THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD AND THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST

THE KING OF BABYLON'S DREAM OF THE 4 KINGDOMS

"[31] Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness
was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
[32] This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly
and his thighs of brass,
[33] His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
[34] Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon
his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
[35] Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces
together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried
them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became
a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
"[38] And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of
the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou
art this head of gold.
[39] And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third
kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
[40] And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in
pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in
pieces and bruise.
[41] And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of
iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron,
forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
[42] And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom
shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
[43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves
with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed
with clay.
[44] And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall
never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in
pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
[45] Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands,
and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great
God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is
certain, and the interpretation thereof sure." - Daniel 2:31-45
DANIEL'S DREAM OF THE FOUR BEASTS
"[1] In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his
head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
[2] Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds(WAR)
of the heaven strove upon the great sea(NATIONS AND PEOPLES).
[3] And four great beasts(KINGDOMS) came up from the sea, diverse one from
another.
[4] 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.
[5] 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.
[6] 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.
[7] 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.
[8] 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.
[9] I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose
garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was
like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
[10] A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands
ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment
was set, and the books were opened.
[11] I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld
even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
[12] As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their
lives were prolonged for a season and time.
[13] I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds
of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
[14] And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people,
nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which
shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
[15] I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my
head troubled me.
[16] I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he
told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
[17] These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the
earth.
[18] But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for
ever, even for ever and ever.
[19] Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the
others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which
devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;
[20] And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and
before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake
very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
[21] I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
[22] Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most
High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
[23] Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which
shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread
it down, and break it in pieces.
[24] And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and
another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall
subdue three kings.
[25] And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints
of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his
hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
[26] But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to
destroy it unto the end.
[27] And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole
heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
[28] Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled
me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart." - Daniel 7:1-
28

BABYLON
MEDO-PERSIA
GREECE
ROME
----------
(TALK ABOUT THE GODS OF EACH OF THE 4 EMPIRES AND THE
REPACKAGING OF NIMROD, SEMIRAMIS, AND TAMMUZ)
BABYLON - KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR
"[4] 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." Daniel 7:4
"This image's head was of fine gold" - Daniel 2:32
"...Thou(NEBUCHADNEZZAR) art this head of gold." - Daniel 2:38
The first beast is the kingdom of Babylon because the first kingdom in the vision of the
image was said to be Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom of Babylon. The wings show the
Babylon rose to power fairly quickly and that God was directly involved in the
establishment of kingdom of Babylon. We can see the eagle's wings symbol explained in
Exodus:

"[4] Ye have seen what I (GOD) did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles'
wings, and brought you unto myself." - Exodus 19:4
and we also have Daniel telling Nebuchadnezzar that God gave him the kingdom of
Babylon:
"[37] Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a
kingdom, power, and strength, and glory." - Daniel 2:37
In addition to this, winged lions have been found by archaeologists in Babylonian
artwork and sculptures.
Nebuchadnezzar's policy of war was a scorched earth policy, they would destroy
everything and even burn crops to show clearly who the victor was. This is similar to a
lion tearing in pieces it's pray. The lion is called the king of beasts.
When it talks about the lion being given the heart of a man, this refers to the fact that that
after king Nebuchadnezzar, the king would not be fierce and courageous in his conquest,
but be fearful as a man. It also represents the exaltation of man which is what was being
done at the tower of Babel.
---
Babylon was a Semitic Akkadian city-state (founded in 1894 BC by an Amorite
dynasty) of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Iraq,
about 53 miles south of Baghdad. All that remains of the original ancient famed city of
Babylon today is a large mound, or tell, of broken mud-brick buildings and debris in the
fertile Mesopotamian plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The city itself was
built upon the Euphrates, and divided in equal parts along its left and right banks, with
steep embankments to contain the river's seasonal floods.
Available historical resources suggest that Babylon was at first a small town which had
sprung up by the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC (circa 2000 BC). The town
attained independence as a small city state with the rise of the First Amorite Babylonian
Dynasty in 1894 BC.
Many historical sources use the terms Babel and Babylon interchangeably
It has been estimated that Babylon was the largest city in the world from c. 1770 to 1670
BC, and again between c. 612 and 320 BC. It was perhaps the first city to reach a
population above 200,000
The neo-Babylonian empire which came to be led by king Nebuchadnezzar rose to power
by conquering the Assyrian empire which was in power at the time. Babylon was a city
under Assyrian control until it rebelled and took over.

