FOUR EARTHLY KINGDOMS BEFORE CHRIST

Transcription

1 FOUR EARTHLY KINGDOMS BEFORE CHRIST EXPLAINING THE BOOK OF DANIEL June 2015 Rian Cilliers

2 PREFACE FOUR EARTHLY KINGDOMS BEFORE CHRIST CONTENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1. Dreams of the great statue and the beasts (Dan 2 & 7) 2 2. Four fleshly kingdoms in succession 4 3. God setting up His kingdom 8 4. God s kingdom gaining momentum The certainty in God s main message The 2 dreams frame the next 3 visions Unity in the visions of Dan 8, 9 and Continuity in identifying the 4 kingdoms Continuity in identifying Christ Continuity in the future of Jerusalem and the temple More details of the prophecies of Christ Page no

3 FOUR EARTHLY KINGDOMS BEFORE CHRIST EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Book of Daniel deals with God announcing the establishment of His kingdom of heaven on the earth through Christ, at the end of season of the rule of earthly kings. God indicated that 4 earthly kingdoms will arise, before God will set up His own kingdom on earth through Christ, the Messiah. When Daniel was about 15 years old, God informs Daniel through the dream of a great statue, that 4 earthly kingdoms would rule and reign the earth, and that in the time of those [four] kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed (Dan 2:44). When Daniel was about 70 years old, God confirms to Daniel His original plan of 55 years ago, reflected in Daniel chapter 2. Daniel had a dream of 4 beasts representing these same 4 gentile kingdoms that would emerge in succession (Dan 7:3), and that during the fourth gentile kingdom, when God has set up His own kingdom on earth, the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it [the kingdom] for ever yes, for ever and ever (Dan 7:18). This volume highlights the continuity between the dreams of Daniel chapters 2 and 7. However, in the dream of Daniel chapter 7, God provides more information to Daniel, which led to a series of questions and searches from Daniel to hear more details from God in order to understand better these kingdoms. God presented Daniel with those details in 3 visions recorded in Daniel chapter 8, 9 and This volume highlights the continuity between these two dreams and the last three visions recorded in Daniel chapters 8, 9, and All these dreams and visions highlight the framework that 4 earthly kingdoms were the Babylonian kingdom, the Medo-Persian kingdom, the Grecian kingdom and the fearsome Fourth kingdom. At the time of the Fourth kingdom, God sets up His kingdom through Christ. The whole Book of Daniel deals with the same framework of 4 earthly kingdoms, and during the time of the Fourth earthly kingdom God sets up His own kingdom on earth through Christ. All the prophecies of Christ in the Book of Daniel was fulfilled when Christ walked the earth 2000 years ago, establishing God s spiritual kingdom of heaven on the earth. The bottom line is that God s kingdom of heaven has already been established on earth when Christ died on the cross. Through these 4 earthly kingdoms, God reveals the reality of the existence of His own kingdom on earth.

4 2 1. DREAMS OF THE GREAT STATUE AND THE BEASTS (DAN 2 & 7) This chapter focuses on the common messages in King Nebuchadnezzar s dream of the great statue consisting of 4 components, recorded in Daniel chapter 2, and Daniel s dream of the 4 beasts emerging out of the sea, recorded in Daniel chapter 7. THE TIMING OF THE KING S DREAM OF THE STATUE King Nebuchadnezzar s dream of the great statue occurred in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:1), that is, in 605 BC. It occurred about a year after Daniel was brought to Babylon. Daniel was then about 15 years old. God meant the king s dream more for Daniel and the Jews than for the ungodly king Nebuchadnezzar. The dream came during a time when the Jews were still very proud and still dreamt of independence. That is why the Jews were exiled to Babylon. They operated in the flesh, and therefore their harvest of the flesh brought them in captivity of those who operate in the flesh continuously. The king s dream was meant for the peace within the Jews to return to them while they were in Babylon. The Jews had to make peace with their circumstances. Those that did not adhere to this dream, 1600 kilometres away from Jerusalem, would never experience peace. Jerusalem would again be taken in 598 BC, 7 years later, and eventually completely destroyed in 587 BC, 18 years later, by king Nebuchadnezzar. The dream was also meant to uplift Daniel to a senior position of authority within the heathen kingdom therefore God allowed the king, and not Daniel, to dream first. God s truth, goodness and righteousness towards His own people are clearly evident here. THE TIMING OF DANIEL S DREAM OF THE 4 BEASTS Daniel s dream of the 4 beasts recorded in Daniel 7 occurred about 550 BC, roughly 55 years after the king s dream of the 4 kingdoms represented in the great statue. This is about 56 years after Daniel was taken captive to Babylon. Daniel s age has moved on from 15 years when the king had his dream, to 70 years. Daniel was already an old man. Daniel s own dream (Daniel 7) has the same content as the heathen king s dream of the statue in Daniel 2, but with more detail of importance for Daniel s people. When speaking of Daniel s people, the focus is not on all Jews, on all Israelites, but on the true descendants of Abraham in the spirit, the spiritual Israel, those people whose souls operate first to God in heaven, before acting through their bodies the same way as Abraham has operated. Through Daniel s dream 55 years later, God confirms the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. God brought Daniel s mind back to when he was 15 years old. In this way, Daniel became aware that what is going to happen is fixed, is a certainty. After 55 years, God has not changed His mind.

