The Living Principle in History

Notes

1. In a view, or vision, the record of which occupies only five verses of the Scripture, the Lord set forth the checkered history and final outcome of "the kingdom of the world," and showed the triumph of the kingdom of righteousness. The purpose of this dream is not to reveal in advance the history of the world. It certainly did all that, but this was simply a necessary step in the greater revelation of the final outcome in the contest between opposing principles. The dream was not given primarily to make it clear that there would be four universal kingdoms, which would arise one after another, but to show the temporary character of all the world kingdoms, and to reveal the nature, the time of setting up, and the eternal duration of the fifth kingdom, the kingdom which the God of heaven would establish. In order that we may have the whole picture clearly before our minds, it will be profitable to sketch the historical fulfilment of the dream, so far as it has been fulfilled up to the present time.

2. The head of gold represented the Babylonian Empire of the Bible, which was founded in 612 B. C., by a revolt from the Assyrian rule, led by Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar. In 538 B. C., Babylon was conquered by Medo-Persia. Daniel described this kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar as "another kingdom inferior to thee." In B. C. 331 Medo-Persia was conquered by Grecia, under the leadership of Alexander the Great. This was "the third kingdom of brass." In B. C. 168, Grecia was conquered by the Roman power. This final step in the overthrow of the empire of Alexander the Great is mentioned in history as "the great victory gained by the Romans over Perseus, the king of Macedonia." The Roman Kingdom was "the fourth kingdom," which was to be "strong as iron." But of this kingdom it was said, "The kingdom shall be divided." And so it was. By the inroads of the Barbarians from the north, beginning with the invasions of the Visigoths, under the leadership of Alaric, A. D. 395, the Roman Empire was gradually broken in pieces, until, "by the establishment of the Herulian Kingdom of Italy, A. D. 476, the final destruction of the Roman Empire was accomplished."—The Great Empires of Prophecy, p. 675. In the place of the Roman Empire, and occupying exactly the same territory, there had been founded ten kingdoms, according to the definite prophecy in the seventh chapter of Daniel. It was "in the days of these kings" that the God of heaven would set up His kingdom, and we may therefore conclude that after A. D. 476 and before the overthrow of these ten kingdoms the kingdom of heaven would be established, that fifth kingdom which "shall stand forever." The time of the setting up of the fifth kingdom is more definitely determined by other prophecies, which we shall study later.

3. While it is true that this dream and its interpretation do deal with the history of the world from the time of Nebuchadnezzar until the triumph of the kingdom of God in the earth, yet it is equally true that it is not the main purpose of the dream and its interpretation to give a brief outline of the events which we have just mentioned. These facts of history constitute the setting in which is revealed the working out of a great principle. This principle and its working make the real subject of the dream and its interpretation.