Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

K Randolph wrote:

> One question is: are all the visions of Daniel complementary, i.e.
> working together while each has some details not in the other, or are
> they each unique and to be taken separately?
>
> If the former, then a clue to the identities of the beasts in chapter
> seven would be found in chapter eight, where it is clear that one
> beast was for the Medo-Persian empire, and another for the Hellenistic
> kingdoms. Further the Hellenistic kingdoms are shown to be four. In
> fact, throughout Daniel's prophecies, Alexander's kingdom is shown as
> splitting into four.
>
> By putting the clues from all of Daniel's prophetic chapters together,
> the third beast in chapter seven would then be Greece, leaving the
> fourth beast .... ?
>  



HH: Now you're on the right track.  The fourth kingdom is certainly 
Rome. The  same thing occurs in  chapter 11.  The supernatural messenger 
tells Daniel that three more kings will rise in Persia, and then a 
fourth who attacks Greece (10:2). Then a warrior king arises to rule a 
vast realm and do whatever he wants. This is Alexander the Great (10:3). 
But as soon as he is established his kingdom is broken up (by his death) 
to the four winds (or into four parts). The chapter unfolds with parts 
of this split Grecian kingdom warring against one another, especially 
Syria (Seleucid dynasty) against Egypt (Ptolemaic dynasty). But in verse 
29 it is mentioned that when the king of the north (Syria) attacks the 
king of the south (Egypt), the ships of Kittim will come against him. 
Kittim here represents Rome. Remember that both the kings of the north 
and south represent remnants of the Greek kingdom, so Kittim is not 
Greece but Rome. Historical treatments of Daniel 11 have the details at 
hand. Rome does find mention in Daniel's prophecy, although he wrote too 
early to use the later names. He wrote as a prophet of an empire not yet 
on the scene, or just barely on the scene. Modern historians think that 
Rome was founded in 625 B.C.:

http://www.roman-empire.net/children/history.html

Yours,
Harold Holmyard