5 3 God also confirms the dream of 55 years ago because the time of the Babylonian kingdom has almost run out. Daniel s dream of the 4 beasts occurred about 3 years before the first transition from the first ungodly kingdom, the Babylonian kingdom, to the second ungodly kingdom, the Medo- Persian kingdom, were to take place. The decline of the first gentile kingdom was at hand, while the event of the second gentile kingdom succeeding and taking over the first gentile kingdom, was about to happen. And God would be the One that initiates this action. Even though the time of the Babylonian kingdom has almost run out, God still shows the Babylonian kingdom as the first beast that emerges out of the sea, just as the head of the great statue in the king s dream represented the Babylonian kingdom. God not only confirmed the dream of king Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2, but God wanted to make known to his prophet, Daniel, what He intends to do shortly, as God as declared: Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7). God s goodness towards His own people in understanding the times in which they were living is clearly evident here. The visions of Daniel 2 and 7 have several similarities, thus confirming God s plans and intentions over a period of 55 years the period from the dream of king Nebuchadnezzar to the dream of Daniel of the 4 beasts. The similarities are described in the following chapters.

6 4 2. FOUR FLESHLY KINGDOMS IN SUCCESSION This chapter briefly focuses on some of the similarities in the content of these 2 dreams, 55 years apart from each other, which Daniel had. FOUR KINGDOMS ON EARTH Both dreams speak about the emergence of four great kingdoms. The heathen king, king Nebuchadnezzar, saw a statue consisting of 4 parts. The 1) head of the statue was made of pure gold, 2) its chest and arms of silver, 3) its belly and thighs of bronze, 4) its legs of iron, its feet part of iron and part of [burned potter s] clay. (Dan 2:32). Daniel saw in his own vision from God, the same 4 kingdoms, but from another angle. The details of the 4 beasts, representing 4 kingdoms, are described in Dan 7:4-8. The explanation of the beasts is kingdoms. The first kingdom is the Babylonian kingdom under the heathen king Nebuchadnezzar, because in Daniel s description of the statue, Daniel declared to this king You, O king, are. that head of gold (Dan 2:37, 38). In later visions when God revealed more details to Daniel, the second kingdom was shown to be that of the kings of Media and Persia (Dan 8:20). The Medes and Persians is one kingdom; not 2 separate kingdoms. God declared to the son of King Nebuchadnezzar that his kingdom comes to an end (Dan 5:26) and your kingdom is divided and given to [both] the Medes and Persians (Dan5:28). The image of one ram represents one kingdom, where this one ram has 2 horns representing Media and Persia (Dan 8:3, 20). If the Medes and Persians were separate kingdoms, there would be 5, not 4, kingdoms until God sets up His kingdom on earth, namely the Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, the Grecian empire and a Fifth kingdom. These 5 would contradict the 4 kingdoms announced in the dreams of the great statue and of the 4 beasts in chapters 2 and 7 until God sets up His kingdom on earth. These 2 kings of one kingdom should not be linked only to the 2 arms of the statue made of silver, because the 2 arms PLUS the chest of the great statue represented these 2 kings of one kingdom (Dan 2:32). The third kingdom was much later on announced to Daniel as the king of Greece (Dan 8:21), or the Grecian kingdom under Alexander the Great. The fourth kingdom was never given a name, and it is therefore merely called the Fourth Kingdom. The 10 toes of the great image, though not specifically highlighted in Daniel 2:43, matches the 10 horns (or 10 kings of this kingdom) of the Fourth beast in Daniel 7:7, 24. THEY ARE EARTHLY KINGDOMS Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea (Dan 7:3). Here are 2 indications that the origins of these kingdoms are in the flesh of man, namely the words beast and sea. The sea represents the multitudes of fallen man. An explanation specifically provided for the image of many waters is: The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. (Rev 17:15). The waters represent the multitudes of fallen human beings on earth that have not God through Jesus Christ as anchors in their life. Their minds do not operate continually to God s kingdom

