Rome in Prophesy - an Overview
Daniel Chapter 2
The first Bible reference to Rome was around 604 BC, in the 2nd "year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar"( Dan2:1 ), king of Babylon. The King had a night-dream that he could not remember when he woke up. He demanded of his wisest advisers that they tell him what his dream was well as the interpretation of his dream. They couldn't do it, so the King was about to kill them all, when Daniel showed up and asked the King for a little time. Daniel and his friends prayed and God revealed to Daniel the King's dream and the interpretation. Here is Daniel telling the King the dream =>
Daniel 2:31-35 Thou, O king, saw, and, behold, a great image. This image [had a] ... 32 ... head of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass, 33 its legs of iron, its feet part of iron, and part of clay. 34 Thou saw that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces. 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Here is Daniel, giving the interpretation =>
Daniel 2:37-45 Thou, O king, art king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory; 38 and wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens hath he given into thy hand, and hath made thee to rule over them all: thou art the head of gold. 39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee; and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Now, we know that Babylon was the "head of fine gold" because Daniel told the king, "thou art the head of gold."
We also know that the Medes and Persians followed Babylon as the "breast and ... arms of silver" because in Daniel 10:1, Daniel, still alive, was under " Cyrus king of Persia" after the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon in 538 BC.
We also know that Grecia(Greece) followed the Medes and Persians, as the "belly and its thighs of brass", because of a vision given to Daniel in Dan8:1-22 . We also know this from history.
But, what about "the fourth kingdom" - the "legs of iron" that is "strong as iron", which follows Grecia? The Bible does not name this kingdom, but gives us great evidence that this is Rome. I've designated the color red for Rome, because Rev12 refers to it as the great red dragon, as we will see later in this study.
Daniel Chapter 7
Daniel 7:2-3 Daniel spoke and said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke out on the great sea. 3 Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another.
These four animals come up in the same order and represent the same kingdoms as the first four kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2. Since this study is focused on Rome, we will study just those texts that apply in this chapter.
Daniel 7:7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there was a fourth animal, awesome, powerful, and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the animals that were before it. It had ten horns.
Especially notice the "ten horns". We will see those same "ten horns" again in Revelation 12, 13, and 17. Just as we see this beast come "up from the sea"(vs3), we will also see the 10-horned beast of Revelation 13 come up from the sea.
Daniel 7:8 I{Daniel} considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns{"Arian powers"} were plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking arrogantly."
The fulfillment of the prophesy of those 3 horns that were "plucked up by the roots" is documented here => By the 6th century, "there was only one hindrance to [papal] supremacy, -- the opposition of the Arian powers to the doctrines of the Catholics, especially to that of the Trinity. These opposing powers were rooted up, the Heruli in 493, the Vandals in 534, and the Ostrogoths in 538." See "Student's Gibbon"(Edward Gibbon, Wm Smith) pp. 309-319 for documentation of this claim. More historical context can be found in this previous study.
Notice that the little horn has "the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking arrogantly." In Dan8:9,11, we see similar talk of the same little horn => "it magnified itself, even to the prince of the army{Jesus}". Also, in Rev13:5-6 we see similar language => "A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him... He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven."
Daniel 7:11 “I watched at that time because of the voice of the arrogant words which the horn spoke. I watched even until the animal was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire.
This could be nothing other than the papacy. Look at the similarity of Rev19:20 => The beast{papacy} was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
The angel explained further to Daniel about this "fourth animal" =>
Daniel 7:23-25 “So he said, ‘The fourth animal will be a fourth kingdom on earth, which will be different from all the kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will tread it down and break it in pieces. 24 As for the ten horns, ten kings will arise out of this kingdom. Another will arise after them; and he will be different from the former, and he will put down three kings. 25 He will speak words against the Most High, and will wear out the holy ones of the Most High. He will plan to change the times and the law; and they will be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.
Notice, "He will plan to change the times and the law". Among other things, the papacy changed the Sabbath from the 7th-day to the 1st-day.
Notice, "He will ... wear out the holy ones" for "a time and times and half a time." This is the same time period(538AD-1260AD) as mentioned in Rev12:6,14 and Rev13:5, with further documentation in this previous study.
Daniel Chapter 8
In Daniel's vision in chapter 8, the angel speaks of Rome =>
Daniel 8:23-25 And in the latter time of their{Grecia} kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king{Rome} of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes{Jesus}; but he shall be broken without hand.
Notice the similarity here with the "fourth animal" of Daniel 7.
Revelation Chapter 12
Revelation 12:1-6 A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman{God's church} ... 2 She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth. 3 Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. 4 ... The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child{obviously Jesus} was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman{God's church} fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days{same time period as Dan7:25, Rev12:14 and Rev 13:5 }.
If we weren't sure before, we can be sure now that Rome is the beast with 10 horns, because it was Rome who tried to kill Jesus soon after His birth.
Revelation 12:13-17 When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14 Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, times, and half a time,{same time period as Dan7:25, Rev12:6 and Rev 13:5 } from the face of the serpent... 17 The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus' testimony.
Revelation Chapter 13
Revelation 13:1 Then I{John} stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names.
Notice again the "ten horns" on this beast equating it to Rome. For further study of this first beast of Revelation 13, see => http://sidnash.org/docs/1stBeastRev13.html
Revelation Chapter 17
Revelation 17:3,7,12 He{an angel} carried me{John} away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns... 7 The angel said to me, ... I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns... 12 The ten horns that you saw are ten kings...
For further study of the "woman" of Rev17, see => http://sidnash.org/docs/Rev17Woman.html
Desiring to live by every word that comes from the mouth of Jehovah ( Deut8:3; Matt4:4 )
-Sid Nash: 01/25/2025. Latest version: http://sidnash.org/docs/RomeProphesy.html