We’re using these Blogs to gain insight into foundational Biblical prophecies about Earth’s future. Scripture offers a keen perception of the transition from our current world — to the Millennial Kingdom Jesus will rule. From there, we will pursue details about the Eternal Kingdom, where God will live among His people in a new heaven and a new earth. (Rev. 21:1-3) I’m excited to share these things because I think you’ll find them fascinating and encouraging.

The Bible reveals a progression of events as humanity shifts from this worn-out world to the new heaven and new earth. (Heb. 1:10-12) It gives a believer direction and purpose to know what God has planned after the era we’re in now. We’ll follow that path of proceedings in these Blogs so the End Times and the future are not unknown to us. Jesus explained the Last Days for our benefit, so we can know our destiny.

As we wait for Jesus’ second coming, many Bible scholars believe there will be a seven-year Tribulation. Daniel’s prophecies uniquely reveal important details about the Tribulation’s timing and even some of the participants. Only the Lord knows the exact order of incidents and timing, but curiosity toward these and other End Times activities is not only appropriate but spiritually healthy.

In our study of the Book of Daniel, it’s exceptional to note that Jesus validated Daniel’s prophecies by assuredly speaking about the prophet’s predictions. Daniel provides a solid revelation of events that will transpire in the future, and the account was endorsed by Jesus when He said:

Matthew 24:15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)

“Among prophetic biblical books, Daniel has a special place that sets it apart as a unique and distinctive contribution.” [1]

Schedule of End Time Events

Let’s glance through some future events the Bible reveals during the End Times. I’ve shown this list in an earlier Blog as well. I offer it not to be exact about timing or sequence but so we can skim through possibilities. The terminology and rough chronology (even the unsure timing) provide a skeletal framework to discuss future landmarks in the overall scheme of what God’s doing.

       (Rapture – Pre-Tribulation?)

First Half of the Tribulation – 3 ½ Years

       (Rapture – Mid-Tribulation – Pre-wrath ?)

Second Half of the Tribulation – 3 ½ Years

Battle of Armageddon

Second Coming of Jesus Christ

      (Rapture – Post-Tribulation?)

Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ

      1,000 Years (Satan Restrained)

Judgments of the End Times

      Great White Throne Judgment (Satan Released Temporarily)

Eternal Kingdom of God – A Supernaturally Restored Earth

Details around the rapture’s timing, facets of the Tribulation, and particulars about the campaign of Armageddon will be considered as we review the events told by the Scriptures. After those will come the Second Coming of Jesus, His establishment of the Millennial Kingdom, and the Eternal Kingdom.

Daniel – A Prophet in Babylon

During the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon declared war on the Jews and besieged the city of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

Yahweh allowed the city to be taken, and the Jews were exiled to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.[2] But Daniel was a distinctive individual who didn’t run with the crowd. He was devoted to the Lord, along with a remnant of other faithful nobles.

Therefore, Daniel and a handful of distinguished sons of Israel were taken to Babylon, but not because God was disciplining them. Daniel and his companions were outstanding young Hebrews who displayed abilities to work among royalty in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. They were favored and destined to be involved in God’s purposes through serving King Nebuchadnezzar. (Daniel 1:1-4)

While he was in Babylon, Daniel received revelations from the Lord. During his years as a prophet, from about 600 BC until 540 BC, Yahweh gave Daniel amazing clarity about future aspects of that ancient world. His visions also skipped way ahead, and he prophesied about our modern world and its future until the Last Days. Yes, we can know what will happen in our modern future because of the ancient writings of Daniel and other Scriptures.

Daniel 2 – Four World Empires

On one occasion, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that perplexed him. The king demanded that his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers tell him his dream and its meaning. He either couldn’t recall the dream or was unwilling to tell it. Either way, if someone told him the dream and the king confirmed it, he knew the interpretation would be assured of being true. In answer to Daniel’s and his faithful friends’ prayers, God revealed the dream and interpretation to Daniel in a night vision.

Daniel told the king his dream was of a huge, frightening, shining statue of a man. (Daniel 2:31-35) His head was of gold, with a chest and arms that were silver. His belly and thighs were bronze, his legs were iron, and his feet and toes were a combination of iron and baked clay. The materials of the body parts told a prophetic message of distant future kingdoms and empires.

King Nebuchadnezzar confirmed the dream was correct by throwing himself down before Daniel and worshipping him. Daniel must have denied the worship and given the glory to God. Because, the king acknowledged Daniel’s God as the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, and a revealer of mysteries. (Daniel 2:47)

Regarding the statue’s materials, notice that from top to bottom, the metals got harder. Gold to silver, bronze, and then iron. But finally, the iron and baked clay mixture of the feet and toes (Daniel 2:41) told of a weakness or breakup. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar the head of gold represented his kingdom of Babylon. The God of heaven gave him sovereignty, power, strength, and honor and made him the greatest of kings. (Daniel 2:37-38)

Daniel continued by accurately forecasting the three other major kingdoms that would reign over Palestine and the Jews[3] after Babylon.

