(a)What did the small horn do? (Psalm 83:18) The Witnesses program of Bible education is helping countless individuals and families to replace harmful lifestyles with clean and peaceful conduct that conforms to Gods standards. May2011, Share 4 Because the empires mentioned in the Bible were usually ruled by a king, the empires themselves are often referred to as kings, kingdoms, or both.Daniel 8:20-22. THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST DEVOURS THE HARLOT. What interpretation did Daniel give to Nebuchadnezzars prophetic dream, and how long has that symbolic image over-shadowed world politics? is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. What was the dream that Daniel recalled to the kings mind? Almost ten years ago, The World Book Encyclopedia optimistically noted: We probably have a greater chance of solving the problems of our times than any previous generation. But now, a decade later, at the beginning of the 1990s, is there still room for optimism? The religions of Christendom are surely part of Babylon the Great. 35 To learn more about the Bible, feel free to contact Jehovahs Witnesses locally, write to the appropriate address listed on page5, or visit our Web site www.watchtower.org. The common people make it difficult for this world power to be strong like iron. For example, it proved its power by winning World WarI. They will destroy her influence and devastate her riches. 3 We can identify what the seventh head is if we compare what John said about the wild beast of Revelation chapter13 with what Daniel said about the frightening beast with ten horns.a (See footnote.) Men in Western civilization have thus been thrown back wholly on themselves, and they find themselves wanting, concludes The Columbia History of the World. (2Peter 1:19) We need to obey Jehovah right now and support his Kingdom.Revelation 14:6,7. a In the Bible, the number ten often means a complete group. Daniel 2:41 shows that the feet made of iron mixed with clay are one kingdom, not many. You will also see that the Bible is deserving of your full trust, that it truly is inspired by God.2Timothy 3:16. A Prophetic GiantWhat Will Its Fall Mean? The body parts were of metal; from top to bottom, they were made of progressively less valuable but harder metals, beginning with gold and terminating with iron; the feet and toes, however, had clay mixed with the iron. No longer are Gods servants limited to one nation or one locality, so that they can be oppressed by a single world power. Britain continued to grow in wealth and power, and in the 19thcentury, it was the richest and most powerful nation on earth. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. What will soon happen to false religion, and why? 17 pp. 18 After false religion is destroyed, the wild beast, Satans governments on earth, will attack Gods Kingdom. What is the relationship between the seventh head of the wild beast and the immense image? Peter tried to object but Jesus warned him to have his feet washed. 6 Shortly after the beginning of the Lords day, the seventh head began to attack Gods people, that is, those of Christs brothers who were still on earth. They are described as an amalgam of iron and clay. What, though, about the feet of the image? Why did John call the image of the wild beast an eighth king? 302-309 - The Watchtower1969, Rbi8 Daniel 1:1-12:13 - Reference Bible (Rbi8), nwt Daniel 1:1-12:13 - New World Translation (nwt), sl chap. Other European empires controlled millions of people more. All will have an abundance of food. The Kingdom will destroy the governments of this world. The number of nations in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East grew dramatically. And when a leader wins an election by only a few votes, he does not have enough authority to do what he promised to do. 3:26-29) The Anglo-American World Power waged war with those holy ones. In the fifth century, the Roman Empire started to be broken into smaller kingdoms. Note also that during the rule of the ten toes, the common people, the offspring of mankind, would become increasingly involved in government. The prophet Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream in chapter two of the Book of Daniel. In over 230 lands, Jehovahs Witnesses are proclaiming the Kingdom of God. But now, many people no longer respect these religions and their ministers. 20 You, Oking, happened to be beholding, and, look! Yes! (Matthew 25:40) From what Jesus said, some of the seed of the woman would still be on earth at the beginning of the Lords day and would be doing the work that Jesus had given to them. Esau and Ishmael: Feet of Iron and Clay As we painfully experienced this week with murder of four innocent civilians in prayer and a young Druze policeman who attempted to save them, Israel. . However, from early on, that iron has been mixed with clay. (Rev. 13 The beast with two horns tells people to make an image of the wild beast with seven heads. When we look . However, when describing the image, Daniel does not mention the number of toes. Anglo-American World Power: Britain and the United States of America work together as special partners and often act as one world power, Lords day: A time period that started when Jesus was made King in 1914 and continues until he gives the Kingdom back to his Father, Jehovah. In a vision, Jehovah showed Nebuchadnezzars dream to Daniel