END-TIME  PROPHECY  E-NEWSLETTER

... an extension of www.prophecyfulfillment.com

and www.ProphecyNewsSearch.com ...

ISSUE  NUMBER  6

Interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's Dream:

A Remarkable Prophecy for Our Generation 

INTRODUCTION: You may have heard this dream explained before. Because some readers may not know this important prophecy, I wish to explain some of its features. Since I cannot reproduce the entire Bible text, please follow in your own Bible. Much of this newsletter is based on the Book of Daniel. I cite chapter and verse in Daniel in brackets [example: Dan. 2:1].

As teenagers, Daniel and his three friends were taken captive by the Babylonians (King Nebuchadnezzar) in 605 BC...... Because of his purity and God's hand upon his life, Daniel rose to a position of respect in the Babylonian court. He probably wrote the Book of Daniel from ca 536-530 BC. His book is fundamental to understanding the end of time.

A TROUBLING DREAM: Nebuchadnezzar was troubled by a recurring dream. He saw a magnificent metallic object. The original Aramaic is translated as "idol" or "image," and it may have appeared as a magnificent statue in the dream.

The king demanded an interpretation of the dream from his advisors. They asked the king to describe the dream. Irritated, he said he could believe their interpretation only if they first told him the dream. They protested that only "the gods" [Dan. 2:11] could know the nature of his dream. Realizing he was dealing with charlatans, the king ordered all of them to be executed. Hearing of this sentence, Daniel sent word to the king that his God (Jehovah) would allow him to tell the king his dream and its interpretation, if the king would grant him one day to pray for guidance. On the next day, Daniel, through God's instruction, related perfectly the nature of the dream and its interpretation.

THE  INTERPRETATION OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM: The dream concerned empires that would affect the world-- especially the sons and daughters of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-- from Nebuchadnezzar's time (approximately 2,600 years ago) until the Millennial Kingdom (in our future). The dream consisted of a magnificent metallic idol, which was destroyed by a Stone.

Each metal represented an empire, replacing from head to toe the preceding empire. Each new empire was less culturally rich-- but more powerful-- than the empire it replaced.

Head of gold: Daniel told the king [Dan. 2:37] that he (Babylon) was the head of gold. Beautiful and rich Babylon was militarily weak.

Chest and arms of silver: The chest and two arms of silver represented the two merged kingdoms of the Medes and the Persians-- the Medo-Persian Empire [Dan. 2:39]. This empire easily defeated the Babylonians [Dan, chapter 5].

Belly and thighs of brass: The belly and thighs of brass represented the Grecian Empire [Dan. 2:39], under the brilliant military leadership of Alexander the Great. Alexander rapidly swept through the known world and defeated the Medo-Persians.

Legs of iron: The legs of iron represented the Roman Empire, which was an unstoppable military force crushing all nations in its path [Dan. 2:40]. Rome defeated the Greeks. Note that the idol had two legs, and the Roman Empire was divided into a western part (ruled from Rome) and an eastern part (ruled from Constantinople). This empire division may have significance in trying to understand the origin of the Antichrist.

Feet of iron and clay: The idol's feet and toes were made of a mixture of iron and clay [Dan. 2:41-42]. After a parenthesis (a prophecy study term for a gap of time), extending from the collapse of the Roman Empire until the Twentieth Century, this empire represents conditions in our time. The feet and toes, coming from the legs of iron (Roman Empire), represent the revived Roman Empire, now known as the European Union (EU).

After the western and eastern "legs" of the Roman Empire fell to non-Romans, nothing was heard about this empire for centuries. Fast forwarding through many centuries, we know that Europeans were war-weary in the mid-1900s, having had World Wars I and II fought on their continent. Three small countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, banded together to form a defense and trading pact. Using the first letters of their countries' names (underlined, above) for the treaty, they signed the Benelux Treaty. Other European nations, realizing the value of a "United States of Europe," began joining together in a union of nations. The European Union (EU) was eventually selected as the name for this multi-national confederation. Today, the EU has an area less than half the size of the United States, but a larger population (exceeding 490-million persons). For the first time in many centuries, the former Roman Empire is united. A single currency, the euro, replaces most national currencies. A uniform system of laws is a goal. Read more about EU statistics at: www.cosmoworlds.com/country_information/european_union.htm .

Although there has been an attempt to create one union of many nations, regional, ethnic, and national differences have proven difficult obstacles, just as the feet and toes in the dream were made of clay (weak material = weak countries) and iron (strong material = strong countries), neither of which mixes well with the other.

