Babylon is a name that emerged into common parlance during the Gulf War. Sadaam fancied himself to be a modern King Nebuchadnezzar, the ancient king who rebuilt Babylon into one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. If Sadaam knew his history, he might have been a little less arrogant, for it was such boasting that got Nebuchadnezzar into serious trouble in his day! (Daniel 4).
Nebuchadnezzar’s Image
Nebuchadnezzar is first known in the Bible as the king who subjugated the nation of Israel, then as the king who had an impressive dream. He dreamed of a mighty image of man, made of different metals and awesome in appearance. As he watched in his dream, a stone, cut out of a mountain by some unknown means, came hurtling towards the feet of this mighty image and struck it on its feet. As Nebuchadnezzar watched in utter amazement, this stone broke the whole statue in pieces, and ground it to a powder carried away by the wind, leaving this stone to become a great mountain which filled the whole earth.
Nebuchadnezzar was overwhelmed. He searched everywhere for someone to make known to him the interpretation. At last, a young Jewish prophet named Daniel was brought to him. The king said to Daniel, whose Babylonian name was Belteshazzar, “ ‘Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?’ Daniel answered the king, ‘No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery which the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these…’ ” (Daniel 2:26-29).
Daniel proceeded to outline for the king a prophecy of staggering scope.
All of these “world” empires can only claim one thing in common: They all dominated and oppressed the Land and the People of Israel. But why is there only four? Because it is plain history that Rome was the last power to have dominion and control over both the land and people. (Others, such as the Arabs and later the Turks controlled the land at various times, but not the Jewish people.)
How could this possibly be?
Because Rome in 70 AD completely blotted out Israel’s national existence and dispersed the Jews to the four winds of heaven. From AD 70 to AD 1948, when Israel became a viable nation in its own land, no other power has been capable of either fulfilling or disproving this prophecy.
When Israel re-emerged in 1948 as a people and nation in their own land, the stage was set for the final act of this prophecy: The emergence and destruction of a fifth and final power to dominate the nation and people of Israel. This power will apparently be a confederacy of nations raised up from the still-remaining remnants of the old, authoritarian Roman Empire co-mingled with others.
Now consider:
How did Daniel know there would be only four super-power oppressors of Israel and a fifth, final manifestation involving elements of the fourth? Daniel makes no mention of a delay, yet almost 2000 years intervenes between the 4th and 5th power. How did he know the 4th of these (the Romans) would so decisively scatter the Jews that the possibility of another desolator could not arise between the 4th and 5th desolator?
And consider this: This prophecy ever stands ready to be disproved in our day and age. If the next oppressor, arising from the fragments of the old Roman Empire, does not bring about the final work of God with His People and presage their final deliverance, then not only the Bible, but all who put their trust in this book as the only revelation of the God of Heaven, will forever be discredited.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One