END-TIMES PROPHECIES IN DANIEL

PART 1

by Steve Ashburn

 

In our previous series on the United States in Bible prophecy, we saw how the US was described in Isaiah 18 as “the land of whirring wings” based on our aircraft industry; how we led a third coalition invasion of Iraq at the beginning of the end times (Isaiah 13); and how that after the loss of most of our population in the rapture, our nation was invaded and occupied by “all the beasts of the earth” (other nations, Isaiah 18:6). We now continue our studies with end-times prophecies in Daniel. These prophecies begin with the rapture, and take up where Isaiah 18 leaves off. 

Daniel 7 describes four world powers which successively will dominate the Middle East before and during the end times. This is an extremely important prophecy in terms of understanding the sequence of events from the present time until the millennium. 

Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it (Daniel 7:2–6). 

As stated in our previous series about the US, the first beast was “like a lion” (representing Great Britain) and “had eagle’s wings” (representing the United States). Daniel “beheld till the wings thereof were plucked.” We saw how this corresponded to the conquest of the United States after the rapture, and the loss of most of the military power of the Anglo-American alliance.  

Look at the satellite map of Great Britain below. Does it resemble any kind of animal? In fact, the British isle looks exactly like a crowned lion standing on two feet, which is the official symbol of the UK, facing east, with the isle of Ireland to the west highly suggestive of “wings” which have been plucked. (A close look at Ireland clearly reveals the right wing and tail feathers of an eagle!) The “lion” seemingly does not appear in an aggressive posture and looks like it was “made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.” While all of this could be just a coincidence, it is consistent with the prophetic account of the US-British alliance given in Daniel, and God very well could have designed the British Isles to reinforce this description! 

 This alliance will be in power from the beginning of the end times until perhaps twenty to thirty years later; this is because the next beast (the bear) takes the scene a few years before the tribulation begins. This gives the world several decades to become complacent, after the nuclear war which began this period. Jesus prophesied of this time: 

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come (Matthew 24:36–42). 

Jesus said that he would return for his church at a time of great complacency, and as in the days of Noah, the rapture would take many by surprise. Jesus also said that no one knows the exact time of the rapture, and commanded us to “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” Thus as time passes after the nuclear war that begins the end times, we should be on red alert for the rapture while the rest of the world becomes more and more complacent. 

The second beast was “like to a bear” (Russia). This beast “raised up itself on one side,” probably meaning that after a period of rest, it expands its kingdom in one direction, e.g., toward North America. When it does this, three ribs (probably nations it has conquered) are seen “between the teeth of it.” Since Russia almost certainly will participate in invading the US after the rapture and be among those nations who plunder our natural resources (“all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them”; Isaiah 18:6), one of these ribs probably corresponds to the US. If this is true, then the other two ribs are likely the adjacent nations (Canada and Mexico). Then “they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.” This probably represents the voice of Russia’s allies urging it to invade and conquer more countries (e.g., Moslem countries urging it to invade Israel).  

The phrases “summer upon them, and . . . winter upon them” in Isaiah 18 suggest a multiyear period of consolidation for Russia and her allies; after all, they will have invaded the entire continent of North America, with all of its agricultural, manufacturing, forestry, fishing, and mining and mineral industries. It takes 300 million Americans, plus Canadians and Mexicans, to run all that; thus, even several million Russians, Chinese, and others won’t be able to restart the entire North American industrial infrastructure anytime soon.  

Daniel 7 also pictures Russia as having three ribs “in the mouth of it between the teeth of it” (emphasis added). This suggests that Russia has been feeding on her kill for awhile, and has finished stripping the flesh down to the bones (ribs); again, this is consistent with a multiyear period of consolidation of gains. Eventually Russia will be ready to listen to her Moslem cohorts urging her to “Arise, devour much flesh,” and turn her attention toward seizing the riches of the Middle East. This consolidation phase is the biggest unknown factor in estimating a timeframe for the rapture; it could last one or several years. That’s because the rapture (implied in Isaiah 18) probably will occur prior to the Russian invasion of North America, which itself precedes the Ezekiel 38–39 Russian invasion of Israel.  

I discuss a general timeline for the rapture in more detail in my book, END TIMES DAWNING (available from www.endtimesrecord.com).  

Ezekiel 38–39, then, describes the invasion of Israel by Russia and her allies, and the subsequent total destruction of this coalition by God. This event must occur after the second beast of Daniel (Russia) appears on the scene, which itself follows the first beast (Great Britain and the US), and therefore is relatively late in the end-times period—after the nuclear war that begins it; after the period of complacency that follows; after the rapture; after the conquest of the United States; and about four years before the tribulation begins. Again, I discuss more about the details of this in my book, END TIMES DAWNING. 

After Russia is destroyed during her attempted invasion of Israel, a third beast appears which is “like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl” (Daniel 7:6). A leopard has many spots, and this beast probably symbolizes nations of the world banded together in a fashion similar to the United Nations. Wings are a symbol of protection, and these wings apparently symbolize four chief nations among this group which enforce security. These four nations also have leaders (“the beast had also four heads”). After this comes the fourth beast: 

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things (Daniel 7:7–8). 

The fourth beast is the kingdom of the Antichrist, “dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it.” This final world kingdom is an authoritarian police state which puts all previous dictatorships to shame. This kingdom apparently has ten divisions ruled over by ten kings (“it had ten horns”). The Antichrist will overthrow three of them, possibly for resisting his absolute authority (“there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots”). 

We’ll cover more about the Antichrist and his kingdom in Part 2 of this series, including the “covenant” that he confirms with Israel, which begins the seven-year period known as the tribulation. So stand by for Part 2! 

I provide more details of this and many other end-times prophecies in my recently published book, END TIMES DAWNING: Get Ready! (available from www.endtimesrecord.com). Please read it! Also if you would, please leave a book review on Amazon! 

Yours in Christ, 

Steve Ashburn