The EU and America in the end times: Prophecy implies that the United States will become irrelevant as the Tribulation is approached, because it is essentially absent from prophecy. There are several possible scenarios for America's irrelevance, but I do not have space in this newsletter to discuss them. With loss of American dominance and influence, the EU will fill the world power vacuum left by America's decline.

From the EU will arise the Antichrist. Prophecy students differ in speculating whether the Antichrist will come from the "western leg" (Europe) or the "eastern leg" (Middle East). Scriptures can be cited to support either interpretation. When the Antichrist is revealed, he will suddenly appear on the world stage with an existing bloc of nations, rich economy, diversified industries, unified government structure, and a military force. He will use this power base to gain even more diplomatic, economic, and military power. He will have his religious stooge, the False Prophet, establish a false religion.

Even now, there are calls for a unified world government. These calls are accelerating because of the faltering economy...... Such phrases as "global" and "one world" are used as plans to unify the world's nations into one confederation of nations. These phrases were once only uttered only by prophecy teachers, but now they are used regularly by world leaders. God's  Old and New Testament prophets are being proven correct every day. 

There is apostasy-- a falling away fom faith...... Many persons who identify themselves as Christians believe that we should embrace ecumenism among all religions, because a loving God surely would accept any good person, regardless of whether that person comes to Him as a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Secular Humanist, or whatever. A Christian who knows Scriptural teachings understands that there is only one way to God. Ecumenism-- one-world religion-- merely prepares the way for the False Prophet's false religion in the Tribulation (Revelation 13:11-17; other Scriptures)..

The confusion of people over government, world leaders, and religion is not unexpected. The end times will be marked by strong delusion of many persons. It is frightening to watch the delusion now taking place. The Lord's appearance surely must be close at hand.

The Stone: A remarkable feature of the dream foretells the coming of Jesus (Daniel 2:34-35 || 45): [Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar] "You watched while a Stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the Stone that struck the image became a great Mountain and filled the whole earth. || Inasmuch as you saw that the Stone was cut out of the Mountain and that it broke in pieces [the image]-- the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this...."

-- -- -- -- -- --

Explanation of this passage:

** A Stone cut out without hands: In Matthew 21:37-43, Mark 12:10, and 20:17-18, Jesus warns His disciples of His rejection and crucifixion at the hands of the Jews but His establishment of His church to bear fruit while He is away. In this passage, He quotes Psalm 118:22, by saying (Matthew 21:42): Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: 'The Stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing, and is marvellous in His eyes'?" Jesus, the Stone, was rejected by the Jews as their Messiah, but the Father used Him as the most important stone in a building-- the Cornerstone-- upon which to establsh the Christian Church. The phrase, "a Stone cut out without hands," refers to the virgin birth (the immaculate conception) of Jesus (see numerous Old and New Testament prophecies and statements).

** Mountains: In prophetic writings, a mountain represents a kingdom. In the Daniel passage, he writes first of a Mountain, from which comes a Stone. This Mountain is God the Father, from which Jesus the Son comes. Daniel then writes of the Stone becoming a Mountain, which fills the whole earth. After Jesus' Second Coming and His destruction of evil armies at Armageddon, He will establish His Millennial Kingdom (His one-thousand year reign of peace and love) throughout the world-- the "great Mountain that [fills] the whole earth." 

** Destruction of the image: A person seeking to kill someone with a rock would aim at the head, not the feet. Blunt trauma to the feet is not life-threatening. But Jesus, the Stone, struck the image's feet. Why? At this time in history, all other parts of the idol (all previous empires) have passed away. There will only exist the feet of clay and iron (the Antichrist's EU armed forces), and the Stone will attack only the part that exists at that time. When the feet were crushed, the image collapsed and became chaff-like dust to be blown away and never to re-appear. God tells us through this prophecy that never again will man be allowed to establish a government. From that time forward as we move into Future Eternity, only God's Kingdom will exist.

SIMILAR IMAGERY OF DANIEL: Daniel himself later had similar visions:

Daniel, chapter 7: Daniel saw ferocious beasts-- a lion, bear, leopard, and a dreadful, terrible beast-- which represented Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, respectively.

Daniel, chapter 8: Daniel saw a ram and a goat, which represented Medo-Persia and Greece, respectively. Interpretation of this prophecy is of great interest.

