The Four Empires Parallels

 

“According to the Prophet Daniel’s inspired interpretation, each of the four sections of the great metallic image seen in vision by Nebuchadnezzar, symbolized a phase of the Gentile dominion (Dan. 2). In another vision, granted to Daniel (Chap. 7), these phases are seen in a different aspect. From Nebuchadnezzar’s viewpoint the Gentile nations were to be admired as being like a great man; but from the view-point of God’s servant they appeared beast-like. Thus:

Universal Empire:                              

Babylonia,

Medo-Persia,

Greece,

Pagan Rome, out of which grew Papal Rome, that had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things.

Nebuchadnezzar’s vision

head of gold

chest of silver

abdomen of brass

legs of iron, which terminated in feet of iron and clay

Daniel’s vision

lion with eagle’s wings

bear raised on one side

leopard with four heads

ferocious beast with iron teeth, out of the head of which grew a “little horn,” that had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things.

As Babylonia was likened to the head of gold, and as the head represents the whole body, all the Gentile empires may properly be said to bear the name “Babylon.” So also in the antitype, “Babylon the Great,” the name of the first, or “mother” phase of Christendom, applies equally to the “daughter” phases of that system. “Babylon” is a family name, for the same spirit of pride and arrogance which animated Nebuchadnezzar the first Babylonian king (Dan. 4:30, 37), has continued to actuate every ruler throughout the entire period of Gentile dominion.

From 606 B.C. when the ancient Babylonian empire was set up in universal power, till 70 A.D., Fleshly Israel was under the domination of the four successive Gentile nations (See diagram, page 200). So, during the Gospel Age from 539 A.D. when “Mystic Babylon the Great” was set up in power, till 1915 A.D., Spiritual Israel has been under four corresponding phases of Antichrist. This correspondence is shown in the 13th chapter of Revelation. John beheld a beast like a leopard rise out of the sea. It had the feet of a bear, and spoke with the voice of a lion; and power was given to it by the dragon.

In Section XX we saw that the date 536 B.C. in the Law Age (as represented in the “Fleshly House”) corresponds with 1309 A.D. in the Gospel Age (and the “Spiritual House”). In the former the 70-year universal empire of Babylon, the “head of gold,” was brought to an end by Medo-Persia. In the latter the 770 years of the supreme power of Babylon the Great, the “mother,” came to an end at Avignon (As shown in diagram above). From Avignon to the Reformation under Luther, we have the “Bear” or Medo-Persian phase of Christendom, symbolized by the feet of the leopard-like beast referred to in Revelation.

To appreciate the force of this parallel, we must remember that the overthrow of ancient Babylon in 536 B.C. by the conjoint kingdom Medo-Persia, typified the overthrow of “Babylon the

Great,” beginning in 1914-1915 A.D. by the dual Kingdom of Christ (viz. the Spiritual phase and the earthly phase of the kingdom, See the “Dominion Parallels”, Part 25 in our study ). That will be the complete fulfillment of the type; but we are now dealing with the partial fulfillment in the Gospel Age. Till the beginning of the “Captivity of the Papacy” in Avignon, the pope or spiritual head of Antichrist had ruled as king of kings, and lord of lords; but from 1309 A.D. this supremacy was broken, and the civil power, as represented by the kings of France and other countries, had now more influence in the government of Europe. This phase of Christendom, therefore, from one aspect, counterfeited the glorious Millennial Kingdom of Christ, which will be both spiritual and earthly.

During the Medo-Persian period of Christendom, the people were helpless because of ignorance and superstition, none dared to assail the supposed canonical authority of the popes, nor could the civil rule be questioned. Thus, so far as the people were concerned, the laws of this period were “unalterable,” as in the ancient Medo-Persian Empire. Nevertheless, the people of God, the true Spiritual Israelite’s, experienced greater freedom; for even as Cyrus over-came the Babylonian empire, and permitted as many as would of the Fleshly Israelite’s to go free and lay the foundations of the temple in Jerusalem, so Philip the Fair, king of France, attacked and overcame Babylon the Great, permitting every “Israelite indeed” to free himself and help lay the foundation of the Reformation Temple.

The Medo-Persian Empire was succeeded by the Grecian empire, symbolized by the leopard with the four heads. When Alexander the Great was crowned in 336 B.C., he immediately began his series of conquests, and in 12 years had established his world-wide sway. In 324 B.C. he received embassies from all parts of the world. Early in the next year, 323 B.C., he died. His four generals at once began to strive against each other, with the result that the Grecian empire was divided into four main parts, as predicted by the Prophet Daniel (Dan. 8:8, 21, 22). These events prefigured parallel events in the Gospel Age.

The conquests of Alexander the Great correspond to the work of Martin Luther. In March 1509 A.D. Luther received the degree of B.D., with an appointment as professor of Biblical theology in the University of Wittenberg. Hitherto, as a teacher of philosophy, he had had little opportunity to examine the Word of God. His new appointment gave him this longed-for privilege. He first studied the Psalms, but soon directed his attention to the Epistle to the Romans, from which he gave lectures to his students from day to day.

