Prophecy necessitates the resuscitation of the fourth or Latin empire and its distribution into ten kingdoms, and possessing a strong and powerful chief at its head; this it will have in the "little horn" of Dan. 7 This fourth monarchy is the fourth of the metals in the great image of Dan. 2 and the fourth beast of Dan. 7; there are also four distinct stages in its progress and history, as noted in Rev. 17:8:- "The beast that thou sawest was," i.e., its imperial form in John's day; "and is not," i.e., its present broken up state as having no political existence; "and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit," i.e., will be revived by direct satanic origin; "and go into perdition," i.e., its future awful doom.
The seventy weeks of Daniel (Dan. 9) are weeks of years, and, when multiplied by seven, give us a period of 490 years. After 483 of these years had run out, Messiah was cut off, and, in consequence, the seven years necessary to complete the whole prophetic period was postponed, and is still future. Between, therefore, the close of the 69th week and the opening of the 70th, the present interval of grace to the world, and Israel's degradation come in, this latter is the subject of Dan. 9:26 of the prophecy which, when complete, the 70th week or seven years will have their fulfillment. The various dates in Rev. 12; 13; Matt. 24:15, and in Daniel, refer to the last part of this celebrated prophetic week. After the rapture of the church to heaven, the restoration of the Jews to Palestine, the temple rebuilt, antichrist accepted, and the Roman power revived, the last seven years will commence.
The Great Image (Dan. 2) and Wild Beasts (Dan. 7) represent the governmental powers on earth, transferred from Judah at the epoch of the Babylonian captivity, to the Gentiles. In the four metals composing the image and four wild beasts we have the four successive empires represented. In the decreasing inferiority and value of the several metals we have pictured the gradual departure from the source of all power, and the inferior character of each of the empires, not only from the gold, but from each other; while in the wild beasts we have those same powers represented, but as acting without conscience or feeling towards God.
The Silver,...... Persia.
The Leopard,...... Greece.
The dreadjul and terrible Beast,...... Rome.
The complete overthrow of the mighty and extensive Persian Empire; its destruction by Alexander the Great, and rapid growth of the Grecian power: its break-up and subsequent four-fold division, are all described with wonderful circumstantiality of detail in the prophet Daniel, 7:6; 8:1-8.
The awful condition of the Jews during the great siege of Jerusalem in the year 70, and the character of the Roman power, are minutely described by Moses more than a 1000 years before (Deut. 28:44-67).
The "little horn" of Dan. 7, is a power arising in the west, and to be distinguished from the "little horn" of Dan. 8, which arises in the east.
The following are the various names and titles applied to the future Antichrist in the Scriptures:-1, The King (Dan. 11:36); 2, The Idol Shepherd (Zech. 11:17); 3, Bloody and Deceitful Man (Psa. 5:6); 4, Antichrist (1 John 2:22); 5, False Prophet (Rev. 19:20); 6, Another Beast (Rev. 13:11); 7, Man of Sin (2 Thess. 2:3); 8, Son of Perdition (2 Thess. 2:3); 9, Wicked One (2 Thess. 2:8); 10, Come in his own Name (John 5:43).
The seven heathen nations inhabiting the land of Canaan, and which God ordained to be exterminated root and branch, were: (1) the Canaanites, (2) the Perizzites, (3) the Hivites, (4) the Jebusites, (5) the Hittites, (6) the Gergashites, (7) the Amorites. Israel failed in driving out these nations, hence their descendants will once again inhabit the land of Palestine, but will be utterly destroyed by the Lord at His second coming; "And in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts " (Zech. 14:21).
The last prophetic book in the Old Testament is Malachi.
Interesting details as to the closing days are given us in the book of Zechariah.
A comprehensive outline of the prophetic outline is found in the book of Isaiah.
The religious and civil state of Israel during the millennium is given in the prophecy of Ezekiel.
The rise, course, and doom of the Gentile powers of the west is unfolded in the prophecy of Daniel.
The feelings, exercises, and sorrows of the Israel God-fearing remnant in the future crisis of her history, are fully detailed in the book of Psalms.
The judgment and ruin of the Edomites was prophetically foretold by Obadiah.
The judgment and ruin of the Assyrians was prophetically foretold by Nahum.
The judgment and ruin of the Chaldean was prophetically foretold by Habakkuk.