Biblical Amorites
The term Amorites is used in the Bible to refer to certain highland mountaineers who
inhabited the land of Canaan, described in Genesis 10:16 as descendants of Canaan, son
of Ham. They are described as a powerful people of great stature "like the height of the
cedars," (Amos 2:9) who had occupied the land east and west of the Jordan. The height
and strength mentioned in Amos 2:9 clearly shows that they were giants.
The Amorite king, Og, was described as the last "of the remnant of the Rephaim.
Rephaim were giants and Og king of Bashan was a giant. The Bible says of king Og,

"[11] For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his
bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine
cubits was the length thereof(13 1/2 FEET), and four cubits the breadth of it(6
FEET), after the cubit of a man." Deuteronomy 3:11
The terms Amorite and Canaanite seem to be used more or less interchangeably, Canaan
being more general and Amorite a specific component among the Canaanites who
inhabited the land.
Five kings of the Amorites were first defeated with great slaughter by Joshua (10:10).
Then more Amorite kings were defeated at the waters of Merom by Joshua (Josh. 11:8). It
is mentioned that in the days of Samuel, there was peace between them and the Israelites
(1 Sam. 7:14). The Gibeonites were said to be their descendants, being an offshoot of the
Amorites that made a covenant with the Hebrews; when Saul would break that vow and
kill some of the Gibeonites, God sent a famine to Israel.)
----
The Babylonians established astrology and the Zodiac. They worshipped the sun and also
the "host of heaven", the planetary bodies' influence on human affairs.
---
NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S IMAGE AND THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST
"[1] Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore
cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province
of Babylon.
[2] Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and
the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellers, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of
the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king
had set up.
[3] Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the
counsellers, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto
the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood
before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
[4] Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and
languages,
[5] That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery,
dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
[6] And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the
midst of a burning fiery furnace.
[7] Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp,
sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages,
fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
[8] Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
[9] They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
[10] Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall
down and worship the golden image:
[11] And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst
of a burning fiery furnace.
[12] There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of
Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee:
they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
[13] Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.
[14] Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
[15] Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp,
sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the
image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into
the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my
hands?
[16] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O
Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
[17] If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery
furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
[18] But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor
worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
[19] Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that
they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
[20] And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
[21] Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other
garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
[22] Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding
hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-
nego.
[23] And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the
midst of the burning fiery furnace.
[24] Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and
said unto his counsellers, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?
They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
[25] He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and
they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
[26] Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and
spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God,
come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the
midst of the fire.
[27] And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellers, being gathered
together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of
their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on
them.
[28] Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him,
and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor
worship any god, except their own God.
[29] Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak
any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in
pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can
deliver after this sort.
[30] Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of
Babylon." - Daniel 3:1-30
THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST
"[11] And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a
lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
[12] And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth
and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
[13] And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the
earth in the sight of men,
[14] And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he
had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they
should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
[15] And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast
should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast
should be killed.
[16] And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a
mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
[17] And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the
beast, or the number of his name.
[18] Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for
it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." -
Revelation 13:11-18

---
MEDO - PERSIA
"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." - Daniel 7:5
" his breast and his arms of silver" - Daniel 2:32
"And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee" - Daniel 2:39

