We are interested particularly in the “fourth kingdom,” concerning which Daniel said:

“As for the fourth kingdom, it will prove to be strong like iron. Forasmuch as iron is crushing and grinding everything else, so, like iron that shatters, it will crush and shatter even all these.”​—Dan. 2:40.

7. What is this “fourth kingdom”?

⁷ Which kingdom does this ironlike one prove to be? In Bible history, the “fourth kingdom,” or world power, counting down from Babylon, is the Roman Empire, with Medo-Persia and Greece in between. In course of time the Roman Empire was subdivided, for better administrative purposes, into an eastern empire and a western empire. It was out of this western empire that there came the outgrowth of the British Empire. As a result of the revolution of the American colonies, the United States of America was established. For vital fundamental reasons these two countries found it convenient to cooperate together militarily and otherwise so as to form in effect the Anglo-American World Power.

8, 9. What similarities are there between Daniel 2:40 and Daniel 7:7?

⁸ However, with regard to that “fourth kingdom”​—in its original identity as the Roman Empire—​Daniel tells us in another of his prophecies:

“After this I kept on beholding in the visions of the night, and, see there! a fourth beast, fearsome and terrible and unusually strong. And it had teeth of iron, big ones. It was devouring and crushing, and what was left it was treading down with its feet. And it was something different from all the other beasts that were prior to it, and it had ten horns.”​—Dan. 7:7.

⁹ In examining Daniel chapter seven, it will be noted that the prophet is outlining the same four kingdoms, or world powers, as those presented in Da chapter two. But instead of describing such powers as parts of an image, starting with the head of gold, he describes them as beasts. In the seventh chapter, he starts with a lion (Babylon) and concludes with the unusually strong fourth beast having iron teeth. It is no coincidence, then, that Daniel 7:7 corresponds very closely with Daniel 2:40. In both these texts, grinding, crushing and fearsome ironlike strength are clearly associated with this kingdom of Rome. But the question remains: How does this “fourth kingdom” come to represent two world powers?

10. The ‘small horn’ has what origin?

¹⁰ Let us read on, in Daniel 7:8:

“I kept on considering the horns, and, look! another horn, a small one, came up in among them, and there were three of the first horns that were plucked up from before it. And, look! there were eyes like the eyes of a man in this horn, and there was a mouth speaking grandiose things.”

How interesting! This fourth kingdom, the Roman World Power, starts growing another horn out of its symbolic beastlike head. And three of the existing horns are plucked up to make way for this outgrowth. What does all of this mean? Let us look at the facts of history.

HISTORY CONFIRMS DANIEL’S WARNING

11. Why is it of interest to note how the Roman Empire fulfilled in detail events described by Daniel?

¹¹ We actually ‘need nothing more to be written to us’ because all is already written down in God’s inspired Word. Additionally, if we are truly perceptive spiritually, universal events will not overtake us as a thief might overtake the unwary. But we do need to be well informed Scripturally, and it is of interest to note how the Roman Empire fulfilled in detail the events described in Daniel’s prophetic visions.

12. To what extent did the domination of Rome affect the British Isles?

¹² Rome, from its inception, was very much a military power, and it extended its influence and control widely. Britain, at that time basically under the influence of tribal kingship, became part of the Roman Empire, and throughout the British Isles there are many evidences of such domination. These include the wall Emperor Hadrian built across the northern part of England.

13, 14. (a) At first, Rome’s power was of what kind? (b) But what developed in the third and fourth centuries?

¹³ As Rome became more affluent and increasingly decadent because of the licentious living of its ruling class, it diminished as a military power. By the time of Nero and successive emperors, the decline of Rome’s military might was clearly evident. But the perpetuators of this empire devised a scheme to keep it going as a dominant factor in world affairs for centuries to come, even though not as a military power. How was this done?

¹⁴ Coming forward into the third and fourth centuries C.E., it appears that Rome became very much a religio-political power, in addition to being a military power. Artfully, a scheme was devised whereby the papal authority in Rome was able to maintain control far and wide over a great portion of the then known inhabited earth. This arrangement was known as the feudal system and, with the aid of it the Holy Roman Empire with Papal Rome as its focal point, dictated the course of world affairs for at least 1,000 years.

15. How did the papacy maintain control for several hundred years?

¹⁵ Under the feudal system, the vast majority of people eked out a living as peasants in abject ignorance and poverty. From their meager livelihood, they were required to support the indolent lords of the manor houses and castles throughout Europe, including the British Isles. In turn, these feudal lords were compelled to pay tribute, or tax, to the king in whose domain they found themselves. Then each of the kings, whether in England, Saxony or other parts of Europe, basically were vassal-like in their existence and were required to pay feudal dues or tribute to the papacy at Rome. Hence, the papacy grew wealthy both in riches and authority throughout that long period often called the Dark Ages.

16. How is the Holy Roman Empire well described by Daniel? (b) What is seen growing out of the head of the “fourth beast,” Rome?

¹⁶ Against this historical backdrop, how apt seems Daniel’s prophetic description of a kingdom represented by the iron legs of the “immense image”! (Dan. 2:31) And how appropriate the fearsome, crushing and devouring beast with iron teeth represented in Daniel chapter seven! First, it rampaged throughout Europe, subjecting everything in its path by military might. Then it maintained and further consolidated its power by political, religious and commercial enterprise and subterfuge.

ROME

from 30 B.C.E.