7 5 of heaven, and therefore they are unable to be proper images of God in the physical realm. They are thrown to and fro just as the movement of the water molecules in the seas. As a result of no anchors in God, who is Spirit, fallen man represented within these kingdoms as unstable and fluctuating as the seas; therefore the use of the symbol of the sea. Fallen man is thrown to and fro like the waters of the seas. The peoples represented in these waters below are thrown around just as water drops in the sea are thrown around. They have no foundations. Daniel saw in his dream Four great beasts came up out of the sea. (Dan 7:3). The interpretation of the 4 beasts is quite clear The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. (Dan 7:17). These kingdoms are represented as beasts, because these kingdoms are ruled by persons with deadened spirits and therefore beastly in nature. They operate mainly through soul and body of dust, the same way as animals and the wild beasts of the field operate. People within these kingdoms operate in the flesh, not in the Spirit. They are not alive to God. They are deadened, just as the great statue is a dead object. The sea from whom the 4 beasts emerge represents the sea of fallen people operating with deadened spirits as well and therefore mainly with soul and body of dust. Their souls choose not to operate to God. The kings that.. will rise from the earth (Dan 7: 17), implying that its actions will be earthly orientated. It will not be grounded in the Holy Spirit, which is heavenly orientated. The peoples of the earth and the rulers of their kingdoms have not yet met the rock of all ages, Christ, the rock that would smash the 4 earthly kingdoms and infiltrate the sea so that there will be a move towards no more sea. (Rev 21:1) These 4 kingdoms are humanly created, not Godly created, thus the first image of a humanly created statue it is rigid; not alive. What is generated to establish these 4 kingdoms originates in the soul of man the fleshly side of man. The source is not the Holy Spirit through man s spirit but directly from the fallen soul of man operating through his body. The soul does not first operate through the spirit towards the Holy Spirit, before the soul operates through the body. John the Baptist and Jesus proclaimed the message that man has to repent of his sins, which is nothing else than to turn man s back on having the soul as the source of action, but instead first allow man s soul to operate through man s spirit to the Holy Spirit and let the Holy Spirit be the source of man s actions through the body. Man has to continuously operate in faith through his spirit towards God. whatever is not from faith is sin (Rom 14:23). The beasts are not the whole sea. The beast emerges out of the sea. The sea represents the sea of fallen people, who are thrown around like the waters of the sea, with no solid foundations in their lives, as they choose to act separately from God. The beasts coming out of the sea also implies that not all those in the sea of people operate in the beast. The beast is a sub-component of the sea of people. Since the sea consist of all those not operating through their spirits towards God, the beast out of the sea also consist of those not operating through their spirits towards God. A beast emerges because all of those operating in them have spirits that are basically deadened. They operate through their souls and bodies of dust. They do their own thing, and create their own gods, which leads to death. Their souls and bodies of dust rule. Since the beast is fleshly, those involved in the beast try in their own strength to lord over the ruling souls and ruling bodies of fallen mankind. The beast rules with own selfishness over fallen man. The great I am rules in those that are part of the beast.

8 6 The own initiatives of man s soul and body to rule fellow man, as well as the activities of fallen angels trying to guide the world in the destructive direction that Satan desires, reside within the beasts coming out of the sea. It is significant that in the fulfilment of the 4 beasts all occurred around the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean Sea is right at the centre of these empires and constitutes about 50% of the surface area of each of these empires. Seen from the Mediterranean Sea, these 4 empires stretched in all 4 wind directions. before me the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts came up out of the sea. (Dan 7:2, 3). The fulfilment reveals that the earth areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea were the focus. The centre of 50% of water of these empires is symbolically of the unstable, fluctuating and fleshly nature of these empires. The Mediterranean Sea is also the targeted area, because Satan s goal is to destroy the land of Israel and its inhabitants, the image of God the Father on earth. Satan s target will automatically be countries surrounding Israel, where Israel lies on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The battle in the heavens eventually occurs as a result of the existence of Israel, as Michael, the protector of Israel (Dan 12:1), goes into battle against Satan. The origin of the kingdoms is the fleshliness of the multitudes of fallen men on earth. Furthermore: The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth (Dan 7:17). Thus, these 4 beasts rise from both the sea and the earth. The Book of Revelation and in particular Rev 13 indicates that the beast out of the sea refers to the flesh in man which distance itself from God, which does not enter heaven to hear from God what God wants to say and do through man. The beast out of the earth refers to the own initiatives of man s soul, generating its own thoughts and ideas without consulting God, and thus becoming a false prophet through man s body. Both activities of man s flesh are beasts, because both operate with suppressed spirit, that is, ruling soul and ruling body which suppresses man s spirit, just as an animal operates on the earth. The earth implies that the underlying basis of its existence will be fleshly, earthly, not originating from God who is spirit. Four is also the number of the earth, signifying earthliness. Those kingdoms would be earthly, not heavenly, in nature. They represent gentile kingdoms kingdoms generated fully by fallen men and their own initiatives without consulting God. Since these 4 kingdoms have all the characteristics of fleshliness, of been 4, coming out to the sea and earth, and of been beasts, their original source of creation in the spirit realm is not of God, but the fallen angels. And God allows it to occur. In Daniel chapter 10, Christ within the spirit realm appeared to Daniel, and informed Daniel of His struggles in the spirit realm against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age (Eph 6:12). Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come (Dan 10:20). The princes of Persia and of Greece are fallen angels in authority positions. These spiritual kingdoms eventually manifest within the physical realm also as kingdoms in the physical realm. These fallen angels influence fallen man walking the earth. Therefore, a beast also represents organised and structured systems consisting of masses of fallen mankind, because the spiritual kingdom of darkness manifests in the same way in the physical realm as a kingdom. THE FOUR KINGDOMS FOLLOW EACH OTHER IN SUCCESSION

