CHAPTER SEVEN

GREECE: THE DREADED IRON EMPIRE

More than 70 percent of the verses concerning the four world empires directly pertain to the fourth empire and its breakup in relationship to Palestine. The fourth empire is "different from all the rest." (7:19) It will "crush and shatter" (2:40) all previous kingdoms. Futuristic interpreters identify Rome as the fourth empire. Futurists contend the events depicted under the fourth empire's dominion will be fulfilled in a future revived Roman Empire and tribulation period. However, the present chapter will confirm that Greece is properly the fourth empire, based not only on the prior identification of Media as the second empire. Therefore events depicted under the dominion of the fourth empire were fulfilled in the history of the Greek Empire, and have no future literal significance. [1]

Futurists and the Fourth Empire

Futuristic interpreters hold Rome as the fourth empire is Rome based primarily on an erroneous identification of Medo-Persia as the second empire. Futurists understand Greece as the third empire, which is naturally followed by the Roman Empire. The immediate problem facing this view is that the events depicted under the fourth empire's dominion cannot be linked with historical events within the Roman Empire. Walvoord states:

"The interpretation identifying this [fourth empire] as Rome immediately has a major problem in that there is no real correspondence to the Roman Empire historically in the phrase, 'and it had ten horns.'" [2]

Dispensational futurists, such as Walvoord, proclaim the necessity of interpreting prophecy literally. To this end, Walvoord finds the "only possibility of literal fulfillment of this prophecy," to be that, "ten actual kingdoms will exist simultaneously in the future consummation." [3]

Walvoord's answer is tribulationism. The events (toes, horns, little horn) which cannot be reconciled under the Roman view, are simply projected into the future, thus escaping the necessity of historical correspondence. According to futurists, the toes and 10 horns represent a 10-nation revived Roman Empire. The little horn is a future antichrist that will gain control of this confederacy just prior to the tribulation period. The result of this interpretation is a constant source of speculation among modern-day prophecy writers as to the identity of the 10-nation confederacy, Antichrist, and timing of the tribulation period.

The futuristic view is also faced with another major difficulty. The text clearly states that the little horn came up among the ten horns that were on the head of the beast (7:20). The ten horns, and the little horn, arose before the destruction of the fourth kingdom. How then, can the little horn be identified as a future antichrist when the Roman Empire came to an end in the fifth century A.D.? The solution offered by futuristic interpreters stretches the imagination and exposes the speculative basis of their theory. Walvoord states:

"Probably the best solution to the problem is the familiar teaching that Daniel's prophecy actually passes over the present age, the period between the first and second coming of Christ or, more specifically, the period between Pentecost and the rapture of the church." [4]

According to this interpretation, the book of Daniel bypasses 2,000 years of Christianity - Daniel wrote concerning Jewish history from the time of Nebuchadnezzar (605 B.C.) to the first coming of Christ (ca. 32 A.D.) Since Daniel was not aware of the New Testament church age, his prophecies leap over the Christian era, and will resume following the 'rapture' of the church. At that time, Daniel's prophecies will be fulfilled as God again deals with the Jews as a nation during the seven-year tribulation period.

Since the author of Daniel lived and wrote about events no later than 160 years before Christ, it is certainly reasonable to conclude he was not aware of the church age. But the notion that the church age constitutes a 'gap' or 'parenthesis' in history based on this fact is simply the creation of dogmatic interpreters who insist Rome is the fourth empire. The 'gap' theory should be viewed as a fatal flaw in the identification of Rome as the fourth empire, not a confirmation that non-conforming events await fulfillment in a future time.

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1. This figure is based on the following: There are six verses concerning the first three kingdoms--Daniel 2:32, 38, 39; 7:4-6. There are 17 verses concerning the fourth kingdom--Daniel 2:33-35, 40-43; 7:7, 8, 19-26. Return
2. John F. Walvoord, Daniel: The Key to Prophetic Revelation, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1974), p. 162. Return
3. Ibid, pp. 162, 169. Return
4. Ibid, p. 72. Return