In Daniel chapter 7:3-7 three of the four beasts, the lion, bear and leopard, are predators and exemplify the actions of the nations they represent. The lion is Iraq, the bear is Iran and the leopard is a coalition of four nations; possibly Albania, Turkey, Syria and Egypt. The last beast is different from the other three for it devours, breaks in pieces and stamps (crushes) the other beasts with its feet. We must remember that these are end time nations, based on Daniel 7:17; 8:17-19, 26.
Daniel 7:3-7:
3
. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4.The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. 5. And behold, another beast, a second like a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise and devour much flesh. 6. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also hour heads; and dominion was given to it. 7. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
The only system that fits the description of the fourth beast is Islam. Rome never crushed other empires but allowed them to keep their culture, religion and language, but this is not true of Islam. Every nation they have ever conquered has had, for the most part, to conform to Islam, their culture and language. There have been exceptions, especially when a nation had a strong belief system such as the Jewish people; otherwise Islam brought the people under total submission. So let us begin to break all of this down beginning with the lion and see how each beast fulfills the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Revelation 6.
Remember, the book of Daniel is the only book in the Old Testament that was sealed up. The only book in the New Testament that was sealed is the scroll in Revelation 5 and 6 where Jesus Christ takes the scroll (book) from the Father and begins to open the seals in chapter 6. So we begin by showing how Iraq and former leader Saddam Hussein fit the role of the lion in Daniel 7 and the rider on the white horse in Revelation 6:2.
The Lion Is Iraq
As I stated earlier, the lion in Daniel 7 represents the present day nation of Iraq and has no counterpart in Daniel 8; but as Mark Davidson states in his book, Daniel Revisited, the lion fits well with the first seal of Revelation 6 and the rider on the white horse. If this is true then the first seal has already been opened.
We can equate Iraq as the lion by its traits in the way it has hunted its prey, as well as its roar. A lion will go after the weakest, or closest prey, run it down, pounce on it and bring it down.
How has Iraq been like a lion?
1. Saddam set up a coup against his uncle in 1979 and took over Iraq.
2. In 1980 he invaded Khuzestan, a southwestern province of Iran and confiscated the oil fields and ignited the Iranian/Iraq war which lasted for eight years.
3. In August of 1990 Saddam invaded Kuwait to take over their oil but was later driven out by the U.N. forces, led by the U.S.
4. He started the Iraq War. Each of the above invasions were lion-like; go after the prey, feed on it for a season and go after another prey. Saddam's rule lasted from 1979 until April 9, 2003. In December of 2003, he was found hiding in a spider hole in Mosul, was captured and imprisoned. We all remember that he had Weapons of Mass Destruction and continued to use that strategy even after the U.N. confiscated what they found.
While in prison, Saddam Hussein began to be interviewed by an FBI agent and in doing so struck up a friendship. After five months of interviews, Saddam admitted that he had no more WMD'S after the U.N. took them, but he continued to say he had them to keep Iran from invading and annexing southern Iraq due to its Shiite population (Iran is predominantly Shiite as is southern Iraq). Saddam roared like a lion during his years as Iraq's leader and instilled fear into the nations.
1. We remember that the lion in Daniel 7 had wings that were clipped off. Wings represent flight and after Saddam's defeat, his air force was dismantled.
2. The lion was made to stand upon its hind legs like a man. This is unnatural for a lion.
3. A man's heart was given to the lion. The United States forced a democracy on Iraq, which is completely against Islam. The two do not mix and we have seen that democracy crumble lately.
The Lion and the First Seal of Revelation 6
Revelation 6:1-2:
"1. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2. And I saw, and behold a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer."
1. The white horse is ridden by a conqueror. Saddam went forth conquering and considered himself a conqueror, although he was not able to maintain what he conquered.
2. The rider has a bow, a symbol of war but no arrows. The "bow", in the Greek text is "toxon." The Greeks used poison arrows with their bows. They were toxins that killed or made the body sick. "...The Romans... copied the word 'toxon' in Latin, but it came to mean only the poison portion, not bow or arrow." (Mark Davidson, Daniel Revisited, page 157, West Bow Press) Toxology in English means archery. The bow in the rider's hand is a type of Saddam Hussein continuing to infer that he still had WMD'S, arrows, but really had no arrows.