-- -- -- -- -- --

Explanation of these passages:

** The ram with two horns represented the merged kingdoms of the Medes and the Persians. The shaggy goat from the West was the Grecian Empire. The goat charged with great speed, hit the ram, and broke off the two horns. This symbol prophesied the tactic of Greece's Alexander the Great, who attacked with lightning speed and great ferocity. The horns breaking from the ram prophesied the defeat of Medo-Persia by Greece [Dan. 8:1-7].

** The goat had one horn (Alexander) and became great (stunning military victories). At the height of its power, the single horn was broken off, to be replaced by four horns. Alexander (the great horn) died unexpectedly at age 32, leaving no heirs. The four horns who sprang up after the broken horn represented Alexander's four generals-- Cassander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. These generals divided Greece, and each general ruled a different division [Dan. 8:8]...... From Seleucus came an especially evil man, Antiochus IV, Epiphanes, who ruled the Seleucid Dynasty, in which was located presentday Israel.. Antiochus' reign extended from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC.

Daniel wrote of "little horns." At times, he prophesied Antiochus; at other times, the Antichrist...... Anthiochus was a type (shadow, forerunner) of the Antichrist. Passages in the eighth and eleventh chapters of Daniel prophesied Antiochus. In 167 BC, Antiochus built an altar to the Greek god Zeus over the altar of burnt offerings in the Jewish Temple, and sacrificed a pig on this altar. This conduct was so blasphemous to Jews that it was called "the abomination that causes desolation." Jewish Temple worship was no longer possible in the defiled Temple. A Jewish rebellion occurred. A group of Jews, the Maccabeans, revolted and defeated the Greek-Syrian king. They reclaimed their Temple, and ceremonially cleansed it to permit resumption of worship. There was a miracle at this time, in which only one day's supply of consecrated oil existed. This meager supply of oil lit the menorrah for eight days until more oil could be prepared..... This miracle was the origin of Hanukkah.

Jesus prophesied (Matthew 24:15) that the "abomination of desolation," first recorded by Daniel as Antiochus' blasphemy, will again be repeated. This abomination that causes desolation will occur during the Tribulation, when the False Prophet causes an image of the Antichrist to be set up in the Third Temple, with the requirement that people either worship the Antichrist as god or be killed (Revelation 13:14-15).

CONCLUSION: An all-knowing, loving God prepares His children for the future.

** God tells of future empires which would affect the Jews. All have passed into history, except the mixed iron-clay empire of the Revived Roman Empire (the European Union, EU), which now exists. The EU will be the dominant world power at the time of the Tribulation. The Antichrist will arise from the EU.

** Note that there is a parenthesis (gap of time) in the prophecy. Only when the Jews were/ are in the Middle East does the prophecy prevail. During the Diaspora (Jewish dispersal from AD 70 until 1948), the prophecy is silent. 

** The obvious, always-asked question is: Where is America? Prophecy  implies that America will no longer be a significant factor in world affairs at the end of time. Any failure of America will create a vacuum. Since a vacuum cannot exist in world politics, the EU likely will fill that vacuum.

I can envision several scenarios that could lead to the fall of America. Events are happening rapidly in Washington, and missteps in some of these events may be devastating. I have expected God's judgment on America for some time because God has given America so much, but we Americans are spurning Him.

** The reassuring feature of this prophecy is the Stone cut out of the Mountain without human hands. This Stone, Jesus the Christ, will be victorious over all of man's kingdoms. No matter how bad things now seem, we who believe in Jesus as Savior are ready to become eternally victorious. Jesus will prevail over Satan (Genesis 3:15; Revelation 20:1-3; and other Scriptures) and the Antichrist (Revelation 19:19-21; and other Scriptures). This is the best of times for a Christian. We will meet our Savior face to face, and be with Him forever. 

NEW FEATURES:

** I have posted this week another Website, Prophecy News Search, www.ProphecyNewsSearch.com . This site will contain more news links and less commentary than my other site, Fulfillment of Bible Prophecy in Today's News. I am still working on the site, but you may find it useful as I improve it. I have little knowledge of HTML codes, and I am still working on changing font faces in this site. This weekend, I hope to have one of my computer-savvy sons show me what coding error I have committed.

** I am posting my electronic newsletters on these two sites. You may use these links, if you delete a newsletter or wish to send a newsletter to a friend. I add the newsletter directory as an ATTACHED FILE to this newsletter.

This newsletter is NOT COPYRIGHTED. Please share it freely with others. Encourage others to sign up for this newsletter.