The next kingdom after Babylon was Medo-Persia. We can see this by the fact that it was
recorded in the book of Daniel. When the king of Babylon Belshazzar did not glorify
God, but brought in victuals from the temple of God in Jerusalem and had a feast with
them and worshipped idols, a hand wrote on the wall. Belshazzar asked Daniel to explain
the writing and one of the things that was said was this:
"...Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." - Daniel 5:28
When it says that the bear was raised up on one side, this refers to the fact that the Medes
and Persians did not have equal power. At first the Medes had more power and then the
Persians rose to have equal and eventually more power.
The three ribs in it's mouth represents the three major conquests involved in the rise of
their empire: Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt. By these three conquests they conquered the
Babylonian empire.
-
CYRUS THE GREAT
Cyrus II of Persia commonly known as Cyrus the Great  and also known as Cyrus the
Elder, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire(the First Persian Empire). Under his
rule, the empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East,
expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much of Central
Asia and the Caucasus. From the Mediterranean Sea and Hellespont in the west to the
Indus River in the east
Cyrus the Great created the largest empire the world had yet seen.
His regal titles in full were The Great King, King of Persia, King of Anshan, King of
Media, King of Babylon, King of Sumer and Akkad, and King of the Four Corners of the
World.
Cyrus has been a personal hero to many people, including: Thomas Jefferson,
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and David Ben-Gurion.[
The achievements of Cyrus the Great throughout antiquity are reflected in the way he is
remembered today. His own nation, the Iranians, have regarded him as "The Father", the
very title that had been used during the time of Cyrus himself, by the many nations that
he conquered, as according to Xenophon:[86]
And those who were subject to him, he treated with esteem and regard, as if they
were his own children, while his subjects themselves respected Cyrus as their
"Father" ... What other man but 'Cyrus', after having overturned an empire, ever
died with the title of "The Father" from the people whom he had brought under
his power? For it is plain fact that this is a name for one that bestows, rather than
for one that takes away!
The Babylonians regarded him as "The Liberator"
Cyrus's conquests began a new era in the age of empire building, where a vast superstate,
comprising many dozens of countries, races, religions, and languages, were ruled under a
single administration headed by a central government(ONE GOVERNMENT). Cyrus has
been known for his innovations in building projects; he further developed the
technologies that he found in the conquered cultures.
Though it is generally believed that Zarathushtra's(aka Zoroaster) teachings maintained
influence on Cyrus's acts and policies, so far no clear evidence has been found to indicate
that Cyrus practiced a specific religion.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT CYRUS
"[1] Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the
mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of
Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing,
saying,
[2] Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the
kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which
is in Judah.
[3] Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to
Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the
God,) which is in Jerusalem.
[4] And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place
help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill
offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
[5] Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the
Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the
LORD which is in Jerusalem.
[6] And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with
gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly
offered.
[7] Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD, which
Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his
gods;
[8] Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the
treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah." - Ezra 1:1-8
"[24] Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am
the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth
abroad the earth by myself;
[28] That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even
saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid."
- Isiah 44:28
"[1] Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to
subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two
leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
[2] I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the
gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
[3] And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that
thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
[4] For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy
name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
[5] I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee,
though thou hast not known me:
[6] That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none
beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else." - Isaiah 45:1-6
DARIUS
Darius I was the third king of the Persian Empire. Also called Darius the Great, he
ruled the empire at its peak,
Darius organized the empire by dividing it into provinces and placing satraps to govern it.
He organized a new uniform monetary system,(ONE CURRENCY AND FINANCIAL
SYSTEM)
Darius conducted the new introduction of a universal currency, the daric sometime before
500 BCE. Darius applied the coinage system as a transnational currency to regulate trade
and commerce throughout his empire. The daric was also recognized beyond the borders
of the empire - in places such as Celtic Central Europe and Eastern Europe. There were
two types of darics, a gold and a silver. Only the king could mint gold darics, important
generals and satraps minted silver darics
The daric also improved government revenues as the introduction of the daric led to new
taxes on land, livestock and marketplaces. This also led to the registration of land. It was
measured and taxed accordingly.This new tax system also led to the formation of state
banking and the creation of banking firms. One of the most famous banking firms was
Murashu and Sons, based in Nippur. These banking firms provided loans and credit to
clients.
Darius also made Aramaic the official language of the empire.(ONE LANGUAGE)
---
GREECE
"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 7:6
" his belly and his thighs of brass," - Daniel 2:32
"and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth." -
Daniel 2:39
The 4 wings show the speed at which Alexander the Great conquered to establish the
Greek empire.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT - TYPE OF ANTICHRIST
The Democracy in Greece became a farce. History records in the writings of
Aristotle and others that prior to Alexander the Great's rise, there was anarchy
and mob rule. Aristotle said, “Children have become rulers of parents.” There
were evolution clubs in Greece. Plutarch said, “men wore bizarre costumes and
women found joy in men's clothing.” Is this not America today? There was
social breakdown, paving the way for a young dictator named Alexander the
Great to become dictator. Only a dynamic man, a dictatorship, could have
saved Greece from herself. Alexander the Great was that man, and he was only
20-years old when he rose to power.
The conquests of Alexander III of Macedon, known as ‘Alexander the Great’, changed
the world for ever.
Following his death in 323 BC Alexander’s generals divided his vast empire between
themselves at two conferences at Babylon (in 323 BC) and Triparadeisus (in 321 BC) and
began to squabble over his legacy.
In the period of turmoil that followed, known as the Successor Wars, the image of the
deified Alexander played an important part, as his Successors tried to cast themselves as
his heir. This was part of an attempt to claim legitimacy of rule through association with
Alexander, even though the Successors were not blood-relatives of the Argead dynasty
(Alexander’s family).
One of the most striking examples of this is seen here on a coin of Lysimachus, one of
Alexander’s generals . Lysimachus (reigned 305-281 BC) was allotted the kingdom of
Thrace in Northern Greece, to which he later added parts of western Asia Minor (modern
Turkey).
Early in the third century, Lysimachus began to produce stunning silver and gold coins.
On the obverse (front) of the coins is a head of Alexander with the ram's horn of the
Egyptian god Ammon. On the reverse (back) is the goddess Athena, seated, and a Greek
legend which translates 'Of King Lysimachus'.
The reference to Ammon is from the story of Alexander’s expedition to Siwa Oasis after
his conquest of Egypt. The priests of the shrine of Ammon there greeted Alexander as the
son of Ammon and the rightful Pharaoh of the land of Egypt. This link to the god Ammon
was understood in Greek terms as equivalent to Zeus, and the deity was often known in
Hellenistic times and later as ‘Zeus Ammon’.
The emphasis on Alexander’s divine nature was important for Lysimachus, because
through his association with Alexander, he was also connected to the gods.
We read of another beast in Revelation 13, that goes before the first beast and exercises
the power of the first beast. This beast has two horns as a lamb. (There are images (coins)
of Alexander with two such horns).
"I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by
a lion." - Alexander the Great

