Statue of Diverse Metals: Four Empires (Dân•i•eil′  2)

The description of N^әvu-Khadnëtzar's dream is found in Dân•i•eil′  7.32-36. Our understanding of this vision begins rather simply since Dân•i•eil′  gives the interpretation of this vision beginning in verse 37, explicitly declaring its meaning to king N^әvu-Khadnëtzar straightforwardly, leaving no doubt for us as interpreters, that "you are the head of gold."

Judging by the metals in the statue, hardness of the empire increases as its quality and value go down.

In verse 39, Dân•i•eil′  continues, "After you, another king, inferior to you, will arise." A check in history books for a matching description reveals that this was the Media-Persian kingdom (ca. B.C.E. 550). Dân•i•eil′  continues, "and another, a third kingdom—of copper which will rule the whole earth." Again, a check for a matching description in the history books shows this matches Alexander the Great.

In verse 40, matters become more controversial—since this "Fourth Kingdom" is declared to be the last kingdom described before the קֵץ and () the resurrection of the dead. This dictates either a type of government that would arise after Dân•i•eil′ 's time and endure to the קֵץ or skip an indeterminable number of intervening rulers or a resurrection of the dead that has eluded detection. Dân•i•eil′  describes the "Fourth Kingdom" as exceedingly more fearsome, terrorizing and severe than any of the previous empires (7.7-10). We agree with most commentators, Jewish and Christian, who hold that this can only be the Hellenist ("Holy") Roman Empire. More generally, this would include offspring empires of the Hellenist Holy Roman Empire exhibiting its Hellenist—Christian & democratic—characteristics.

Originally, the Roman government was the Roman Democratic Republic, comprised of patricians and plebeians. Under Julius "Augustus" Caesar (B.C.E. 49-44) and subsequent caesars it became the Roman Empire. Under Constantine the Great (325 C.E.) the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as its state religion and was then called the Holy Roman Empire. Since the Holy Roman Empire itself has long ceased to exist (even though resurrected several times, including Hitler's "Reich"), it is clear that this חֵיוָה exhibits characteristics unique to the Holy Roman Empire—democratic republicanism and the Hellenist practice of syncretizing traditional pagan myth to displace other religions—the practice by which, beginning in 135 C.E., the Romans produced Hellenist Christianity.

This process is historically well documented. Dec. 25^th—originally the birthday of the sun-g*od—was recorded as the first Christmas and in connection with J*esus in 354 C.E. The first Christmas was 3 centuries after the death of Ribi Y^әho•shu′ a!!! "The S*aturnalia of the Romans and the winter festival of the heathen Britons were both celebrated about Dec. 25, as was the later Roman festival in honor of the sun g*od M*ithra, which gave it the name `Birthday of the Unconquered Sun'. This name was given a symbolic interpretation after the festival was adopted by the Christian church in the 4^th century … Many customs associated with the Christmas season have pagan origins" (Christmas, American People’s Encyclopedia, Grolier Publishing, 1960).

Similar origins underlie E*aster (the festival to the pagan goddess E*sotera), the transition from Shab•ât′  to Sun-g*od-day (and, after that, the Islamic Displacement Theology change to F*ries-day), other saints days, etc. accepting J*esus as a prophet and an offspring of Christianity, adds further pagan practices—cutting ones forehead to bleed, flagellation, sacrificing unclean animals (camels), banning wine, praying facing Mecca instead of Y^әru•shâ•la′ yim, outrageous misojudaism, etc.

Hellenist-Christianity is a Displacement Theology, depending for its validity on claims that it has displaced the authority of Tor•âh′ . Islam is, likewise, a Displacement Theology, following the Displacement Theology of Hellenist-Christianity and then becoming a second-order Displacement Theology by then displacing Hellenist-Christianity.

The fourth חֵיוָה, therefore, primarily represents Hellenism as the core theme of Displacement Theology. (It may represent the democratic attribute only secondarily.)

Regarding "changing the laws," it should now be obvious that this same movement in the Roman Empire בְּלָא the Hebrew Ta•na"kh′ , the OT, claiming to supersede the Bible (Ta•na"kh′ ) with the NT. Christianity also declared the dietary ka•sh^әr•ut′  laws nullified along with the rest of what, according to the earliest extant Church historian (Eusebius), the original, misojudaic, Church called the "law of sin and death" (see, inter alia, Rom. 8.2) and the Jews servants of Sâ•tân′  (see, inter alia, Jn. 8.44; Rom. 8.1-7; I Jn 2.22; II Jn 1.7).