Daniel didn’t give kingdom or empire names in this chapter 2 prophecy. But later in Daniel, he interpreted another vision and actually gave empire names in his forecast. (The Bible often interprets itself.) There, he recognized the other kingdoms of Medo-Persia and Greece. (Daniel 8:20-21)

Bible scholars have interpreted the Scriptures to reveal that the iron legs are the ancient Roman Empire. The mixture of iron and baked clay feet is the weakened, end of the Roman Empire, and the future Roman Empire I’ll describe in this Blog.[4] [5]

The Eternal Kingdom

But first, I must mention that Daniel does not talk only about the sequence of earthly empires. He also spoke of the Millenial and Eternal Kingdoms God would establish. From a vision in Daniel 2, he described a rock cut from a mountain, but not with human hands. That rock would strike the statue and crush it into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold.

Daniel 2:34-35 As you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain, but not by human hands. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. 35 The whole statue was crushed into small pieces of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. Then the wind blew them away without a trace, like chaff on a threshing floor. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth.

The rock that struck and destroyed the other kingdoms is the kingdom of God. Eventually, not a trace will be left of the worldly Gentile kingdoms he described. But the kingdom of God – it will last forever and cover the whole Earth.

Daniel 2:44 During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever. 

We are journeying through Scripture to discover the implications of this prophecy and humanity’s wonderful and exciting future. There will be a future Roman Empire, which will be negated before we enter God’s kingdom on Earth, and that will transition into the Eternal State.

Daniel 7 – The Future Roman Empire

The iron and clay feet (assumed with ten toes) in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2) reveal a future, second phase of the Roman Empire. Although divided for centuries, a future, new Roman Empire will eventually form when ten Western leaders become a single coalition. It will be a rebirth of the old Roman empire.[6]

Daniel chapter 7 gives us more information about this future Roman Empire. Daniel had another dream where he saw four different beasts emerging from the churning waters of the sea (Gentile nations), representing the same four world empires mentioned earlier.

Daniel 7:2-3 In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction. 3 Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others.

The first of the four beasts was a lion with an eagle’s wings (Babylon), the second was a bear (Medo-Persian), and the third was a leopard (Grecian).

As we move ahead, we’ll see how the fourth beast transforms. It was not likened to any one animal, but we’ll find out that it was a hybrid beast with combined lion, bear, and leopard features. This beast (an empire) will come out of the sea and have iron teeth and ten horns on its head.

Daniel 7:7  Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast—terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns.

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Let’s stop here momentarily. It’s to assure you that I’m not making up these interpretations. Over centuries, there have been many godly scholars who have interpreted the Scriptures. As time has gone on, they have, in many cases, unknowingly cooperated to interpret the Scriptures together. In other words, various volumes were written by past authors about Bible prophecies.

Since then, contemporary, qualified people have compared and considered the writings. Not that any “official” group has done this. However, diverse and varied scholars have searched the Scriptures and refined past and present renderings of Bible prophecies. The large mix of volumes is no secret, not that any one writer has a franchise on the truth. I often reference the books I use in my Blogs so you can check them out yourself.[7] (Acts 17:11)

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In prophetic Scripture, horns represent kings. Therefore, the ten horns mean ten kings will preside over this future empire for some time. But then a little eleventh horn will appear.

Daniel 7:8 As I was looking at the [ten] horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were torn out by the roots to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.

The ten horns reveal that the future Roman Empire derives from ten horns or kings. It transforms when three horns are torn out to make room for one small horn. The small horn has human eyes and a boastful, arrogant mouth.

Daniel was troubled and terrified by all he had seen in the vision, so he sought an interpretation of his dream that revealed four beasts. He asked someone standing by the throne, who said…

Daniel 7:17 These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth.

Then, the one standing by the throne explained the rest of the dream. He concentrated on the little horn, a boastful, arrogant king different from the other ten kings. Scholars believe this is a coming Antichrist, whom I will describe as we move on.

Daniel 7:23-25 Then he said to me, This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling and crushing everything in its path. 24 Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them. 25 He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.

Many Bible scholars believe this scenario describes the revived Roman Empire. It will be a Western power bloc comprised of the nations, descendants, and cultural habits of the ancient Roman Empire. Many Bible scholars believe the ten kings and the “different” eleventh horn (Antichrist) will come out of Western European countries because those are the nations the Roman Empire dissolved into. While that’s true, the “different” horn could also come from other Roman-influenced cultures like America, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand.