"Sex and sleep alone make me conscious that I am mortal. " - Alexander the Great
He died at age 33 in a drunken stupor and then the kingdom was divided and ruled by 4
of his generals: Cassander, Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Seleucus. These are the 4 heads on
the leopard.

---
ROME
"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." - Daniel 7:7
"[19] Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the
others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which
devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;" - Daniel 7:19
"[23] Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which
shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread
it down, and break it in pieces." - Daniel 7:23
"[24] And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise" - Daniel
7:24
"His legs of iron" - Daniel 2:33
" And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in
pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in
pieces and bruise." - Daniel 2:40
The two legs represent how the Roman empire was divided into the Byzantine empire
and Western empire.
Several events from the 4th to 6th centuries mark the transitional period during which the
Roman Empire's east and west divided. In 285, the emperor Diocletian (r. 284–305)
partitioned the Roman Empire's administration into eastern and western halves.[3]
Between 324 and 330, Constantine I (r. 306–337) transferred the main capital from Rome
to Byzantium, later known as Constantinople ("City of Constantine") and Nova Roma
("New Rome"). Greek philosphy abounded in Constantinople.
The nails of brass on the beast show the Greek influence that was still there. Rome
basically incorporated most of Greece's gods and philisophies into it's empire.
The ten horns shows that the Roman empire will be divided into 10 parts.
These 10 were:
"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." -
The little horn power destroyed the 3 horns out of the ten who resisted it's rule: the
Heruli, Vandals, and Ostrogoths.
ROMULUS AND REMUS - THE FOUNDING OF ROME
Romulus and Remus are the twin brothers and main characters of Rome's foundation
myth. Their mother is Rhea Silvia, daughter of Numitor, king of Alba Longa. Before their
conception, Numitor's brother Amulius seizes power, kills Numitor's male heirs and
forces Rhea Silvia to become a Vestal Virgin, sworn to chastity. Rhea Silvia conceives
the twins by the god Mars, or by the demi-god Hercules. Once the twins are born,
Amulius has them abandoned to die in the river Tiber. They are saved by a series of
miraculous interventions: the river carries them to safety, a she-wolf finds and suckles
them, and a woodpecker feeds them. A shepherd and his wife find them and foster
them to manhood, as simple shepherds. The twins, still ignorant of their true origins,
prove to be natural leaders. Each acquires many followers. When they discover the truth
of their birth, they kill Amulius and restore Numitor to his throne. Rather than wait to
inherit Alba Longa, they choose to found a new city.
While Romulus wanted to found the new city on the Palatine Hill, Remus preferred the
Aventine Hill. They agree to determine the site through augury(AUGURY DEFINED
BELOW) but when each claims the results in his own favor, they quarrel and Remus is
killed. Romulus founds the new city, names it Rome, after himself, and creates its first
legions and senate. The new city grows rapidly, swelled by landless refugees; as most of
these are male, and unmarried, Romulus arranges the abduction of women from the
neighboring Sabines. The ensuing war ends with the joining of Sabines and Romans as
one Roman people. Thanks to divine favour and Romulus's inspired leadership, Rome
becomes a dominant force, but Romulus himself becomes increasingly autocratic, and
disappears or dies in mysterious circumstances. In later forms of the myth, he ascends to
heaven, and is identified with Quirinus, the divine personification of the Roman people.
***AUGURY***
Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the
observed flight of birds. When the individual, known as the augur, interpreted these
signs, it is referred to as "taking the auspices". 'Augur' and 'auspices' are from the Latin
auspicium and auspex, literally "one who looks at birds", Depending upon the birds, the
auspices from the gods could be favorable or unfavorable (auspicious or inauspicious).
Some modern historians link the act of observing Auspices to the Etruscans,
Each took a seat on the ground apart from one another, and, according to Plutarch, Remus
saw six vultures, while Romulus saw twelve.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