9 7 The 4 kingdoms followed one after the other. The interpretation of the king s dream was that the king was the head of gold and After you, another kingdom will rise Next, a third kingdom.finally there will be a fourth kingdom. (Dan 2:39, 40). Daniel as an old man of 70 years saw Four great beasts came up out of the sea in succession (i.e. one after the other). (Dan 7:3). History has confirmed that these 4 kingdoms succeeded one another. The periods of the reign of these 4 kingdoms on earth were roughly the following: The Babylonian kingdom: BC (a period of 68 years) The Medo-Persian kingdom: BC (a period of roughly 204 years) The Grecian kingdom: BC (a period of roughly 53 years) The Fourth kingdom: 281 BC - 30 AD (a period of roughly 310 years) The year in which a kingdom emerged out of the sea of people will always remain contentious and debatable. The beginning and end of each kingdom is described subsequent Volumes, and depends much of what God s Word dictates.

10 8 3. GOD SETTING UP HIS KINGDOM This chapter briefly focuses on one of the similarities in the content of these 2 dreams, 55 years apart from each other, which Daniel had, namely that at the end of the four fleshly kingdoms, God will set up His own kingdom on earth. AN END TO THE FOUR KINGDOMS In both of the dreams of king Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel, the 4 kingdoms would have a definite end. Daniel told the king: He (God) has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what it is that shall be in the latter days at the end of days (Dan 2:28). The end of days, or the latter days refer to the end of the 4 gentile kingdoms, that is, the whole statue consisting of 4 kingdoms, and God setting up His own kingdom on earth by smashing the whole statue in pieces. In king Nebuchadnezzar s dream, The wind carried them (the 4 kingdoms) away, so that not a trace of them could be found. (Dan 2:35). The Holy Spirit is here represented as the wind. The omnipresent Holy Spirit, who is the key to God s kingdom on earth, is the One that puts an end to the 4 kingdoms. The interpretation is even clearer. it [God s kingdom] will crush and put an end to all these [four] kingdoms. (Dan 2:44). Here, the end is brought into the picture for the second time in Daniel. The end refers to the end of the 4 kingdoms. The latter days refer to the end of the 4 kingdoms and God setting up His own kingdom. The end and the time of the end is referred to a couple of times in Daniel chapters 8 to 12. In all these cases, they refer to Christ walking on the earth as king at the end of the fourth kingdom, setting up God s kingdom of heaven on earth. GOD SETTING UP HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH IS THE REASON FOR THE END OF THE 4 GENTILE KINGDOMS Both visions of Daniel 2 and 7 reveal that God will set up a kingdom during the Fourth kingdom that will eventually completely destroy all traces of the 4 earthly kingdoms. The heathen king saw a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay (the fourth kingdom) and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on the threshing floor in the summer (Dan 2:34). The interpretation is even more stunning In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom.. It will crush all those (four) kingdoms and bring them to an end.. (Dan 2:44). God s kingdom will be established by the end of the Fourth Kingdom (as the rock strikes the statue at its feet the last kingdom). When God declared in Daniel that He is going to establish a kingdom of heaven on earth, He is not intending to physically come down out of the sky to the earth to establish something as we know a physical kingdom visible through the eyes of man s body. He is actually saying that the kingdom of heaven was here on earth all the time, but that He is going to reconcile man with God and give man a new spirit so that man is able to see in the spirit realm, even possess the spirit realm while living on the earth. Before that point, when Christ died on the cross, God hid His face from the sins of man. There was separation between man and God. Daniel saw in Daniel 7 the same end result of the second part of the heathen king s vision in his own vision from God. Daniel first saw the fourth beast and the 11 kings of the fourth beast. Then I beheld till the thrones were cast down... (Dan 7:9). The thrones of 3 of the first horns that belong to the beast were cast down when Christ saw Satan falling from heaven. The throne of Christ, the king, the eleventh horn, was cast down when Christ died on the