Roman Influence on Western Cultural

World history happened just the way Daniel described and predicted. The kingdoms in order were the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and ancient Roman Empires. The Romans were the most dominating (iron being the hardest material) but were compromised later by decreased morals in the empire. They broke down into different nations and kings, not that that situation was so bad. The breakdown actually freed Europe from the rule of a single power.

Be that as it may, the fall of the Roman Empire into a divided Europe is a known fact of history.

“After the fall of Ancient Rome, the authority of the old Roman Empire moved to the north and the center of power moved from place to place in Europe. There was division and further division until the Middle Ages, when kingdom divided against kingdom, warring against another kingdom that had originally been a part of the old Roman Empire.”[8]

For centuries, the Roman Empire was the preeminent power in the Western world, and its impact on Western culture was profound. The Romans exported many aspects of their culture around the world. Today, many governments and legal systems are modeled after the Roman Republic,[9] especially in the West, even west of the Atlantic Ocean. For instance, some features of the US Constitution were inspired by Roman political entities.[10] A Roman influence is still seen in our modern architecture, construction techniques, and many building designs, among other cultural expressions.

Rome was never really overcome and replaced. The part iron and part clay feet told of a weakened, divided kingdom, partly strong and partly broken. (Daniel 2:40-43) In other words, leaders and nations were displaced or divided in the later years of the Roman Empire. The old Roman Empire became weak in the end. Smaller, less powerful kingdoms rose up randomly within it and became European nations, and those nations spawned others, like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States of America.

The future Roman Empire could include more than only the same land mass it controlled. It’s possible those nations whose traditions and customs derived from the original Roman Empire could be included. It’s feasible that the reunited Roman Empire could include other powerful Western countries.

To summarize, the ten horns signify ten leaders who will consolidate power into a group or the renewed Roman Empire oligarchy.[11] The small horn, or the “different” eleventh horn, is the Antichrist. He will subdue or conquer three of the horns or leaders out of the ten.[12]

The Antichrist will not only be a “world ruler who eventually will conquer the whole earth (Daniel 7:23), but he will also speak against God and will oppress His saints (Daniel 7:25). He will attempt to change long-accepted laws and times (Daniel 7:25), and for a time he will be able to persecute saints.” [13]

Revelation 13 – The Antichrist

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John complemented and added to the prophecies of Daniel, further exposing the beast with horns and the Antichrist.

Revelation 13:1-2 Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. 2 This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority.

Like Daniel, John also envisioned the beast rising from the sea. This beast was a complex hybrid, having the features of the three beasts Daniel saw, a lion, bear, and leopard. This may indicate that the future Roman Empire will have the characteristics of all the most powerful leaders and empires who have ruled the world. Remember, it was different from the other beasts. The future, reborn Roman Empire will likely control the world in a more thoroughly domineering way.

John added information and explained that at some point, the ten kings would give their power to the beast, or Antichrist of the future Roman Empire.

Revelation 17:12-13 The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. 13 They will all agree to give him their power and authority.

Israel to Survive Until the End Times

Daniel’s dreams all refer to Gentile kingdoms or empires, making it evident that Israel would diminish during the age of the Gentile dominions he predicted. History shows Israel would not participate in world leadership as these kingdoms did.

“The nation that had been promised the land was removed from it, and the people who had been promised a king were without a king of their own race. They were in subjection to Gentile leaders.”[14] Daniel’s visions from Yahweh disclosed that the future of Israel would lessen during the Gentile world of kingdom-building.

But Daniel and other Biblical prophets showed that the Jews would definitely survive as a people, all the way until the End Times, as discussed in my last Blogs, Israel – Part 1 and Part 2. The people of Israel would never disintegrate and fade to nothing. God has plans for Jerusalem, Israel, and the Jews, even into the Millennial and Eternal Kingdoms.

Daniel 9 – Seventy Weeks Prophecy

In Daniel chapter 9, he received information from the angel Gabriel to reveal the Seventy Weeks (70 x 7 = 490 years) prophecy. It discloses that 69 weeks of years will happen consecutively, and then 1 week of years (7 years), the 70^th week of years, will occur sometime in the future. Many scholars agree the 70^th week is the Tribulation.

Daniel 9:24-27 (NASB) “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with streets and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate.”

Rather than attempt to explain the various parts of this prophecy in words alone, the timeline chart below summarizes what was decreed or planned by God, as spoken by Gabriel.

Also added to the timeline are some components showing how the narrative in my Blogs will inform us. There will be the Church Age (Times of the Gentiles), the Second Coming of Christ, the Millenium, Satan’s activities, and the Eternal Kingdom, with Bible references.