This First "Holy" Roman Empire split into two "Holy" Hellenist-Christian Empires in 395 C.E.—the Western Holy Roman Hellenist Empire and the eastern Holy Byzantine Hellenist Empire in Constantinople—present day Istanbul, Turkey.

The Holy Roman Empire ended in 476 C.E., but later resurrected, phoenix-like—a Second Holy Roman Empire—in 962 C.E. incorporating the Hellenist Roman Catholic Church. This Second Holy Roman Empire ended recently, during the American era: 1806.08.06 C.E.

Subsequently, there was an unsuccessful attempt by the kaisers to implement the Third Roman Empire and then, in the 1940's the latest attempt, by Hitler and the Nazis, to implement the Third Holy Roman Empire—the German Third "Reich" (empire). Did you never ask why it was the third??? Encarta, for example, equates the First Reich to the Holy Roman Empire (cf. "Germany"). The Second Reich lasted from 1871-1919 C.E.—into the 20th century, ending only 24 years before Hitler tried to become the ultimate crusader are re-establish the Third Reich designed to be the prophesied thousand year reign of the saints… which, according to the NT book of The Unveiling, required exterminating the enemies of G*od—defined by the original Church subsequent to 135 C.E. as the Jews (see James Parkes, The Conflict of the Church and the Synagogue).

Despite church denials and individual exceptions to the rule, the complicity of the catholic church and Christianity in general in this שִׁקְוּץ is hard to miss, as is the obvious (and only relevant) motivation for the original Christian misojudaism of the Nazis in ridding the world of the Jews, whom they perceived as as apostate, false pretenders to Israel, while they held the church to be the true "spiritual" Israel—all of this as a holy crusade (the Christian version of jihad) in anticipation of ushering in the Christian messianic kingdom.

Thus, this horrendous חֵיוָה is what Dân•i•eil′  described. Not only has this history been glossed over, attempts are still being made to revise history to gloss over historical records and deny that the Holocaust ever even happened! It is utterly astounding that any intelligent and investigating person could accept assertions that a glossover has not occurred. The question is not whether a glossover is taking place but rather how much is being glossed over, how much glossing is ongoing, by whom and what can be done to stop them.

If one follows the political trail of the Roman Empire, the democratic republic, the obvious modern successor is the U.S. On the other hand, if one follows the religious trail the successor becomes the modern Catholic Church and, more generally, Christianity and, by further extension of displacement theology, includes Islam (without exempting Christianity).

The greatest consideration in relating to this חֵיוָה is the understanding that its relationship to Israel and Tor•âh′ -observers is the criterion by which it is measured. The destruction of Israel as a nation under the Roman Empire sets the era from 70 C.E. to 1948, when Israel re-emerged among the nations. This is the single criterion for identifying this חֵיוָן—and must govern how the חֵיוָה is interpreted.

Keeping both the political and religious interpretations in mind we read (2.40-43):

⁴⁰ "The Fourth Kingdom will be severe like iron. As iron pulverizes and forges everything, and as iron shatters all of these, it will pulverize and shatter. ⁴¹ And as you envisioned feet, and toes partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, so it shall be a split kingdom; from pincers of iron shall it be, inasmuch as you envisioned iron mixed with muddy-clay.⁴² And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, from a little of the kingdom there shall be force, yet part shall be brittle. ⁴³ As you envisioned iron mixed with the muddy-clay they shall cause the mixing of the seed of men. But they shall not adhere to one another, even as iron does not mix with clay."

Whether one applies a political or religious perspective, the vision of chapter 2 suggests some very current interpretations. Moreover, which perspective drives the interpretation does not seem to impact upon the outcome. Whether the bifurcation is between pincers of Communist and Democratic blocs or between Christianity and Islam has no effect on the time frame determining the " עֵת of the קֵץ." Unless both interpretations are inapplicable we are staring into the gaping jaws of the end time and the awesome intervention of the Mashiakh (vs. 44-45).