11 9 cross. Christ is included, because it is the only way the Father s judgment can take place. Christ s kingship being cast down is also explained by the angel later on: 'But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever (Dan 7:26) When Christ dies on the cross, God the Father judges. Thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat the court was seated, and the books were opened. (Dan 7:9, 10). The Father only opens the books when Christ dies on the cross. And the way the Father judges is: what you sow you will reap. Just as the Jewish leaders declared death to His Son, the Father will declare in all righteousness death to the Jewish leaders. Since fallen man judges in the flesh, they always judge Christ to death that is why the flesh will always shall take away his (Christ s) dominion, to consume and destroy it forever (Dan 7:26). And because the verdict of the flesh is death to Christ who brings life, the Father judges death back to them who has judged wrongly. Christ s death on the cross and the Father s judgment on the beast implied the end for the Fourth kingdom and also the preceding 3 other kingdoms operating in the flesh. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (Dan 7:11). The Father s judgment on the other 3 earthly kingdoms also occurred The other beasts have been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time. (Dan 7:12). In the physical realm, the end of a particular kingdom may not be evident at first, but in the spiritual realm, in God s spiritual kingdom of heaven, it is a certainty. That which is on the earth still merely has to come in alignment with what has already been concluded in the spiritual realm. Therefore, the fallen angels, the princes in the air, responsible for these 4 earthly kingdoms are judged and condemned to the lake of fire when the Father judged. This judgment occurred in about 30 AD when Christ died on the cross. This merely confirms that God setting up His kingdom on earth is the reason for the end of the four gentile kingdoms. CHRIST THE MESSIAH IS THE TRANSITION POINT OF GOD SETTING UP HIS KINGDOM There is a point in time when the 4 earthly kingdoms come to an end, and God s kingdom starts to grow on earth. This point the heathen king saw as a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It (the rock) struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay (the fourth kingdom) and smashed them. (Dan 2:34). This rock is Jesus Christ. Christ is the one that smashes those 4 kingdoms. Christ, the Son of Man, the rock of all ages, was seen by both king Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel. Christ came from heaven to walk the earth (John 3:13, 31), and is therefore not the creation of man thus confirming a rock was cut out, but not by human hands (Dan 2:34). His walk on earth was in the Holy Spirit, and therefore not the result of own human thinking. His thinking was of God, and therefore what He did on earth was not by human hands (Dan 2:34). Jesus said: "the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner (John 5:19). This rock reveals that what originates from the spirit realm, from God, who is spirit, is as steady as a rock, whereas man s own generated initiatives are as unstable as water.

12 10...He (Christ) shall be Stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitance of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble. (Isa 18: 14-18). In 1 Corinthians 10, Jesus is the Rock. In Deuteronomy 32 more than 5 times it is stated that God is the Rock of our salvation. In the Psalms God is our Rock and our Fortress, our Rock and our Deliverer, our Rock and our Refuge. According to Romans 9:23, Jesus is the Rock of offense. Christ, the Word of God made flesh, is the rock which the Jews rejected. As you come to him, the Living Stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, and A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message. (1 Pet 2: 4 8). Jesus stated So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them obeying them will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock; And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. (Matt 7:24, 25). Christ, the Word of God made flesh, is that rock - unshakeable. When Christ died on the cross for the sins of all of mankind, from Adam into eternity, Christ reconciled man to God. Then it became possible for man to enter God s kingdom, of which Jesus declared: The kingdom of God is within you (Luk 17:21). The rock, Christ, came to the earth when the last part of the fourth kingdom, the Roman kingdom, ruled the earth. Christ smashed the feet of iron and clay at that time, setting man free from the bondage of sin. Christ allowed the influence of all 4 kingdoms on the earth to come tumbling down and fade away. In Daniel s vision of the 4 beasts, he was given even more detail of the transition point of the end of the 4 kingdoms and the start of God s kingdom. Daniel saw in Daniel 7 the same end result of the second part of the heathen king s vision in his own vision from God. Daniel first saw the fourth beast and the 10 kings of the fourth beast, and then Christ, the little horn, after which God the Father prepares to judge those of the Fourth Kingdom. Thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days (God the Father) took his seat the court was seated, and the books were opened. (Dan 7:9, 10). The court is God s judgment court and God judges sin. God s judgment of sin took place when Christ came to the earth to die for the sins of man. When Christ, who was sinless, died on the cross, God knew that Christ did not deserve death. Therefore, Christ became the first to be resurrected from death. Since Christ died for the sins of mankind, mankind could follow by also been resurrected from the grave those who believe in Christ. That is what happened during the Father s judgement when Christ died on the cross. "until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom (Dan 7:22). From that moment on, followers of Christ would also be able to operate as Christ has operated on the earth their minds possessing God s kingdom of heaven while walking in a physical body. Jesus declared while walking the earth just before the cross: Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. (John 12:31,32). When Christ died on the cross, God s judgment occurred and man s sins were poured upon Christ. Christ carried all of the sins of the whole world onto Himself. God the Father poured out the sins of all of mankind, from the beginning of man into eternity, upon Christ on the cross. That is when the books were opened