The Roman Empire (Latin: Imperium Romanum) was the post-Republican period of the
ancient Roman civilization, characterized by government headed by emperors, and large
territorial holdings around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, Africa, and Asia. The 500
year old republic which preceded it was severely destabilized in a series of civil wars and
political conflict, during which Julius Caesar was appointed as perpetual dictator and then
assassinated in 44 BC. Civil wars and executions continued, culminating in the victory of
Octavian, Caesar's adopted son, over Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium
in 31 BC and the annexation of Egypt. Octavian's power was now unassailable and in 27
BC the Roman Senate formally granted him overarching power and the new title
Augustus, effectively marking the end of the Roman Republic.
The imperial successor to the Republic endured for some 500 years. The first two
centuries of the Empire's existence were a period of unprecedented political stability and
prosperity known as the Pax Romana, or "Roman Peace". Following Octavian's victory,
the size of the Empire was dramatically increased. After the assassination of Caligula in
41, the Senate briefly considered restoring the republic, but the Praetorian Guard
proclaimed Claudius Emperor instead. Under Claudius, the Empire underwent its first
major expansion since Augustus. After Claudius' successor, Nero, committed suicide in
68, the Empire suffered a period of brief civil wars, as well as a concurrent major
rebellion in Judea, during which four different legionary generals were proclaimed
Emperor. Vespasian emerged triumphant in 69, establishing the Flavian dynasty, before
being succeeded by his son Titus, who opened the Colosseum shortly after the eruption of
Mt. Vesuvius. His short reign was followed by the long reign of his brother Domitian,
who was eventually assassinated. The Senate then appointed the first of the Five Good
Emperors. The Empire reached its greatest extent under Trajan, the second in this line.
A period of increasing trouble and decline began with the reign of Commodus.
Commodus' assassination in 192 triggered the Year of the Five Emperors, of which
Septimius Severus emerged victorious. The assassination of Alexander Severus in 235
led to the Crisis of the Third Century in which 26 men were declared Emperor by the
Roman Senate over a fifty year period. It was not until the reign of Diocletian that the
Empire was successfully stabilized with the introduction of the Tetrarchy, which saw four
Emperors rule the Empire at once. This arrangement was ultimately unsuccessful, leading
to a civil war that was finally ended by Constantine I, who defeated his rivals and became
the sole ruler of the Empire. Constantine subsequently shifted the capital of the east to
Byzantium, which was renamed Constantinople in his honor. It remained the capital of
the east until its demise in 1453. Constantine also adopted Christianity which later
became the official state religion of the Empire. Following the death of Theodosius I, the
last Emperor to rule a united Empire, the dominion of the Empire was gradually eroded
by abuses of power, civil wars, barbarian migrations and invasions, military reforms and
economic depression. The Sack of Rome in 410 by the Visigoths and again in 455 by the
Vandals accelerated the Western Empire's decay, while the deposition of the Emperor
Romulus Augustulus in 476 by Odoacer is generally accepted to mark the end of the
Empire in the west. The Eastern Roman Empire endured for another thousand years,
eventually falling to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
The Roman Empire was among the most powerful economic, cultural, political and
military forces in the world of its time. It was the largest empire of the Classical antiquity
period, and one of the largest empires in world history. At its height under Trajan, it
covered 5 million square kilometers(over 1.9 million square miles) and held sway over
some 70 million people, at that time, 21% of the world's entire population. The longevity
and vast extent of the Empire ensured the lasting influence of Latin and Greek language,
culture, religion, inventions, architecture, philosophy, law and forms of government on
the Empire's descendants.
TALK ABOUT CAESARS AND PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS
The term Caesar comes from Julius Caesar. After his death, the subsequent emperors took
on the title of Caesar starting with Augustus.
(go to Foxe's book of martyrs for the Caesars' persecutions)