3.The rider is given a crown. The word "crown" is "stephanos" and was given to a victor. Saddam considered himself a victor and even claimed to be an incarnation of Nebuchadnezzar, the former king of Babylon.
So, if we are correct in assigning Saddam Hussein to the rider on the white horse then the first seal of Revelation 6:2 has already been opened and the second seal is about to be opened. All four seals must be opened before the Antichrist will come on the scene since he is revealed upon the opening of the fourth seal of Revelation 6.
The Second Beast, the Bear, Whose Counterpart is the Ram
As I stated earlier, the bear is also a predatorial animal and represents Iran. A bear goes about scavenging , eating anything it can find. This is a type of Iran. Their goal is to spread their Islamic Shiite agenda into as many countries as they can in order to form a Shiite Islamic Caliphate.
Daniel 7:5:
"And behold, another beast, a second, like a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth if it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh."
As we look at Iran today, we see the nations of the world concerned about it having nuclear weapons and willing to use them on the United States, Europe and other nations in order to further their agenda. Israel is especially concerned since Iran's goal is to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Today, Iran has four different military forces to use against the countries of the Middle East. The first is the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp, the elite fighting force of Iran's military. It has its own aerospace force, navy and army which is separate from Iran's regular military. Their assignment is to guard the Iranian revolution in the country as well as take it to other countries. It controls the seaports, borders, much of the oil industry, and telecommunications and plays a major role in Iran's economy.
The second is the Artesh, Iran's regular military which has its own army, navy and air force. Its job is to defend Iranian territory from outside forces. The third is the Basij, the Iranian religious police force that keeps order in the country. The fourth is the Quds Force, which is Arabic for Jerusalem. Its job is to export, fund, arm and train terrorists in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and the Gulf States. These four groups make up a formidable military for Iran.
The bear raised up on one side represents the leadership of Iran. There will be two leaders, but one will be stronger than the other. The commentaries tell us the bear with two sides, one raised higher than the other, represents the old Mede Persian Empire, with one king being greater than the other. But this cannot be since these are end time kingdoms we are dealing with. I will explain this next.
As I said earlier, the bear has a counterpart which is the ram of Daniel, chapter 8.
Daniel 8:2-4:
2. And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan (Susa) in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. 3. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
The bear and the ram are one of the same: both represent Iran. Notice that the ram has two horns, and one comes up later and grows higher than the first horn. Horns represent power and rulership. Mark Davidson, in his book Daniel Revisited, believes this could represent Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader in Iran, with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp as the other horn that comes up higher. In other words, the IRGC has more power today than the Ayatollah and could be the primary leader in Iran's next move to establish a Caliphate throughout the Middle East. This agrees with the bear raised up on one side, which shows superior leadership. Something of great importance is the fact that Daniel had his visions in Shushan which is 150 miles north of the Persian Gulf. The ram was by the river Ulai and pushed westward, northward and southward and no beasts (Middle Eastern nations) could stop him. The westward, northward and southward move correlates with the three ribs in the mouth of the bear as devouring (conquering) these countries. The Bible says the ram was by the river Ulai which is in the area of Shushan. This would be a perfect staging area to launch an attack as it is in the plains of southwest Iran, and Iran and Iraq are divided by a large mountain range north of Shushan. If we are correct in our analysis of Iraq being the lion and fulfilling the first seal of Revelation 6, then the second seal is soon to be opened as Iran launches an attack on the Middle Eastern countries to the west, north and south of it which will be the start of a Sunni/Shia war. The second seal and red horse in Revelation 6:3-4 would be Iran.
"3. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."
