Daniel's Dream--Another View
Between Zedekiah and Messiah, there has been a long period of time. During
this period God gave a lease of government to the Gentile Kingdoms,
represented in Nebuchadnezzar's Image. That lease of power to rule the
world as best they could was to last for "seven times"--seven
symbolic years, each day of which (lunar time) would represent a year.
Thus "seven times" would mean seven times three hundred and
sixty, that is, 2520 years. That period expired in 1915. In other
words, the Gentile lease of Earthly Dominion has expired. Then the
due time will come for Messiah's Kingdom to begin its reign. This seems to
explain present social unrest.
The same facts presented to King Nebuchadnezzar, God
showed under different symbols to the Prophet Daniel. Instead of a great
Image, Daniel saw great Beasts. This means that the Gentile governments,
so grand to worldly men, appear beastly from the Divine viewpoint. Surely
we can agree to this as we look over the bloody pages of history; the
world has been under beastly rule, even though the best it was able to
provide for itself--and though much worse conditions could be
imagined--for instance, Anarchy.
The first beast of Daniel's dream, a lion, represented
Babylon; the second, a bear, Medo-Persia; the third, a leopard, Grecia--
the four heads representing Alexander the Great's successors, four
generals. The fourth beast represented the Roman Empire. Its ten horns
corresponded to the ten toes of the Image. The horn that had eyes and was
crowned, is believed by many to represent ecclesiastical power enthroned
amid political power.
A judgment scene was shown to Daniel, in which all these
governments were disapproved, and the dominion taken from them and given
to One who appeared like unto The Son of Man. The Kingdom given Him was a
perpetual one, that all should serve and obey Him; and all beastly
governments were destroyed.--Daniel 7:13-27.