PONTIFEX MAXIMUS

The Pontifex Maximus (Latin, literally: "greatest pontiff") was the high priest of the
College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome.
(The College of Pontiffs was a body of the ancient Roman state whose members were
the highest-ranking priests of the state religion. The college consisted of the Pontifex
Maximus and the other pontifices, the Rex Sacrorum, the fifteen flamens, and the Vestals.
The flamens were priests in charge of fifteen official cults of Roman religion, each
assigned to a particular god. The three major flamens (flamines maiores) were the Flamen
Dialis, the high priest of Jupiter; the Flamen Martialis, who cultivated Mars; and the
Flamen Quirinalis, devoted to Quirinus. The deities cultivated by the twelve flamines
minores were Carmenta, Ceres, Falacer, Flora, Furrina, Palatua, Pomona, Portunes,
Volcanus (Vulcan), Volturnus, and two whose names are lost.
The rex sacrorum was a senatorial priesthood reserved for patricians(ruling class
aristocrats)
The Vestal Virgins , were priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the hearth. The College of the
Vestals and its well-being was regarded as fundamental to the continuance and security of
Rome. They cultivated the sacred fire that was not allowed to go out. The Vestals were
freed of the usual social obligations to marry and bear children, and took a vow of
chastity in order to devote themselves to the study and correct observance of state rituals
that were off-limits to the male colleges of priests (sounds like catholic nuns)
(PONTIFEX MAXIMUS)This was the most important position in the ancient Roman
religion, open only to patricians until 254 BC, when a plebeian first occupied this post. A
distinctly religious office under the early Roman Republic, it gradually became
politicized until, beginning with Augustus, it was subsumed into the Imperial office.
The term pontifex literally means "bridge-builder" (pons + facere); "maximus" literally
means "greatest". This was perhaps originally meant in a literal sense: the position of
bridge-builder was indeed an important one in Rome, where the major bridges were over
the Tiber, the sacred river (and a deity): only prestigious authorities with sacral functions
could be allowed to "disturb" it with mechanical additions. However, it was always
understood in its symbolic sense as well: the pontifices were the ones who smoothed the
"bridge" between gods and men (Van Haeperen).
Numa Pompilius, who was the first king of Rome after Romulus, established the offices
and duties of Pontifex Maximus. Numa was traditionally celebrated by the Romans for
his wisdom and piety. According to the Augustan-era historian Livy, Numa Pompilius, a
Sabine, devised Rome's system of religious rites, including the manner and timing of
sacrifices, the supervision of religious funds, authority over all public and private
religious institutions, instruction of the populace in the celestial and funerary rites
including appeasing the dead, and expiation of prodigies. Numa is said to have founded
Roman religion after dedicating an altar on the Aventine Hill to Jupiter Elicius and
consulting the gods by means of augury. Numa wrote down and sealed these religious
instructions, and gave them to the first Pontifex Maximus, Numa Marcius.
Numa Pompilius is supposed to have had a direct and personal relationship with a
number of deities, most famously the nymph Egeria, who according to legend taught him
to be a wise legislator. According to Livy, Numa claimed that he held nightly
consultations with Egeria on the proper manner of instituting sacred rites for the city.
Egeria gave wisdom and prophecy in return for libations of water or milk at her sacred
groves.
In this myth she is shown as counselor and guide to King Numa in the establishment of
the original framework of laws and rituals of Rome, and in this role she is somehow
uniquely in Roman mythology associated with "sacred books"; Numa is reputed to have
written down the teachings of Egeria in "sacred books" that he had buried with him;
when some chance accident brought them back to light some 500 years later, they were
deemed by the Senate inappropriate for disclosure to the people and destroyed by their
order; Dionysius of Halicarnassus hints that they were actually kept as a very close secret
by the Pontifices.
In C. S. Lewis's Christian novel The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Aslan refers to himself
as "the great Bridge-Builder", a close translation of Pontifex Maximus.
The word "pontifex" later became a term used for Christian bishops, including the Bishop
of Rome,and the title of "Pontifex Maximus" was applied within the Roman Catholic
Church to the Pope as its chief bishop.
Pope Leo I (440–461) assumed the title Pontifex Maximus. In the 15th century, when the
Renaissance stirred up new interest in ancient Rome, "Pontifex Maximus" became a
regular title of honour for Popes