Although Luther’s active reform work lay between 1517 and 1521 A.D., yet the year when he was granted authority to teach the Bible, 1509, was the true beginning; for there, in the very first chapter of Romans, Verse 17, he read the words which formed the key-note  of the Reformation—”The just shall live by faith.” These words burned into his mind. He took this as a message from the Lord, and from henceforth pursued his career as a Reformer. His first victories principally consisted in successfully combating errors previously imbibed as a monk, thus preparing himself for his more active outward conquests. In 1521 A.D., 12 years later, he finished his work. The conditions in Christendom underwent a decided change during these 12 years; a new phase of Babylon the Great was established corresponding to the ancient Grecian empire, and symbolized by the leopard part of the animal spoken of in Revelation.

But Luther soon afterwards practically ceased his work as Reformer. He began to strive with other Reformers, who hitherto had been in the background, with the result that Christendom, while divided into two principal parts, — Protestantism and Catholicism,—was split into four main sects, namely, Lutheranism, Presbyterianism, Anglicanism, and Reformed Roman Catholicism (See page 193). These were four Church-State systems, and were therefore really Gentile powers, corresponding to ancient Greece which was symbolized by the leopard with four heads.

Luther remained a Roman Catholic up to the time of his excommunication. His work, however, would not have been possible but for the preceding work of Marsiglio, Wycliffe, and Huss. This explains why the leopard-like creature beheld by John, stood upon the feet of a bear; for the third phase of Christendom, from Luther’s time onward, rested upon the foundation of the second. But throughout all these phases the “voice” was the same. The domineering voice of the “mother-church,” the proud arrogant spirit of the old “Babylon the Great,” symbolized by the lion, still found expression through her “daughters.”

The four great Church-State systems, like their parent Babylon the Great, claimed to be “Christendom,” that is, they each asserted themselves to be Christ’s Kingdom, thus contradicting the Word of God which states that the Church is in humiliation, not in power, and that Christ would not reign till after the end of the Seven Times of the Gentiles.

Ancient Rome, the fourth universal empire, symbolized by the ferocious beast with iron teeth, was in existence at the time of Babylon. It was then very feeble, but gradually grew in strength during the Medo-Persian and Grecian periods. Shortly after the “Peace of Macedonia” in 197 B.C., Rome entirely absorbed the Grecian empire. In the time of Julius Caesar the Roman Empire was practically world-wide; under Caesar Augustus it reached the zenith of its power. At this time our Lord Jesus came and offered himself to his own, the nation of Israel. But as they rejected him, he pronounced their House desolate, and predicted the total destruction of their temple and nationality (Matt 23:37-39; 24:1, 2). The faithful remnant, the “wheat” class, who received Christ, were delivered from the nominal mass of Fleshly Israel, the “chaff,” and became sons of God (John 1:11-13).

In Section XX we noticed that the overthrow of the Nominal Fleshly House of Israel in 70 A.D. by the Roman army, foreshadowed the downfall of the Nominal Spiritual House, Christendom, beginning in 1915 A.D. by the rising masses of the people, first in War, then in civil strife (See also page 72, the “Image of the Beast”, Part 27 in our study). Thus Rome, as it existed toward the close of the Jewish Age, represented the power of the people in the closing years of this Gospel Age. Rome was different from the preceding empires in that it was a Republic, a government of the people by the people.

Vox populi, the “voice of the people,” was the watchword of ancient Rome. This power was lost during the growth of Papal Rome, which, as “Babylon the Great,” inaugurated the antitypical phases of the four ancient Gentile empires. In this aspect, Rome, as symbolized in the great Gentile image by the iron legs terminating in the feet of iron and clay, has continued till this day.

During the supremacy of Babylon the Great previous to Avignon, although many good men recognized the necessity of reform, the power of the people was too feeble to make this possible. The Papacy, symbolized by the little horn that had eyes and a mouth speaking great things, was too cunning to be overcome, unless the power of God should be exerted on behalf of its opposers. From Avignon till the time of Luther the people increased their power, owing to the influence of godly men, who held up the Word of God as the standard.

During this “leopard” period of Christendom the three Protestant Church-State systems were quarreling with each other, and therefore allowed not only the fourth system, reformed

Roman Catholicism, to revive, but also enabled the people to become strong. Education, also, became more general owing to the extension of the art of printing, which spread the Bible everywhere. Eventually, in 1618 A.D., a violent religious conflict broke out between the Protestant and Papal divisions of Christendom, in which each tried to exterminate the other. This lasted till 1648 A.D., and is known in history as the “Thirty Years’ War.” The outcome of this long conflict was that the people became tired of all religious differences, and the celebrated treaty called the “Peace of Westphalia” was signed, in October 1648 A.D. Although the pope clamored loudly against the treaty, none of the rulers who favored his cause dared to interrupt the terms of peace, which were duly ratified in 1650.

This treaty, one of the most important in European history, became the basis of all subsequent treaties up till the French Revolution, and may be regarded as the beginning of the fourth phase of Christendom. It corresponds to the date 197 B.C., when the Roman power may be said to have begun by the “Peace of Macedonia” (See diagram, page 200). The American War of Independence and the French Revolution are decided evidences of the growth in the power of the people.

And now, general knowledge is increasing so greatly, overthrowing reverence for both Church and State, that shortly these shall be overwhelmed in a time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation, just as predicted by our Lord (Dan. 12:1, 4; Matt. 24:21). The disintegration of the great Antichrist system will be so complete, that “one stone shall not be left standing upon another.” The foreordained period of “Seven Times” of Gentile oppression has expired, and Jerusalem, either spiritual or earthly, shall no longer be trodden down as formerly. Christ now reigns, and has already begun to vindicate himself on behalf of his own.”

Great Pyramid Passages Page 199-204, par. 516-534