13 11 and the Father s judgment took place and Christ bared it ALL. All the peoples of all generations in the past and those yet to come were before God, judged at that moment. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him (Dan 7:10). This occurred when the books were opened (Dan 7:10), that is when God judged sin and death into eternity, and have placed the sin of all of mankind into eternity onto His only Son, Jesus Christ. This occurred in the end (Dan 7:26), or alternatively, at the time of the end (Dan 8:17; 11:35, 40; 12:4, 9) in 30 AD. When Jesus cried out My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34), God the Father placed at that moment all the sins of mankind onto His Son, Jesus Christ. The moment when Christ died on the cross, God s kingdom was established on earth. At that moment, fallen angels, the source and origin of the 4 earthly kingdoms, were judged as well. The beast, which is in the spirit realm, and its body is its manifestation within the physical realm, has been judged as well. The fallen angels were thrown in the lake of fire. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (Dan 7:11). Demons once asked Christ while Christ was walking the earth: Have you come here to torment us before the time? (Matt 8:29). Their time arrived when Christ died on the cross. "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame (Dan 7:11). Christ s pompous words (described in more detail in the Volume: the last 4 kings of the Fourth Kingdom, continued even for 40 days after He was resurrected from the grave up to the point when He was taken up into heaven. During this period Christ told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from heaven, when the Holy Spirit would be poured out 7 days later. It was when the Holy Spirit was poured out, that the beast was finally slain and its body destroyed that is, the flesh in man. From then on, fallen man was able to overcome the flesh through the outpoured Holy Spirit. The beast is a spiritual entity and the fire is a spiritual fire in the spirit realm. The Father s judgment dealt with that from the time that Christ died on the cross until the Holy Spirit was poured out on earth. All who belong to the beast continues to operate in the flesh with 2 components, and belong to those exposed to gnashing of teeth. They are outside of the available kingdom of heaven, and inside of spiritual hell, the burning flame (Dan 7:11), while living on earth. The judgment noted in Rev 20:11-15 already took place when Christ died on the cross it is not an event that will still take place in the future. It already happened more than 2000 years ago (see also Rev 4:3; 20:11-15). The judgment of all sins of all of mankind was completed after Christ died on the cross for the sins of all of mankind, from the first Adam into eternity, because Christ exists from eternity to eternity. On the cross, Jesus declared: it is finished (John 19:30). Christ s work in detail has been completed and the end of the reign of Satan has arrived. Not only fallen man throughout the ages was judged, but also Satan and all of his fallen angels. Christ established God s kingdom on earth. Christ is the king of this kingdom. When Christ came to the earth, He came as king of the Jews, kings of those who ought to belong to God the Father, king of the new kingdom of heaven to be established on earth: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea.Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?. (Matt 2:1, 2). After God s judgment when He opened the books, Daniel saw the Messiah, Christ Himself, as the one that accomplish this victory over the 4 earthly kingdoms. In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man [Christ], coming with the clouds [of witnesses] of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Day [God the Father] and was led into his presence... (Dan 7:13). Where the beasts descend from where they originated the abyss, the sea, the son of man ascends into God s heaven from where He originally came

14 12 from. The clouds of heaven are the multitudes of witnesses in the spirit realm in heaven. They are those who populate the kingdom of heaven. All those witnesses of heaven wear white clothes. These multitudes of people wearing white give the impression of clouds. They are wearing white, because they have washed themselves clean in the blood of Christ they are sinless. They are saints in God s eyes. Christ is given the kingship of God s kingdom, as Daniel saw: One like the Son of man, and He came to the Ancient of days and was presented before Him. And there was given Him [the Messiah] dominion and glory and kingdom. (Dan 7:13, 14). Christ has established God s kingdom on earth. Christ been given all power and glory as reflected in Dan 7:13, 14, occurred in the spirit realm and in the days right after Christ died on the cross and was raised from the dead. Jesus declared All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18). GOD SETS UP HIS KINGDOM AT THE TIME OF THE FOURTH GENTILE KINGDOM The interpretation of the dream of king Nebuchadnezzar indicated that: in the time of those [four major] kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom. (Dan 2:44). The king s dream revealed that the rock, Christ, strikes at the feet of the statue while the statue was still whole, where the feet of the statue is part of the Fourth Kingdom. This implies that Christ sets up God s kingdom at the time of the reign of the Fourth kingdom. Daniel s vision in Daniel chapter 7 confirms that Christ came during the reign of the Fourth Kingdom. Daniel saw 10 horns representing 10 kings of the Fourth Kingdom. Seeing those 10 kings simultaneously does not imply that the 10 kings rules at the same time. God s spiritual kingdom is not restricted by time, and therefore the vision is not restricted by time. The beast represents a kingdom over many decades, and these 10 kings will emerge from that kingdom over a long period of time. And then Daniel saw an eleventh horn emerging among the 10 horns. This eleventh horn is an image of Christ. Thus, Christ comes at the time, near the end, of the Fourth Kingdom. The whole section of Dan 7: 8 12 confirms that the judgment of the Father occurred while the fourth beast was still alive and ruling on earth. The fourth beast is noted as alive before the Father s judgment in Dan 7: 9, 10, and the fourth beast is noted as alive after the Father s judgment in Dan 7:9, 10, by the descriptions of the beast in Dan 7:11, 12. Therefore, Christ indeed came while the fourth beast, the fourth kingdom, was still alive. When speaking about a kingdom that is still alive, it implies alive in the hearts of the Jews. There may not necessarily be a king reigning within the Fourth Kingdom, but the kingdom s influence can still be felt by the people. The details of Christ fulfilling these prophecies are described in subsequent Volumes. The demonic attacks on Daniel, his 3 friends and on the Jews, which constitute about 30% of all the verses in the Book of Daniel, are to prevent God setting up His kingdom at the time of the Fourth gentile kingdom.

