You will find eschatological prophecy throughout the Bible, but the books of Daniel and Revelation, as well as the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21) provide the most detailed look at the last days. A good deal of the visions and prophecies of Daniel are paralleled in Revelation, and Jesus Himself made reference to the book of Daniel during the Olivet Discourse. Of course, other Scripture must be studied in conjunction with these books, but I believe Daniel is a good place to start.
Daniel was a Palestinian Jew, captured by Nebuchadnezzar's army in 605 BC and transported to Babylon. He was highly educated, intuitive, and quickly rose through the ranks of the king's service, ultimately becoming governor of the province of Babylon and then chief of the governors.[40]
It was during his time of civil service that the book of Daniel was written, and it is a primary key to unlocking end-time prophecy. The book is filled with visions, symbolism and imagery, and some of the most incredible prophecies found within the pages of the Bible. One of its prophecies, found in Daniel 9, actually predicts the exact day the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem nearly 600 years later.
The uncanny detail found in the fulfilled prophecies of Daniel, have caused critics to insist that the book was written after 160 BC, but their theories have been disproved by scholars and paleographic experts. The Septuagint (LXX), the oldest Greek Bible translation, was translated during the 3rd century BC and it included the book of Daniel. Also, Flavius Josephus, who was a court historian for three successive Roman emperors, records that Alexander the Great received a copy of the book of Daniel in 332 BC immediately after conquering Tyre.[41]
The historical portion of the book details the lives of Daniel, his friends, his governmental service, and the reigns of kings Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius, as well as the wonderful narratives of the trial in the furnace and his ordeal in the lion's den. The prophetical portion of the book, which will be our focus, deals with several apocalyptic visions that detail the course of world history, including the end times we live in today.
Articles and commentaries have been written about this book for centuries. Yet, since God chose to seal the understanding of the book until the "time of the end" only recently have some of its visions and prophecies been more fully understood. As we gain understanding of the prophecies of Daniel, and other Scripture, some long-held beliefs are being stripped away.
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. And he said, Go thy way Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end (Daniel 12:4,9).
NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM
An end-time beast government is described in three different places in the Bible – Daniel 2, Daniel 7, and in Revelation 13. Daniel 7 is similar to the story found in Daniel 2, but from a different perspective and with some additional details. This is not unusual with the Bible. For example, the authors of the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, basically tell the same story but from their own point of view and experience.
We will discuss all three of these passages regarding the empire of the end times, and how they blend together to form a complete picture.
The 2nd chapter of Daniel contains a prophecy about the rise and fall of the empires that affect the Jewish people. Two kingdoms, Egypt and Assyria, had already passed at the time of this prophecy, so they are not included in this particular passage of Scripture.
This prophecy develops through a dream of Nebuchadnezzar's, and, although it troubled his spirit, he could not remember the dream the next day. He commanded all the wise men and astrologers of his kingdom to relay the dream and its meaning, and, of course, they could not. But Daniel prayed and asked God to give him the dream and its meaning, and his prayer was answered. Daniel then explains the dream to Nebuchadnezzar:
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The Gospel Truth and Bible Prophecy
EspiritualThis book examines the evidence of the Bible being the true Word of God, and gives details of some of its many prophecies - past and future.
