The One World Government Stage: Absolute Imperialism
2: 42-43
The one world government stage DIG: How is this one world government imperialistic? What unstable “iron and clay” unions do you see in our broken world? Who is the antichrist? Who is the Rock that destroys the one world government? What did the Rock become and filled the whole earth? What did it represent?
REFLECT: What do you feel like these days: iron or clay? Why? What is the clay in your relationships? Is your relationship with the Lord today like iron or clay? Satan is not very original. He always imitates ADONAI. How can you tell the difference between Godly wisdom and the schemes of the devil?
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.
The One World Government Stage will cover the entire earth. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle and weak (Dani’el 2:42). This stage is represented by the ten toes. Just like the feet, the toes are made of iron and clay. The empire that began as iron regressed to a state of clay mixed with iron. This mixture speaks of a progressive deterioration. It is possible that other metals mixed together form an alloy that might be stronger than either of the metals individually. But iron and clay cannot be mixed. If iron and clay are put into a crucible, heated to the melting point, and poured into a mold, when the pour has cooled, the iron and clay remain separate. The clay cannot be broken down, which leaves a weak casting.91
As far as the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is concerned, this lack of unity is especially seen in the toes. For some reason, not explicitly stated in the Bible, the one world government will divide into ten kingdoms that will cover the whole earth – not merely Europe. It will probably start sometime before the Great Tribulation and continue until the first three and a half years of the Great Tribulation have ended (see below). While Dani’el previously mentioned the toes of the statue (2:41), here, he explicitly states that the rulers of the Divided Kingdom (see Bd – The Divided Kingdom Stage) could never unite the people.92 The iron in the statue gives the appearance of strength and endurance, but the presence of clay proves otherwise. In fact, the clay robs the iron of its ability to hold things together and produces weakness. This mixture of iron and clay also shows that these kingdoms will try to strengthen themselves by forming alliances with each other through intermarriage. But they will not hold together, just as iron and clay do not mix (Dani’el 2:43).
In the first three and half years of the Great Tribulation, the earth will be ruled by these ten Gentile nations with ten kings. In the middle of it, the antichrist will expand his political power. He will kill three kings and seven others will submit to his authority. In the middle of the Tribulation, the king of the South will engage the antichrist in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. In his vision, Dani’el describes as best he can what he sees. Chariots and cavalry are best taken as representative of their counterparts of modern warfare; however, modern weapons could not have been used in his day. But the antichrist will invade those countries and sweep through them like a flood. He will kill those kings and also invade Isra’el. Once invaded, she will be taken over by the Gentiles (Revelation 11:1-2). Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and Ammon, or modern-day Jordan, will be delivered from his hand so that there will be one place in the world to which the Jews can flee. Whenever one part of the world persecutes the Jews, God opens up a city of refuge for them (Matthew 24:15-22; Revelation 12:6, 13-14). The antichrist will extend his power over many countries. Egypt will not escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with Africa also in submission to him. But reports about the king of the East and the king of the North will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate them (Dani’el 11:40-44). He will pitch his royal tents between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea, at the beautiful holy mountain on the temple mount in Jerusalem. At that time he will sit in the Most Holy Place of the tribulation temple and declare himself to be God (see the commentary on Revelation Do – The Beast Out of the Earth: The False Prophet).
Yet he will come to his end in the middle of the Great Tribulation, or so it appears. At some point during his war against the ten kings the antichrist will appear to be killed (see Revelation Dh – The Antichrist Appears to be Killed). So, the antichrist’s alleged death and resurrection will be a counterfeit of Messiah’s death and resurrection (see Revelation Dj – The Antichrist Seems to be Resurrected). The people of the world will believe that the beast is their savior. Since the Great Tribulation will be a time where the world will experience death on a scale never seen before in human history, his seeming invincibility to death will win him even greater fame than before. As a result, the whole world will be astonished and follow the beast (13:3b).
He will seem bulletproof.
The antichrist will be the counterfeit son in every respect (see Dx – The Antichrist). There has been a counterfeit virgin birth, a counterfeit god-man, and now a counterfeit death and resurrection. Not very original. A counterfeit Second Coming to rule will be seen as he moves to possess the nations and kingdoms of the world. Satan is playing the part of the counterfeit Father in this scenario. For just as the true Father gave His authority to the true Son; consequently the counterfeit father will give his authority to his counterfeit son.93 It is no wonder that the entire world will be swept off its feet by this articulate, persuasive figure. The world will cry out: Who is like the beast, and who is able to make war against him (13:4)? This will cause the other seven kings to submit to his authority until the return of Messiah at the end of the Great Tribulation (see Revelation Dk – Three Kings Killed and Seven Submit).94
The statue was not the only figure in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Dani’el relayed: While you were watching, a Rock was cut out. The Rock is a frequent image of ADONAI in Scripture and especially of Yeshua Messiah (Psalm 118;22; Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16; Matthew 21:44; Acts 4:11, First Corinthians 10:4; and First Peter 2:4-8). Thus, it was a Rock not made by human hands, implying divine origin. It came with the purpose of smashing the statue. But with two characters, the statue and the Rock, we now have a plot. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and smashed them to pieces (2:34). Here, Dani’el depicts spiritual weakness. Prophetically, the dream predicted that the smashing of the statue would occur only in the last stage (see Bb – The Fourth Empire: Imperialism). Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. This recalls the prophecy of Isaiah in which the nations who oppressed Isra’el are reduced to chaff and blown away by the wind (Isaiah 41:15-16). In the king’s dream, the entire statue was destroyed, and the dust into which the statue had turned could not be found. The wind swept it away without leaving a trace (2:35a).
But rather than breaking into pieces itself, the Rock that struck the statue mysteriously grew and became a huge mountain, growing continuously until it filled the whole earth (2:35b). The motif of the mountain that fills the entire earth echoes the vision of Isaiah in which the mountain of ADONAI’s Temple in Jerusalem, it will be raised above the hills, and all nations of the world will stream to it (see the commentary on Isaiah Ap – They Will Beat Their Swords into Plowshares).95
Dear heavenly Father, praise You that You are absolutely totally truthful! Yeshua said to him: I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6). There is nothing counterfeit in You; nor is there any deceit. What a comfort and joy that righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne. Lovingkindness and truth go before You (Psalms 89:14). Thank You that though You are almighty, all powerful with all wisdom, You use Your authority in a righteous and loving way. According to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Messiah. As a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:7b-10).
How wonderful your promise to live within those who believe in You. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). What a great picture of being united “in Messiah”, in your description of the vine and the branches. You tell how important it is for the branch to remain in the vine as all true believers are ”in Messiah.” Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. The branch cannot itself produce fruit, unless it abides on the vine. Likewise, you cannot produce fruit unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:4-5). It is a joy to live for You with all our thoughts, deeds and desires. What a fantastic privilege to be united “in Messiah”. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen
Leave A Comment