The Divided Kingdom Stage: East and West Balance of Power
Dani’el 2: 41
The divided kingdom stage DIG: How and when was the Roman Empire divided? What were the two divisions? When the east-west balance of power stage eventually collapses, what will it give way to? Why is this stage called a divided kingdom?
REFLECT: Are you divided in any way? How so? Do you need to get away, or do you want to stay separated from that person, job, or philosophy? Do you fret over world politics? Do you think you can learn to control what you can control and let go?
ADONAI begins to reveal to Dani’el the initial revelation regarding the Times of the Gentiles (see Ao – The Times of the Gentiles). He provides an initial overview of the four empires that will govern this period. As the book progresses, God’s revelation becomes increasingly specific, reaching their climax in Chapter 12.
Verse 41 describes the second stage of the Fourth Empire of Imperialism. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay (Dani’el 2:41). When Dani’el described Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in 2:33 he spoke of its legs and feet, “its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay.” While he explained that the statue’s feet were made of both iron and clay, he said nothing about the composition of the toes. Here, in verse 41, he mentioned that the toes were also made of iron and clay. Then he drew a parallel: Just as the statue’s feet and toes were characterized by the composition of the two materials, the second stage of the Fourth Empire would be characterized by division. So, Dani’el called this stage a divided kingdom.89
The Roman Empire stage began in 63 BC and continued until AD 364, when Emperor Valentinian divided it into an east-west balance of power. The capital of the eastern Roman Empire was Constantinople until 1453. The Turks then destroyed it. But the political leaders, scribes and scholars of the eastern Roman Empire simply fled northward into Russia. They infiltrated the Russian government and Romanized it. The Russian kings then took on the new title of Czar, which is the Russian word for Cesar. After a while, Russia gave herself the official title of the Third Roman Empire.
The western balance of power shifted more frequently. It remained in Rome until AD 364, when, after being sacked, it shifted to the Franks under Charlemagne in AD 800. They officially called themselves the Holy Roman Empire under the Frankish nation. Later it shifted to Germany under Otto I, in AD 962. At that point the German kings changed their names to Kaiser, the German word for Cesar. They were officially known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation. Since then, especially after World War II, the western balance of power has been centered in the democratic nations of the west. The presence of iron and clay in the statue symbolizes a decline in strength. But even at the divided kingdom stage, it still possessed the strength of iron. Dani’el 2 gives us the perspective of the times of the Gentiles from a human viewpoint as something majestic, but when we get to Dani’el 7, it will give us the perspective from God’s viewpoint as something dreadful.
Eventually, this east-west balance of power will collapse and give way to the one world government stage. This will probably happen in Ezeki’el Chapters 38-39 because Russia will invade Isra’el and God will so deal with the Russians that they will cease being a political force in world affairs (see Revelation Bh – The Northern Alliance and the Invasion of Isra’el). Ezeki’el says that not only will the Russian armies be destroyed in Isra’el, but Russia itself will be destroyed. I believe that this will happen before the Great Tribulation ever starts. That will lend itself to a One World Government.90 As a result, in 364 AD the east-west balance of power began and continues to the present day as is evidenced by the conflict between the United States with Russia and China. The centers of the balance of power may shift again, but it will remain essentially an east-west balance until it gives way to the third stage (see Be – The One World Government Stage).
Dear heavenly Father, praise You are an awesome God who never divides Your affections or actions. Your love for me is always a faithful and steadfast. Your love, ADONAI, is in the heavens, Your faithfulness up to the skies (Psalms 36:5). Your eyes are always watchful over me to give me the deepest joy and most abundant life. I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10c)! Thank You for being such a wonderful King of kings. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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