Not only is Iran interested in establishing a Shiite Caliphate, but its goal is also to capture the oil fields of the Middle East, as well as Islam's two holiest cities of Mecca and Medina. The red horse of the second seal represents war, while the sword he wields represents bloodshed and killing. Something interesting about the sword, called the Zolfaghar, is brought out by Mark Davidson:
Except for one distinguishing feature, physically it is no different than any other medium-length and slightly curved sword: its tip is bifurcated...the tip of the sword has two points, frequently drawn as one slightly longer than the other. It is probably the most important sword in Shia Islam...I cannot help but notice that the two tips of this sword are a "signature" feature...it is very much related to the two horns of the ram. There are two horns--two tips--on the ram where one is higher than the other. The sword that Iran hails as their sword also has two tips with one slightly longer than the other. How amazing is that? (Mark Davidson, Daniel Revisited, page 186, West Bow Press)
The red horse rider takes peace from the earth. That does not mean war in nations beyond the Middle East; but if Iran takes over the oil fields, then nations will be crippled economically due to the fact that oil is the primary product that controls industry, agriculture, vehicles, businesses and almost every aspect of a nation's operations. This will take peace from the earth. Also there will be great carnage in the Middle East beyond what ISIS is doing today. Speaking of ISIS, I do not believe they will achieve their goal of establishing a Caliphate due to what God's Word is telling us in Daniel 7 and 8 since Iran has to fulfill its role in Scripture.
The Bible tells us that nothing will be able to stop Iran when it makes its move. I believe this has to do with nuclear capability that will put fear into the other Middle Eastern nations. This is why Israel is so nervous regarding Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. When we look at conditions in the Middle East today, especially regarding Iran, then we can look for it to make a move very soon and fulfill Daniel 7:5 and Daniel 8:2-4. If this happens then we will know that the first seal of Revelation 6, and the first horseman of the Apocalypse, has been fulfilled in Iraq and Saddam Hussein; and with the opening of the second seal by Iran, we know that the return of our Lord Jesus is not far off.
The goal of Iran to establish a Shiite Caliphate will not succeed either, as we will see in Part lV of our series. Ultimately, it will be a revival of the Ottoman Empire Islamic Caliphate which will include all of the Middle Eastern Islamic nations and out of this will come the Antichrist. In Part IV we will deal with the leopard in Daniel 7:6 and the he goat in Daniel 8:5-8, showing how they are one and the same and will fulfill the third seal of Revelation 6:5-6 and the rider on the black horse. Lastly, we will cover Revelation 6:7-8 and the fourth seal with the rider on the pale (green) horse, combining that with Daniel 2:40-44, showing how the fourth seal and the beast in Daniel 2:40-44 reveal the Antichrist and his rule.
In closing Part III, there are two things of great interest and importance concerning this series "Islam and the Antichrist" that we need to take notice of:
1. The four colors of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse---the white, red, black and green---are the colors of Islam.
2. Revelation 6:8 says death and hell will have power over a fourth of the earth to kill with sword, hunger, death and beasts of the earth.
"And I looked, and behold a pale (green) horse: and his name that sat on him was Death and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." Revelation 6:8, (emphasis mine)
A survey was taken in 2009 regarding Islam, its population, nation count and land area. The results showed that of the 208 sovereign independent nations, Islam has 51 of those. That is approximately 24.5 of all nations. The land area of the earth, including the Antarctica, is 56,380,000 square miles. The land area of Islam is 12,451,000 square miles, about 22 percent of the earth's land area. If we exclude Antarctica, then it is 24.4 percent. Finally, the population of the earth was 6.8 billion, of which Islam had 1.57 billion, or 23.1 percent of the earth's population.
This survey was taken in 2009, showing Islam controlled almost 25 percent (1/4) of the earth at that time, as it states in Revelation 6:8. That was five years ago, so we know we are on the brink of all four seals of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse being fulfilled.
God's time clock is soon to strike midnight as we see all of these Scriptures being fulfilled at an accelerated rate. Israel is in the middle of what is happening, fighting for her life. The Bible tells us she is in for some very hard times as the countdown to Armageddon draws near. Israel has about 10,000 square miles of territory, while Islam has 12,451,000 square miles, yet Islam wants Israel's territory also. Why is that? It is because Islam is driven by Satan himself who hates God's Chosen People, the Jews, as well as the followers of Jesus Christ. Pray for the Jewish people and the leadership of Israel, for their protection and that their eyes will be opened that Jesus Christ is their Messiah and soon coming King. As followers of our Lord Jesus, we are living in perilous times, but also the most exciting times for those who love the Lord. I believe we are soon to see, and be a part, of a massive breakthrough as the Holy Spirit unleashes His power. The world will sit up and take notice that God has a people. Blessed be His holy name! So keep the faith, pray, study His Word, and be obedient to whatever He asks of you. He is faithful! |