and gave him its meaning. Satan used all those world powers to fight Gods people because he hated the seed of the woman. Until the 1600s, they were much more important kingdoms than Britain was. 65 In his dream the king of Babylon saw the representation of a continuous series of political world powers, from the Babylonian World Power of Nebuchadnezzars dynasty down to and including the Biblically Seventh World Power, the Anglo-American World Power of our twentieth century. For example, many of the beasts had a specific number of horns. bi10 Daniel 1:1-12:13 - King James Version (bi10) Pay Attention to God's Prophetic Word for Our Day (31 occurrences) 17. The harlot will no longer be able to control these governments, and she will lose all her riches. Gods Kingdom will soon crush the feet of the giant image. We know from history this is a prophecy of the last four major empires on earth. (Read Daniel 2:41-43.) And the clay represents democracy, which is a new concept arguably inspired by various historic landmarks such as the French Revolution. Let's start in Daniel 2 where we learn that Jesus's Kingdom will "grind to powder" all the other kingdoms. In Daniel's prophecy, the clay in the feet of the immense image symbolizes the common people. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. The final destruction of Gods opposers will be a spectacular fulfillment of the prophecy at Genesis 3:15, mentioned in the first article in this series. Feet of clay means a fatal flaw, a negative characteristic or attribute that is hidden in an otherwise admirable human being. 9 Jehovahs servants have long sought to understand the symbolic meaning of the feet of the image. 8. The clay, therefore, represents elements within the sphere of influence of the Anglo-American World Power, elements that make it weaker than the solid iron of the Roman Empire. (Read Daniel 7:7, 8, 23,24.) In 1914, when the Lords day began, Britain was the largest empire that ever existed and the United States had the strongest industries in the world.b (See footnote.) This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. What does it do? I've never understood why the different empire's depicted in the prophesy (Babylonian, Persian, Anglo-American etc) were agreed upon as those specific empires. . By means of them, as well as by means of labor unions, lobbies, environmental groups, and untold other citizen and special-interest groups, people power is now speaking more often and more loudly than ever before. So the feet have iron in them. And what will happen thereafter? Concerning the seven powers, or kings, the Bible foretold: There are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet arrived, but when he does arrive he must remain a short while.*Revelation 17:10. 6, 7. This results in a final battle with God. That image, which was large and the brightness of which was extraordinary, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was dreadful. History now confirms the following: The head of gold represented the Babylonian Empire. The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom (Study)2022, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom1962, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom1978, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovahs Kingdom2012. How? John saw a wild beast that had two horns and that spoke like a dragon. The prophecy at Revelation 17:10 complements another prophecy found in the book of Daniel. And what should these prophecies make us want to do? 14John described the image of the wild beast with seven heads as an eighth king. Why did he call it a king? This beast with ten horns means the world power of Rome. The divisions of the Roman Empire (ten in number as seen in Daniel 7) are, according to chapter 2, to be looked for mixed with or among the "iron" of the Roman Empire. Just as something made of iron mixed with clay is weaker than something made of solid iron, the Anglo-American World Power is weaker than the power from which it came. 4 In Daniels prophecy of the beast with ten horns, another horn, a small one, comes up and replaces three of the ten horns. Daniel wrote about an immense image that Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar saw in a vision given him by God. TERMS OF USE And when the Berlin wall finally fell, the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel emblazoned its front cover with the words Das Volk siegtthe people win! Therefore, the number seems no more significant than the fact that the image had multiple arms, hands, fingers, legs, and feet. Daniel was one of the young Jewish captives taken into exile with King Jehoiachin in 617B.C.E. There are many books and scholars to confirm what these metals represent. 13 A prophecy in the book of Daniel helps us to understand in what period of time we are living. Learn how Greece became the fifth world power in Bible history. ( Daniel 2:33, NASB1995)) Finally, the feet of mixed clay and iron "will be a divided kingdom" (Daniel 2:41). | The Collins Atlas of World History notes that on the eve of the 1914 war, it seemed that the division of the world among a number of great powers was almost complete. In fact, Hugh Brogan, lecturer in history at the University of Essex, England, says it appeared that before long the whole world would be ruled by half a dozen powers.. 19. 