javan; Ivan, Greek Russia) and Persia (Iran) will play at the final end are slowly developing. While all the nations menace Israel, none fully dominates - to an over-running state - of the Land by the occupation of Israel's territorial lands as the ancient adversaries once did. The "time of Jacob's trouble" remains to come.
In the past five decades both the Persian lands and the Greek lands - of the ancient kingdoms - have engaged in their own wars. Iran makes political intrigues which may yet bring the swift involvement of Greece in another Middle East war.
If the interpretation of the matter and the appearance of the "seventy weeks" of the last generation of time, as revealed in 9:20-27, is skilfully understood and the application of chronology has been reasonably correct, then the prophecy in the last chapter of Daniel's book, we conclude, speaks of the last days of the seventy "weeks" of the years in the last generation of time.
Since 1948 A.D. when Israel was at last regathered into the Land, many years have already passed, with numerous and notable events germane to the restoration of the kingdom taking place there at breath-taking speed. Every indication is that the remaining years will produce amazing events with the same breath-taking speed.
We have the assurance of the apostle to the nations, Paul, that "Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel, 'Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, [only] a remnant shall be saved; for He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness; because a short work will the Lord make upon the Land/earth," Romans 9:27-28. This work of the LORD was not finished nor cut short in the days of the Lord and his apostles. This work remains for the days yet ahead for Israel. In those days "[only] a remnant shall be saved." Consider Luke 12:23, "Lord, are there few that be saved?"
Paul quotes from Isaiah 10:22-23, where an invasion of the land of Israel is undertaken by "the Assyrian." The "last days" domain of "the Assyrian" ought to be figured out, since Assyria properly is not a country, but comprises lands having common ethnic and Islamic roots.
In the tenth chapter of Isaiah "the Assyrian" is identified as the type of one in "whose hand is Mine indignation," and who becomes "the rod of Mine anger." Yet even though this one is "sent against an hypocritical nation and against the people of My wrath," the wrath is only to continue during a time described as "for yet a very little while" in which the Assyrian 'king' is empowered to act. Consequently, at the finish, the yoke that was placed around Israel's neck is removed and "shall be destroyed because of the anointing."
See No. 6 under Daniel 9:24, Chapter Nine.
Only kings and priests were anointed in Israel. At Christ's appearing, his ruling priests will appear with him because of their anointing. The righteous "seed" chosen from among the 'ones set apart' will be redeemed into the glory of the LORD, and will go forth to work like the angels - to do the LORD's commandments - on Israel's behalf.
Isaiah 10 also says that after the time "when the LORD hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish ... the king of Assyria." Read Isaiah 10-12 with this 'final end' perspective. The prophecy seems to indicate that the resurrection and glorification of the "blessed" holy ones will be concluded during the Assyrian's invasion of the land, and during the LORD's judgment upon the surrounding nations. The king's punishment will swiftly follow the kingdom's restoration to Israel.
Some mileposts have already been set up for the skilful understanding by Daniel Nine, in order to guide us through the remainder of the book. The primary problem of interpretation of the vision concerns understanding the time of "the appearance" of "the matter" (i.e., the Word) under consideration.
The first hard fact which Daniel had to digest was that "the word [the matter] was true and the conflict [was] long [distant]." Now he has understood the word [the matter], and now he has understanding of the appearance of the Word in the chronology of time.
Another fact which greatly distressed Daniel was the thought of the punishment which is due Israel for her sins. This fear was expressed in his prayer through verses 9-14.
The reader will recall that after seeing the first vision Daniel had become faint and was sick for days, 8:27. In Daniel Ten, following Gabriel's visit, Daniel again has his mind set upon more fully understanding the matter. He now expects a long duration of time before all the things are finished. In the first month of the year, he has been fasting and mourning during the days, for the Passover season approaches and he is still captive in the alien land of Babylon. In this situation a particular 'man' appears before him in vision. With love and compassion he works to prepare Daniel for the further revelation he brings.
In Chapter Nine, in the preliminary discourse, Gabriel had taken great care to prepare the prophet's mind with a skilful understanding of both the what and the what things (i.e., the events) of the whole matter. With the time periods established, Daniel's understanding of the vision is also established for both the coming end time, and for the far, far distant end's time.
