5. The Image and the Beasts.

[Notes of Addresses on Prophetic Subjects by P. Ben, Delivered before the Assembly, Gathered at YMCA, Secunderabad, 2014.]
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Neo-Babylon had begun the times of gentiles- the epoch of providential government from heaven replaced the immediate and direct government of God from Jerusalem.

It is not without any reason that the kings of Babylon encountered phenomenal visions. The dreams of Nebuchadnezzar and the vision of Belshazzar point to the entire history of this epoch of universal rule on earth- its rise, succession and end.

The image in Daniel 2 provides us with four principal ideas- quality deterioration, escalating aggression, prolongation and invasive element.

The quality declines from the head of gold to the legs of iron- this is power held absolutely in case of Babylon, not so absolutely in Mede-Persia*, lesser in case of the Grecian and much lesser in the republican-dictatorship dual rule of Rome. The absoluteness of power in case of Babylon is undoubtedly due to its direct establishment by God (Dan 2:37-38) but in case of the succeeding empires, there is a dilution of power due to providential succession.

*In case of Mede-Persia, the law of the Medes and Persians altereth not (Esther 1:19). Darius was unable to change his own decree (Dan 6:15) to deliver Daniel from the den. The campaigns of Alexander were attempted taking into confidence the will of the soldiers. Rome was well famed for its senate- the popular expression of will besides that of the dictator.

In Dan 2:40, we find aggressive features of the fourth empire- as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things. This is true of the Roman.

The idea of prolonged existence is well observed in Dan 7:12- the dominion was lost but their lives prolonged for a season and time. The power of Babylon, Mede-Persia and Grecia was removed but their representative forms continue to exist.* This is evidenced by the fact that when the stone struck the image at the feet, the whole image broke and not just the feet of iron and clay (Dan 2:35).

*The representation of the previous empires takes the shape of national identities.

The invasive foreign material found in the image is the clay- the barbaric hordes of Europe.

The image in Daniel 2 corresponds to the four beasts of Daniel 7.

Daniel 7 is divine assessment of these four empires. The lion with eagle’s wings refers to the energy of Babylon, the bear with three ribs reflects the Mede-Persia appropriating the other kingdoms, the leopard with four wings and four heads speak of Alexander’s conquests and subsequent division by the four generals and the terrible beast is Roman. These four appear as beasts- imperial kingdoms viewed spiritually as without having any relation with the God of heaven.

In Dan 7, Mede-Persia and Grecia are shown as bear and leopard respectively. But in Dan 8, they are shown to be clean animals- ram and he-goat. This transformative character is because of their kind behavior towards the Jews demonstrated particularly by the Persian kings-Cyrus, Hystaspes and Artaxerxes. In case of Alexander, Zech 9:8 speaks of the sparing of Jerusalem.*

*The Persians generally were favorably disposed towards the Jews- they freed them from the Babylonian captivity and decreed their return to build Jerusalem. Zech 9 is both historical (particularly the earlier verses) and the latter verses are prophetic.

It is to be noted that though the transformation from unclean to clean is evident in Dan 8, but the intrinsic qualities do not change- the bear in Dan 7 is raised itself on one side (the dominance of the Persian element) is seen to be the same thing in case of the two horns of the ram in Dan 8 (where one horn is higher than the other). Further the leopard had four heads in Dan 7, and the he goat’s notable horn in Dan 8 was broken into four notable ones. The two empires may be good to the Jew, but antagonistic toward each other.

The four empires are seen in their exterior forms in Dan 2 and internally in Dan 7.

In Zechariah, the providential agencies that affect these four empires in an unseen manner are shown. In Zech 1, there are three horses*- which obey the red horse among the myrtle trees. In v 11, the One standing among the myrtle trees is shown to be the Angel of the Lord (Christ Himself). The three horses were red, speckled and white.

*The times of Zechariah were the times of Persian hegemony (Ch1:1). This is the reason that we do not find a fourth horse representing Babylon as such.

The Mede-Persia is shown to be a red horse corresponding to the red horse among the myrtle trees. This is Cyrus of Isaiah 44 and 45. Cyrus is a faint shadow of Christ- the deliverer of the Jew. Cyrus is not in relationship with God- refer Isaiah 44:4 and 5 but is used by God to fulfill His purposes of favor towards the Jews (Ezra 1). But this involves judgment- the figure of red horse. Red is devotion to God in judgment or in grace- refer to the ram’s skin dyed red. Here Cyrus called by name, nearly one fifty years before by Isaiah- is the instrument of God’s judgment over Babylon.

In Zech 6, the providential unseen agencies are again viewed as four chariots. Here, uniquely Babylon is also represented as the red horses (the first chariot).* Then the black horses (Mede-Persia) go toward the north (Babylon)-v6 and have judged Babylon- v8. These were followed by the white horses (Greek)-v6.The black horses followed by the white horses reach the north- the rise of Cyrus (capture of Babylon) as well as Alexander took the strategic direction towards the east (north of Israel)- the battles of Issus and Gaugamela. It was Rome that first inclined towards the south rather than the east- the battle of Actium. The grisled horses go to the south country-v6. Later, we have the general expansion of the Roman Empire towards all the directions- the bay (strong) walked to and fro through the earth-v7.

*The red horses in Zech 6 represent Babylon whereas the red horse (besides the one standing among the myrtle trees), in Zech 1 represent Mede-Persia. Babylon was also an instrument of God’s judgment on the nations and later Cyrus became an instrument to judge Babylon. Both are red. In Zech 1- we have the existing reality shown (Babylon already judged and is not shown) and so we have three horses. But in Zech 6- we have the whole gamut of God’s counsels in relation to the times of gentiles beginning with Babylon (therefore the four chariots are shown to come out from between two mountains) but at the same time, the horses go to the north and subdue Babylon (this links the episode with the contemporaneous times of Zechariah).

The other important point is that in Zech 6:3, the fourth chariot is shown to have both grisled and bay horses, but subsequently in v6 and 7, the grisled and the bay turn to different directions. In v3, the Roman Empire is shown holistically (combining Greco-Roman elements) but whereas from v6 there are shown to act separately.

In Zech 1:18, the four empires are shown to be four horns- referred to as the ‘horns of the gentiles’ in v21. Here the horns refer to kingly powers that have successively ravaged Israel.

The horses symbolize unseen providential agents whereas the horns always speak of kings.

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