15 13 4. GOD S KINGDOM GAINING MOMENTUM This chapter briefly focuses on one of the similarities in the content of the 2 dreams, 55 years apart from each other, which Daniel had, namely that after God has set up His kingdom, the fleshly kingdoms fade away, while God s kingdom gains momentum all the more. THE FADING AWAY OF THE 4 EMPIRES IN DAN 2 In the king s dream, after the rock struck the statue, the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on the threshing floor in the summer. (Dan 2:35). The dream confirms the future of these 4 kingdoms: The wind swept them (the 4 kingdoms) away without leaving a trace. (Dan 2:35). This implies that after the reign of these 4 kingdoms, their power and influence on the world will diminish and eventually fade away COMPLETELY. Two images are used in Dan 2 to depict this fading away. The first image is of a rock, Christ, which increases in size until it fills the whole earth, and in effect that which is earthly, fleshly, fades away. The second image is of clay, bronze, silver and gold, becoming like chaff, which the wind, representing the Holy Spirit, blows away so that no trace of it is eventually found. The latter implies that even the good of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, represented by gold and silver, will eventually also pass away and will be seen no more. The fading away of the 4 kingdoms occur simultaneously, because the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron and the clay are broken at the same time and became like chaff at the same time. To become like chaff implies to become worthless. The more the worth of Christ s kingdom of heaven increases, the less the worth of operating in the flesh, to be slave of Satan and his fallen angels, and to dictated by the king, Death. It refers to the parables in which Christ noted the preciousness of the kingdom of heaven. Christ compared the kingdom of heaven with treasure and precious stones: the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field (Matt 13:44). Another example is: the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it (Matt 13:45, 46). The words of God received in heaven are like treasure: gold, silver and precious stones. That is why Christ wants man to first seek the kingdom of heaven: "But seek first the kingdom of God (Matt 6:33). For in the spiritual kingdom of heaven is treasure: " lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matt 6:20). That is what Christ did towards the Father. Christ offered spiritual gold (which is an image of grace), and silver and precious stones up unto the Father, which he received from God as well. For example, gold is an image of God s grace and mercy. The preciousness of God s kingdom of heaven refers to the prophecy of Christ: " he shall honor a god of fortresses. with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things (Dan 11:38). The gold, silver and precious stones noted here are not substances of the physical world. They are spiritual in nature, because these words are spirit in nature. The human being, Christ, has built with gold, silver and precious stones; not with hay, wood and stubble, by listening to the Words of the Father and seeing His pictures first through his spirit, before acting through His body.

16 14 The gold, silver and precious stones are the words and pictures which man s soul absorbs from God, from His spiritual kingdom of heaven, through man s spirit, and which man acts out into the physical realm. All 4 kingdoms fade away, even though some of these kingdoms, such as the Babylonian kingdom, occurred many hundreds of years prior to God setting up His kingdom. This is true, as Christ has set as goal the establishment of a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21:1) through the new creation man walking the earth, having the same characteristics of Christ when Christ walked the earth. Christ is in the process of redeeming the earth. It has become God s property again after Christ died on the cross. Christ is taking back ground which belonged to Satan at some stage. THE FADING AWAY OF THE 4 EMPIRES IN DAN 7 In Daniel s dream of the beasts, the fading away of the 4 empires were also noted. At the time of the destruction of the fourth and last beast, it is noted (the other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time) (Dan 7:12). The other beasts refer to the first 3 beasts, whose origin lies in fallen angels with authority in the spirit realm, which manifest into kingdoms within the physical realm. Their authority had been stripped implies that the fallen angels which drove those kingdoms were judged when Christ died on the cross. The first 3 gentile kingdoms were allowed to continue in the physical realm for a while after being deprived of their sovereignty and authority in the spirit realm. The fallen angels had no longer authority to rule. They have already been stripped of all their authority. What has been left in the physical realm of their influence still continued to influence the minds of people in terms of human traditions and cultures that way they continue to live. All traces of the initial four kingdoms will eventually disappear (Dan 2:34). The influence of the last part of the Fourth Kingdom upon the language, religion, architecture, philosophy, law, and government of nations around the world lasts to this day, but is still gradually fading away. The gradual fading away of the other 3 gentile kingdoms is quite noticeable as well. The impact that each empire had on the world gradually faded, and is still fading away. Their impact on the then known world of that day could still be seen in architecture, clothing, government structures, etc. However, these kingdoms would have no authority any more. The culture and language of the Grecian kingdom, which also stretched into the Fourth Kingdom, continued to dominate the world in a tangible way for many centuries after Alexander the Great died in 323 BC. GOD S KINGDOM ON EARTH WILL GO ON FOREVER In contrast with the end of the 4 gentile kingdoms that are destroyed and come to an end, also referred to as the time of the end, God s kingdom of heaven continues into eternity. King Nebuchadnezzar saw in His dream that God s kingdom on earth will continue on forever and ever, becoming all the stronger and eventually covering the whole earth. The heathen king saw the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. (Dan 2:34, 35). The interpretation is even more stunning In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. (Dan 2:44). God s kingdom will start small and will eventually grow until it fills the whole earth (Dan 2:35). Christ declared... But I, when I am lifted up from the earth (by hanging on the cross), will draw all men to myself (John 12:32). This merely shows how incredibly large the power of Christ hanging on the cross really is.