Commentators generally agree that the angel made Daniel to understand the outcome of Babylonian captivity's return to the land. After all, they had hindsight in recourse to the history books written by common men. With over 500 interpretations of apocalyptic prophecy extant, due to their historical bias, and their theological bias against Israel, the interpretations still stumble badly in knowledge about the last end "days". Blind men have no foresight either.
But as the "seventy weeks" prophecy first appeared to indicate, this was not to be the final end for Israel. Now the angel has come to Daniel to "make you understand what shall happen to your people in the "latter days" of time, 10:14. In making this statement the angel says "days;" he does not say nor does he imply that the "days" are to be expanded into symbolic years - by men who would mislead captives toward the dragon's lair.
In 10:14 as cited, the word acharith refers just to the last days of Israel's final and last regathering. Finally, since Daniel was curious about the "horns" and the "little horn," the events dealt with in the angel's explanation are those to be brought about by the pressing activity of the "horns" of the Persian nations and the Greek nations - at the finish. Rebellion and civil wars are indicative of the times. These last days of the final end are worked out in the generation ending with the 1,260 days of Daniel 12.
The when of the time in which the Islamic Persian nations and the Greek Catholic nations resume conflict at the last end is reflected from the saying, "for yet the vision is for (the unspecified) days." However, those future days are specifically referred to later, in both Daniel 12 and in Revelation 12, having been placed under Michael's attention and direction for when Michael commands the charge of the "war in the heavens" on Israel's behalf.
Another thing to determine is the actual time period of the (2300, or is it 2400?) evening-mornings of which Daniel 8:14 speaks. For then and only "then shall the sanctuary be cleansed" from all desolating pollutions (brought about, as per Daniel 9:26-27).
In the work of the "war in the heavens" there is no other help to the angel who appears before Daniel except from Michael who provides him additional spiritual strength to overcome in the battles of the far distant offensive against the Dragon adversaries of Israel.
Daniel's "vision is yet for (many) days," per 10:14. When this angel "leaves off" helping Persia during the last "weeks," in accordance with the words of Daniel 9:22-27 and 10:14 for the battles yet to come, "the prince of Grecia shall come...".
The appearance of a Greek presence moving against the Land (with ships) is first mentioned in Number 24:23-24. Here in Balaam's prophecy of Israel's end both 'Asshur' and 'Eber' - Syrian and Hebrew peoples - are afflicted when "he" (Amalek)' "the chief of the nations" is destroyed for the last time and final time.
Only Michael again sustains the angel "in these things" per Daniel 10:21. Chapter Eleven is filled with a greatly detailed explanation of "these things" which lead up to Michael's reappearance on Israel's behalf. The point in time during the last days at which he stands up has been shown to be the appearance of the Greek ships; i.e., at 11:30. The preceding thirty verses may be thought to be the true historical account of the two prior Hebrew captivities, but they may also refer to two assaults against the Land immediately before the 1,260 days of Michael's reappearance.
The angel so far has revealed only summary information to Daniel concerning the final end for Israel.
The LORD's wholly accomplished state of wrath ends - concluding all the things of "the day of the LORD" - as has been written of in the prophecies of both the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible.
By contrasting the ends, the angel relates how the end of each captivity of Israel of the former day, and of the latter day, is fulfilled. The end of the former dominion of the land is set in apposition to the latter days dominion of the land.
By illustrating the contrast, this manner of revelation also shows how the continuation of the matter unfolds as further revealed in Daniel's book.
In the Old Testament there is much other revelation about "the last days" made in the writings of the holy prophets concerning the final end for Israel which is not entered into here. The diligent Bible student is able to find these much more familiar revelations if he is willing to apply himself to know somewhat more of the wonderful things God has in store for all those who love Him, and seek to do His word.
Israel especially should rejoice in the Word of the nation's salvation and redemption.
In the New Testament, in the Revelation, definitely, there are many more apocalyptic details.
Daniel provides the beginning outline for a productive study of those details.