CHURCH FATHER AND COMMENTATOR QUOTES ON WHAT RESTRAINS

ANTICHRIST
Who is the restraining power in II Thessalonians 2:7 "he who now letteth will let, until he
be taken out of the way"?
Tertullian, who lived from 155 AD until 222 AD wrote: “For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work; only he who now hinders must hinder, until he be taken out of the way.”
What obstacle is there but the Roman state, the falling away of which, by being
scattered into ten kingdoms, shall introduce Antichrist upon (its own ruins)? “ –
Tertullian On the Resurrection of the Flesh chapter 24
Cyril of Jerusalem (315–386): “But this aforesaid Antichrist is to come when the times of
the Roman empire shall have been fulfilled...” First Catechetical Lecture part 15.

Jerome (347–420): "Says the apostle [Paul in the second epistle to the Thessalonians],
‘Unless the Roman Empire should first be desolated, and antichrist proceed, Christ will
not come.’"

John Chrysostom [347-407 AD] “What then is it that withholdeth, that is, hindereth him
from being revealed? Some indeed say, the grace of the Spirit, but others the Roman
empire, to whom I most of all accede. Wherefore? Because if he meant to say the
Spirit, he would not have spoken obscurely, but plainly... But because he said this of
the Roman empire, he naturally glanced at it, and speaks covertly and darkly.” –
Homily IV. 2 Thess ii. 6-9.
“Antichrist, was thus kept in check by the Roman emperor” – Jamieson, Fausset, and
Brown

“but by that which withheld, let or hindered the open appearance of antichrist, were the
Roman empire and emperors” – John Gill’s Expositor.

“the Roman emperor and empire as most probably meant here by the apostle; and
therefore he wrote not plainly, lest by writing of the taking away that empire, which the
Romans thought to be eternal, he might stir up their hatred against the Christians.” –
Matthew Poole’s Commentary.

“The most natural interpretation is that which refers it to [the] civil power [of Rome],
meaning that there was something in the form of the existing administration which
would prevent this development until that restraint should be removed.” – Barnes New
Testament Notes.
http://www.babylonforsaken.com/daniel2.html