3 pp. 15,16. This organization was called the League of Nations. Spain, the Netherlands, and France had also been part of the Roman Empire. This description of the feet is talking about the same event as when the seventh head of the wild beast appears. We can be sure that soon false religion will be destroyed and that the battle of Armageddon will come. will partly prove to be strong and will partly prove to be fragile . * That image, which was huge and extremely bright, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was terrifying. The king saw a statue that represented four great empires. 17 Let us now pick up some prophetic strands in the book of Daniel. But it was not yet the seventh head of the wild beast. Daniel explains that the images head was of good gold, its breasts and its arms were of silver, its belly and its thighs were of copper, its legs were of iron, its feet were partly of iron and partly of molded clay.Dan. God granted Daniel the ability to interpret a dream that baffled Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. However, when describing the image, Daniel does not mention the number of toes. . Now the fragility, or brittleness of "democracy" has been suggested, and indeed may be part of of it. Upon awakening from sleep Nebuchadnezzar could not remember his most unusual dream and it disturbed him a great deal. What was the dream that Daniel recalled to the king? How so? (b)What do the first six heads of the wild beast represent? But the harlot will not lose her power gradually. 313-316 - The Watchtower1959, bi22 Daniel 1:1-12:13 - American Standard Version (bi22), sl chap. #bible prophecy expo #prophecy prophecy #bible prophecy #revelation 6 #revelation 6:1-2 #revelation 6:3-4 #revelation 6:5-6 #revelation 6:7-8 #Daniel's vision #Nebuchadnezzar's dreams Time Will come that this following event Will happen in the near future: 1. (Dan. During that war, Gods people declared that according to the prophecy in Revelation, the image of the wild beast would ascend again. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image . A Book You Can TrustPart 7, Publication download options 4,5. (Revelation 11:3, 7-11) Just as Jehovah had said, those of the seed of the woman who were still on earth started preaching zealously again. 9 For a long time, Jehovahs servants have wanted to understand what the feet of the image mean. There would be one more empire, but the prophecy stated: [It] has not yet arrived. True to Bible prophecy, the seventh king did arrive on the world scene! If we do not safeguard our heart, we might compromise our neutrality. False religions have publicly supported the image of the beast, that is, the League of Nations and the United Nations, and they have tried to direct these organizations. By the time the Lords day began in 1914, Britain had built the largest empire in history and the United States had become the greatest industrial power on earth.b During World WarI, the United States forged a special partnership with Britain. The power of this image comes from the nations that are members of the United Nations, especially from the Anglo-American World Power. In the prophecy about the giant image, the feet are the last part of the image. (Matt. Do those promises appeal to you? . (b)What does the clay in the feet of the image represent? (See the box at top.). The feet, an amalgam of iron and clay, symbolize the politically and socially incohesive state of affairs during the time of the Anglo-American world power. It seems more Christian's than just JWs believe this interpretation, but why those empires . (b)Daniel 2:44 refers to Gods Kingdom as destroying which kingdoms? He saw a terrifying metallic image, with head of gold, breasts and arms of silver, belly and hips of copper, its legs of iron, and its feet of iron smeared with clay. This beast also means the Anglo-American World Power, but now it does something special.Read Revelation 13:11-15. In particular, they believe that the feet of iron and clay symbolize the Anglo-American World Power (Britain and the United States). 6 Nebuchadnezzar listened intently as Daniel explained: You, Oking, happened to be beholding, and, look! Sorry, there was an error loading the video. (b)What can we conclude about the number of toes? 16:13-16; 17:12-14) Daniel describes one aspect of the final battle. 33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Perfect health will prevail. Sorry, there was an error loading the video. ( Dan. Daniel 2:41-43 "the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it. The breasts and arms of silver depicted Medo-Persia. Her tumble will be sudden and violent.Rev. Also, opposing ideologies and close election results that do not end up in a clear majority have weakened the power base of even popular leaders, so that they have no clear mandate to implement their policies. That is the time when the Anglo-American World Power would arise. . Paul Kennedy, professor of history at Yale University, explains: The most striking change in Europe, measured in territorial-juridical terms, was the emergence of a cluster of nation-statesPoland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuaniain place of lands which were formerly part of the Habsburg, Romanov, and Hohenzollern empires.. 3. 16 However, during the Lords day, Babylon the Great has seen the waters, the people who support her, dry up dramatically. 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