17 15 Many people say that it is not possible that God s kingdom of heaven was established when Christ was resurrected from the grave, because they cannot see this kingdom. They are quite correct in not seeing the kingdom because the kingdom is in the spirit realm. And establishing it on earth implies that man s soul, which is reconciled with God, can enter this spiritual kingdom while man operates in the physical body. There are no longer obstacles such as sin, to hinder and prevent man to enter into it. Christ confirmed the spreading of the gospel over the whole earth (Acts 1:8). Just as 70 souls of Israel went into slavery and bondage in Egypt (Ex 1:5), representing man s slavery and bondage to sin and Satan s kingdom, and also representing the 70 nations that spread over the whole earth from Noah (Gen 10), Christ sent out 70 of His own (Luk 10:1, 17) to spread the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. These 70 disciples of Jesus represented the gospel sent out to all the nations on the earth. About 1930 BC, only one, Abraham, had an intimate relationship with God. About 250 years later, Jacob and his family of 70 people established themselves in Egypt. The descendants of Jacob numbered 70 in all (Ex 1:5). This was the start of using the Israelites in an image of moving each person on earth and also mankind in total from slavery to the Promised Land. More than 400 years later, Moses anoints 70 elders, who are filled with the Spirit of God and also see God the Father personally. Then, about 1250 years later, Moses, a type of Christ, was substituted with the genuine original, Jesus Christ, when Christ walked the earth. God s kingdom here on earth will be an everlasting kingdom. It will be forever and ever (Rev 5:13). This is occurring right NOW. By the year 2000 AD, about a third of the world population on this planet considered themselves Christians. And this happened even though Christ did not left any photos of Himself, or wrote a book for His followers before He left, or did not leave written memoirs which He himself wrote while in a physical body. He left nothing, not even pieces of physical articles which belong to Him while He was on the earth. There are no indications in which house He lived, or where His grave actually is. Nothing. Isaiah prophesied about Jesus Christ Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. (Isa 9:7). The rule of the kingdom of heaven which can never be taken away is confirmed through the insanity period of king Nebuchadnezzar until the king acknowledged that heaven rules (Dan 4:34, 35), even though at that stage, God s kingdom of heaven was not yet established on earth. Daniel saw in Daniel chapter 7 the same result as king Nebuchadnezzar, namely that God s own kingdom on the earth is declared to be forever. the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever (Dan 7:17). This has already been going on from 30 AD onwards. This is the kingdom that is within you (Luk 17:21), namely the kingdom of God (Luk 17:21). After Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, Christ was clothed with all of the Father s glory, which is what Daniel saw at the start of God s kingdom on earth. In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds [of witnesses] of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Day and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (Dan 7:13, 14). The interpretation of Daniel s vision confirms the impact of Christ s death on the cross to the whole earth: Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole

18 16 heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him. (Dan 7:27). The latter is gradually coming into fulfilment. Christ receiving authority and power to set up God s kingdom on earth stated in Dan 7:13, 14 after Dan 7:11, 12 about the end of the fourth kingdom do not imply Christ has set up God s kingdom after the end of the Fourth Kingdom. Dan 7:13, 14 could have been placed before the description of the death of the fourth beast in Dan 7:11, 12, but then confusion could have crept in about Christ s reign that is forever been placed before the end of the fourth beast. It is much more appropriate to first talk about the end of the fourth beast (Dan 7:11, 12), before talking about a kingdom that is eternal (Dan 7:13, 14). The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Rev 11:15). This occurred when that rock came loose and struck the great statue when Christ died on the cross. There is therefore an end the end of the 4 gentile kingdoms, and there is a forever, everlasting, never to be destroyed, never to pass away. Both of these occur on earth. Christ as king now rules the nations of the earth from heaven. People operating through God s kingdom using all 4 components will overtake the kingdoms of this world operating through 2 components. This applies even to the smallest of kingdom available on earth, namely a person. An example is that the greatest king on earth operating through 2 components fell on his face before Daniel, who operated through 4 components. The king also appointed Daniel over the whole of the province of Babylon. Daniel was already an example of the rock striking the statue and destroying it. What is expected to happen is that Christian religion, which is filled with the flesh in man, will also eventually fade away, as Christians realise what the core activity of Christianity is all about, namely: the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever (Dan 7:17). When the knowledge of how to enter and possess Christ s spiritual kingdom of heaven increases on the earth, and it becomes the culture, the norm and practice of operating amongst human beings, then will be fulfilled the image of the rock, Christ, increasing in size until it fills the whole earth. In the meantime, Christ s spiritual kingdom of heaven is populated all the more in each generation of man on the earth. From heaven, Christ and the clouds of witnesses (Heb 12:1) impact the physical realm all the better and with all the more power.